Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

  I have to say, I was not looking forward to seeing this film.  It's one of those movies that every film nerd tells you that you have to see, but usually ends up being pretentious bullshit.  It's also nearly 3 hours long.  I don't know about you, but after the last year it seems like nobody can make a movie under two and a half hours any more.  I am epic movie-d out.

But I watched it anyway, and you know what?  It actually IS a classic.  And doesn't feel like you need an intermission.

The last of the great Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, Once Upon a Time in the West concerns a young woman named Jill (Claudia Cardinale) who rides into town only to find that her brand-new husband and three step-kids have been gunned down.  The evidence points to local gangleader and ruffian Chyenne (Jason Robards) but, as he explains to the widow, he does not kill children.  Incensed at being framed, the gunslinger decides to take Jill's cause for his own and find out why her man was targeted.  Assisting him is a mysterious harmonica player (Charles Bronson) who has a private score to settle with the black-hatted assassin, Frank (Henry Fonda).  Turns out, the late Mr. McBain (Frank Wolff) had planned to build an entire town alongside the railroad but the rail owner, Mr. Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti), does not approve. 

Ok, so technically, this is not the last western Sergio Leone did but I have seen Duck You Sucker! and it is not nearly as good as this one.  Did it necessarily have to be two hours and forty-five minutes?  No, but it really does fly by.  It is absolutely a classic and I am seriously contemplating buying it just for that.