The opening scene in this masterpiece from Sergio Leone is alone worth the 10 points. I would add another 10 if I could. To think that the three main actors from another work by the great master, "The Good And The Bad And The Ugly", Clint Eastwood, Eddie Wallach and Lee Van Cleef, said NO to appear as the three bad guys in the film's beginning, is just hilarious. Any actor would die just to be in this film. But these three guys were all thinking to highly of themselves, and didn't consider such a "small role" to be a great honor. It's not hard to understand Leone's meta intention to ask the three heroes to appear like that, but perhaps we all should thank them for refusing, because how much more epic didn't Jack Elam, Woody Strode and Al Mulock become after acting in this famous scene. They are simply perfect for it. Even more incredible is that Mulock committed suicide with his costume still on, and this way actually died, if not for playing a part in the film. His reason will forever be untold.
One person getting too little credit is Leone's co-screenwriter, another Sergio by the surname Donati, who together with Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci really must have inspired Leone to get at top level. Every single actor in the film are at their top level too and make appearances so perfect that the audience forget that this is fiction. Personally I have seen it again and again only to see the beautiful and great acting Claudia Cardinale appear. But I believe Charles Bronson got the part mainly because he had the perfect looks and the most amazing eyes. Also, Bronson pretending to play the harmonica is THE ONLY just a little annoying thing about the film, even though the character's name is Harmonica. I am certain that the master behind the fantastic music score, Ennio Morricone, had little or no saying in this, the one place where music and picture don't fit together. There are so many to mention and give the very best credits. Tonino Delli Colli, director of photography, has caught the actor's faces, in particular Henry Fonda's and Charles Bronson's, but also the grand landscape and every important and non important detail in such an amazing way, it's totally stunning, and all the way. Nino Baragli is the master of editing. The total is so well composed that it just can't be made better. We can smell the air, taste the dust and feel every part of the setting. This is not Spaghetti Western, this is Italian epic film art at its very, very best!
One person getting too little credit is Leone's co-screenwriter, another Sergio by the surname Donati, who together with Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci really must have inspired Leone to get at top level. Every single actor in the film are at their top level too and make appearances so perfect that the audience forget that this is fiction. Personally I have seen it again and again only to see the beautiful and great acting Claudia Cardinale appear. But I believe Charles Bronson got the part mainly because he had the perfect looks and the most amazing eyes. Also, Bronson pretending to play the harmonica is THE ONLY just a little annoying thing about the film, even though the character's name is Harmonica. I am certain that the master behind the fantastic music score, Ennio Morricone, had little or no saying in this, the one place where music and picture don't fit together. There are so many to mention and give the very best credits. Tonino Delli Colli, director of photography, has caught the actor's faces, in particular Henry Fonda's and Charles Bronson's, but also the grand landscape and every important and non important detail in such an amazing way, it's totally stunning, and all the way. Nino Baragli is the master of editing. The total is so well composed that it just can't be made better. We can smell the air, taste the dust and feel every part of the setting. This is not Spaghetti Western, this is Italian epic film art at its very, very best!