The visually stunning western classic Once Upon a Time in the West is now available in Remastered Edition in highest 4K quality and extensive bonus material. Sergio Leone’s film impresses not only with its first-class images but also with its iconic music and a large fan base, which also includes master director Quentin Tarantino.
Once Upon a Time in the West on 4K UHD
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Once Upon a Time in the West: A Western as tragic as an opera
Even those who have never seen the classic will probably recognize the harmonica melody that can be heard at the beginning of the film. Here, three gunslingers wait for a train to arrive and are surprised by a nameless hero (Charles Bronson). The ensuing shootout marks the beginning of the epic story of revenge and greed.
As tragic as an opera, Leone stages the shady characters and use music as a main component of the film. In some cases he arranged entire scenes in the rhythm of the sounds. This comes from the award-winning composer Ennio Morricone, who gave each protagonist his own melody.
Quentin Tarantino collaborated with the composer of Once Upon a Time in the West
Morricone provided the musical accompaniment in countless westerns, including Tarantino’s icy western The Hateful 8, for which he received the Oscar for best film music. Tarantino himself also celebrates Leone’s stylistic confidence in Once Upon a Time in the West, which combines tragic opera with the classic western (via: IndieWire):
To be such a great stylist as he is, to create this opera world and to do so within a genre that Respecting the rules of the genre and at the same time constantly breaking these rules – he gives you a wonderful western.
In addition to the film music, the camera work in this classic western is also impressive, with many oppressive close-ups, the story that slowly unfolds and an incredibly vicious killer, brilliantly played by Henry Fonda. If you’re still missing Once Upon a Time in the West from your film collection, you should definitely add it to your collection.
The new remastered edition includes the western on 4K UHD and Blur-ray. In addition, there is a Blu-ray bonus disc with lots of extrassuch as commentary, a review with film critic Leonard Maltin, background on sets from then and now, and much more.
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