Short Films

{{item.headline}}

> DETAIL INFO

Sergio Leone

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
C’ERA UNA VOLTA IL WEST

• Director: Sergio Leone
• ITALY, USA / 1968 / DCP / Colour / 166’ / English, Italian; Turkish s.t.

• Screenplay: Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati
• Original Work: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci
• Director of Photography: Tonino Delli Colli
• Editing: Nino Baragli
• Music: Ennio Morricone
• Cast: Claudia Cardinale, Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Frank Wolff, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Lionel Stander, Paolo Stoppa, Marco Zuanelli, Al Mulock, Keenan Wynn
• Producer: Fulvio Morsella
• Production Co.: Euro International Films, Paramount Pictures, Rafran Cinematografica, Finanzia San Marco
• World Sales: Park Circus 

The first instalment of the Once Upon A Time trilogy, Once Upon a Time in the West tells the story of a mysterious cowboy and a good-willed bandit join forces to protect a newly widowed homesteader, who has arrived to the "Wild West" to build a new life, from the murderer of her husband. As opposed to the classic western narrative of big-hearted heroes, Once Upon a Time in the West employs malicious elements such as violence, injustice, pain, and chaos to depict the construction of the American West and the vanishing of the cowboy generation. As Sergio Leone for the first time centres a western around a female protagonist, he also casts Henry Fonda against type as the villain. The initial version of screenplay written by Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci was later edited down by Sergio Donati.

This film is screened with the generous support of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Istanbul.

This film was a Meetings on the Bridge participant.