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“You don’t understand, Jill. People like that have something inside… something to do with death.” – Cheyenne

Directed by Sergio Leone, this epic Western re-established the genre, and still stands as one of the greatest, artistic films of all time. Henry Fonda stars as Frank, a ruthless murderous psychopath who feels no remorse, even after annihilating Mrs. McBain’s (Claudia Cardinale) entire family. Charles Bronson plays The Man, a harmonica-wielding loner who will never forget how his brother was savagely tortured. The Man joins forces with Cheyenne (Jason Robards), the man wrongfully accused of murdering Mrs. McBain’s family, to put an end once and for all to Frank’s reign of terror. – Synopsis via Paramount Pictures

Considered to be one of the best Western films in the history of cinema, ONCE UPONA TIME IN AMERICA is directed by the great Sergio Leone. Some of his best-known films are ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA; DUCK, YOU SUCKER!; and The Man with No Name trilogy. His artistic style makes experiencing the scenes more tense and visceral. I see why his Westerns are held in such high regard.

My three favorites are the stars: Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda.  I’m not a fan of Robards because he plays horrible people in films but even though he is something of a scoundrel here, he has this dirty charm that makes you like him. Plus, I like his “theme” when he’s onscreen.

When Leone cast Henry Fonda as Frank, he wanted his first appearance on screen to surprise the audience.  The camera pans up and shows the crystal blue eyes that he is known for.  Up to this point in his career, he hadn’t played a villain and he is perfect for this criminal.

Now, you can’t talk about this movie without getting into Ennio Morricone’s score.  The music is absolutely perfect and conveys that emotion with every note. After this, there are so many scores that have been influenced by this particle score (particularly the song Cheyenne): KILL BILL and the game RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 to name a couple.  You can even hear a little of it in Zimmer’s SHERLOCK HOLMES scores.
Fun fact: Dario Argento helped with the story.  Yes, that Argento who made SUSPIRA and TENEBRAE. 

Cast
Claudia Cardinale as Jill McBain
Henry Fonda as Frank
Jason Robards as Manuel “Cheyenne” Gutiérrez
Charles Bronson as “Harmonica”
Gabriele Ferzetti as Mr. Morton
Paolo Stoppa as Sam, the Coachman
Marco Zuanelli as Wobbles
Keenan Wynn as the Sheriff of Flagstone

VIDEO QUALITY 3.5/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation with Dolby Vision.  From all of the panning wide shots to the many closeups, the remaster has enhanced the sharpness but it isn’t done across the board.  The release is a mixed bag.  The difference can be seen from moment to moment.  A good example is when Jill gets to her home and is speaking with Harmonica: Her face goes from soft to having some finer details stand out.  

The skin tones are warm with everyone being tan and weathered.  No one is concerned with melanoma. The contrast from the Dolby Vision creates solid shadows.  It also shows the bold colors in some of the clothing and eyes.  That being said, the transfer has some issues; especially the DNR.  There is film grain present but it looks like the majority of it has been removed.  Some of the edges and skin textures are missing that natural composition. The included Blu-ray looks to have similar issues.

AUDIO QUALITY 4/5
The audio is a lossless DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix and also a Dolby Digital Mono mix.  The 5.1 mix makes the expanse of the images feel larger than life.  All of the channels together open up the sound field to complement the images onscreen. Checking out the mono mix was worth making the comparison. For lovers of original sound mixes, the mono will not disappoint and the audio is clear.  

For a film that is 55+ years old, the effects work is very good.  The ambient sound of the old west with wildlife and insects in the distance.  Also, the Foley work is incredible. The score is beautifully done and quite simple.  Each character has a theme and when two or more share screen time, the themes mix flawlessly.  The dialogue is clear and well-prioritized.

SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 4/5
-Audio Commentary: with The Hosts Of The Spaghetti Western Podcast

-Audio Commentary: with Contributions From Directors John Carpenter, John Milius & Alex Cox, Film Historians Sir Christopher Frayling & Dr. Sheldon Hall, And Cast & Crew
-A Look Back With Leonard Maltin: Maltin looks back at the film and how iconic it is in cinematic history.
-An Opera Of Violence: With some of the same contributors as the commentary, they talk about the film’s history, how it influenced cinema and more.
-The Wages Of Sin: With the same roster continuing about the filming locations, shooting the film, and even influencing fashion.
-Something To Do With Death: Finishing up, the sound, music, and editing.
-Railroad: Revolutionizing The West: This documentary goes into the rise of the railroads in early America.
-Locations Then & Now: This shows the filming locations from the film and then now.
-Production Gallery
-Theatrical Trailer

Disc Details
2-Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD Disc and 1 Blu-ray.
Digital Copy
A Gatefold Slipcover is included
 
Running Time
166 mins
 
Edition Ratings
Not Rated
 
Region Coding
Region Free
 
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC / H.265
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

HDR
Dolby Vision & HDR10

Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English Dolby Digital Mono
 
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
Spanish

THE BOTTOM LINE  3.5/5

Epic. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is arguably one of the best Western films of all time.  The influence of this film has created a legacy that films strive to have.

This release: good marks as a whole.  The film, audio, extras, and even the packaging are superb for this release.  As far as the audio goes, I watched both with comparing a few scenes and I think I prefer the mono mix. It is what Leone intended with the layers coming through nicely.  The extras are packed with information and include two excellent commentaries.  The video is a bit disappointing and I wish that the remaster had a crisper look.  Maybe on the next release.  I will say that there are going to be fans and collectors who will not critique as hard.  So, I say, make your own decision and check it out.