Once Upon A Time In The West, C'era una volta il West, 1968

 

원스 어폰 어 타임 인 더 웨스트

Once Upon A Time In The West, C'era una volta il West, 1968

개봉2008.07.11 |장르 서부 |국가 이탈리아, 미국 |등급15세이상관람가 | 러닝타임165분

감독세르지오 레오네

출연헨리 폰다, 클라우디아 카디날레, 제이슨 로바즈, 찰스 브론슨

 

줄거리

 

무명의 총잡이(찰스 브론슨 분)가 기차역에 도착하면서 영화는 시작된다. 악당 프랭크(헨리 폰다 분)는 약속을 지키는 대신 세 명의 총잡이 부하를 보내는데, 모두 그 '남자'의 총에 쓰러진다. 한편 프랭크와 그의 부하들은 ‘모뉴먼트 밸리’의 한 마을인 플래그스톤에서 아일랜드 출신인 맥베인 일가를 살해한다. 그 날은 맥베인의 새 아내 질(클라우디아 카르디날레)이 마을에 도착하는 날이었다. 하지만 플래그스톤에 도착한 질을 기다리는 것은 살해된 맥베인과 아이들의 시체. 질은 그 집에 혼자 남게 되고, 맥베인 일가 살해사건의 범인으로 몰린 탈옥한 총잡이 샤이엔(제이슨 로바즈)은 질이 묵고 있는 맥베인의 집으로 발길을 잡는다.

프랭크가 맥베인 일가를 참혹하게 죽인 것은, 맥베인이 소유하고 있는 지역이 지하수 덕분에 증기 기관차 사업으로 큰 돈을 벌 수 있기 때문이다. 프랭크는 맥베인의 유산상속을 하게 된 질을 유혹해 타협하려 하지만, 프랭크에게 복수심을 품고 마을에 나타난 무명의 총잡이가 나타나면서 일은 꼬이게 된다.

 

<원스 어폰 어 타임 인 아메리카> <황야의 무법자>의 거장 세르지오 레오네 감독의 걸작 서부영화이다. 서부극 중에 최고인 동시에 서부극의 죽음을 알린 영화로 유명한 이 작품은 ‘최고의 서부극' 10위 안에 들어가고 '최고의 영화 50위' 안에 들어가는 웨스턴 무비 역사의 기념비적인 작품이다.

복수심으로 가득 찬 총잡이가 냉혹한 악당에게 복수를 감행하는 마카로니 웨스턴의 걸작으로 <황야의 7인>의 찰스 브론슨이 냉정한 무명의 총잡이로, 냉혹한 악당은 <황야의 결투> <전쟁과 평화>의 헨리 폰다가 출연해 명연기를 펼친다. 푸른 눈의 선량한 이미지의 헨리 폰다가 정반대의 이미지인 악당을 연기하는 것이나, 고독한 무명의 총잡이 찰스 브론슨의 과묵한 매력은 엄청난 흡인력을 지니며 영화의 매력을 업그레이드 시킨다. 또한 세르지오 레오네 감독이 배우들의 얼굴을 클로우즈업 하는 장면과 와이드 쇼트를 병행하는 편집감각도 스타일이 넘쳐난다.

완벽한 캐스팅과 거장의 연출력 외에도 이 작품을 걸작에 반열에 오르게 한 큰 역할은 정교한 편집에 걸맞는 매혹적인 영화음악에 있다. 광활하고 아름다운 서부의 풍경과 엔니오 모리꼬네의 인상적인 음악은 네 명의 주요인물에게 테마음악을 입혀 캐릭터와 폭력 미학의 절정에 이르게 한다.

세르지오 레오네

 

Once Upon a Time in the West (Italian: C'era una volta il West, "Once upon a time (there was) the West") is a 1968 epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Leone. It stars Henry Fonda, cast against type as the villain, Charles Bronson as his nemesis, Jason Robards as a bandit, and Claudia Cardinale as a newly widowed homesteader. The widescreen cinematography was by Tonino Delli Colli, and the acclaimed film score was by Ennio Morricone.

 

After directing The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Leone decided to retire from Westerns and aimed to produce his film based on The Hoods, which eventually became Once Upon a Time in America. However, Leone accepted an offer from Paramount Pictures providing Henry Fonda and a budget to produce another Western. He recruited Bertolucci and Argento to devise the plot of the film in 1966, researching other Western films in the process. After Clint Eastwood turned down an offer to play the movie's protagonist, Bronson was offered the role. During production, Leone recruited Donati to rewrite the script due to concerns over time limitations.

 

The original version by the director was 166 minutes when it was first released on 21 December 1968. This version was shown in European cinemas, and was a box-office success. For the US release on 28 May 1969, Once Upon a Time in the West was edited down to 145 minutes by Paramount and was a financial flop. The film is the first installment in Leone's Once Upon a Time trilogy, followed by Duck, You Sucker! and Once Upon a Time in America, though the films do not share any characters in common.

 

In 2009, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Once Upon a Time in the West - Wikipedia

 

Plot

The story develops around two plot lines set in the Old West town of "Flagstone." First, a man dubbed "Harmonica" seeks revenge against the outlaw, Frank. Second, Frank works as a hired gun for railroad tycoon, Morton, who is trying to acquire certain land owned by the Brett McBain family. A second outlaw, Cheyenne, also figures into the story.

Harmonica kills three men who ambush him on his arrival at the train station. The dusters they wear lead him to believe they are Cheyenne's men. Meanwhile, Frank and his henchmen kill Brett McBain and his three children at their ranch, which they call "Sweetwater." Frank leaves behind evidence to frame Cheyenne for the murders.

 

A woman named Jill arrives in Flagstone, en route to Sweetwater, for what is assumed to be her upcoming marriage to McBain. However, Jill, a New Orleans prostitute, actually married McBain when he was there, thus making her the sole heir to Sweetwater. McBain knew the railroad would pass through Sweetwater one day, and he planned to build a watering station on his property, subject to a reverter that McBain would forfeit Sweetwater if the station was not built by the time the railroad reached that point. Morton sent Frank to intimidate McBain, but McBain's murder and Jill's inheritance put Morton and Frank at odds. Morton wants to make a deal with Jill, but Frank wants the land for himself.

 

Cheyenne denies his men tried to ambush Harmonica, and the two realize Frank is behind both the ambush and framing Cheyenne for the McBain murders. Harmonica discovers the connection between Frank and Morton, but is captured by Frank's men. When Frank asks Harmonica's identity, he replies with names of men Frank has killed. Cheyenne rescues Harmonica, and the two collaborate to help Jill save Sweetwater.

 

Jill decides to auction the land and return to New Orleans; however, Frank's henchmen intimidate the bidders in order to purchase the land at low value. Harmonica appears with Cheyenne in tow and bids $5,000, which is the price on Cheyenne's head as a wanted fugitive. Morton hires Frank's own men to kill him, but Harmonica intervenes to save Frank's demise for himself. Meanwhile, Cheyenne escapes custody, and he and his gang engage Frank's remaining gang in a gunfight at Morton's train. Except for Cheyenne, who heads to Sweetwater, all are killed, including Morton.

Frank sees the aftermath of the gunfight and rides to Sweetwater where he finds Harmonica waiting. Cheyenne has arrived, too, but remains in the ranch house with Jill. Harmonica beats Frank to the draw. As Frank lies dying, he again asks Harmonica's identity. Through a flashback, it is revealed Frank shoved a harmonica in a boy's mouth just before the boy collapsed under the weight of his older brother, whom Frank was hanging. In the present, Harmonica returns the instrument to Frank by placing it in his mouth. Frank realizes who shot him and dies.

 

Harmonica and Cheyenne leave Sweetwater, but Cheyenne collapses and dies from a gut wound he received by Morton in the gunfight. As Harmonica departs, Jill serves water to the railroad workers.