``Once Upon a Time in the West'' is a tribute to the epic Western film created by three great talents.

Cinephile style dramatization full of references to American movies

Bertolucci and Argento met at Sergio Leone's mansion and spent several months developing the story. The two young men are both excellent filmmakers and movie buffs with a strong knowledge of exposition. He used the typical cinephile method of watching all the classic Western movies, accumulating them in his mind, listing the plots and scenes he liked, and applying them to his screenplay.

For example, the setting at the beginning of the story, in which the three men wait for a train, is clearly a scene from `` Midday Duel '' (52). The scene where the McBain family is massacred by Frank (Henry Fonda)'s gang is in " The Searchers " (56). A common feature can be seen in the production, which purposely does not include a musical accompaniment and instead consists of only natural sounds such as the voices of insects and the rustling of bushes.

The railroad construction plot is inspired by `` The Iron Horse ,'' and the final duel between Frank and Harmonica (Charles Bronson) is inspired by `` The Gun Fighter ,'' of which Bertolucci is a big fan. Filled with references to American movies, Once Upon a Time in the West is both an homage and a love letter to the Western world.

“Once Upon a Time in the West” trailer

"So the three of us got together and started dreaming together... quoting all the American movies we loved. It was like a tennis match between Bertolucci and me. Argento was in the audience. I watched Larry between the two of us. He gave me helpful advice from time to time and was, after all, a pleasant guy to be around.'' (Quoted from an interview with Sergio Leone**)

Two young people who deeply respect Leone listen to his words and passionately share their opinions. Bertolucci's contribution was especially significant. In order to break away from the tradition of Western films, which were completely a man's world, he came up with the idea of ​​placing women at the center of the story. Leone was initially reluctant to the idea, but eventually accepted Bertolucci's opinion. In this way, the film is an epic poem centered around Jill (Claudia Cardinale), a woman trying to survive alone in the West, and the betrayals and intentions of men intertwine. The first draft, which brought together the wisdom of three people, was 436 pages long.

Actor Henry Fonda plays the role of the ruthless villain Frank.