Once Upon a Time in the West (originally released in Italy in 1968 under the title C’era una volta il West) and released in the United States on May of 1969, is an epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone. Its critical acclaim was not immediately forthcoming, yet it has matured into an undeniable classic.
The film stars Henry Fonda unusually cast as the villain Frank, Charles Bronson as his nemesis “Harmonica”, Jason Robards as the generally benign bandit Cheyenne and Claudia Cardinale as a newly-widowed homesteader with a past as a prostitute, Jill.
It is the first part of a loose trilogy of epic, elegiac films that examine social and political issues from American History. It is followed by 1971’s A Fistful of Dynamite (known alternatively as Once Upon a Time… The Revolution or Duck, You Sucker) and 1984’s Once Upon a Time in America.
Three men appear at an isolated train station in Arizona. A chalkboard shows that the train from Flagstone will be two hours late. After a time, a train stops and leaves behind a man playing a harmonica (Charles Bronson). He asks for a man named Frank, whom he has arranged to meet. Frank himself has not come, sending three of his men in his place. One of the men admits that it “looks like we’re shy one horse,” since there are only three horses for four men. Bronson replies, “You brought two too many.” A showdown ensues. ‘Harmonica’ shoots his would-be killers but is wounded in the process.
On the remote McBain farm, “Sweetwater,” Brett McBain (Frank Wolff) and his family are preparing a feast for the arrival of his new wife, Jill (Claudia Cardinale). Suddenly, they are shot and killed by Frank (Henry Fonda) and his gang, who leave part of a leather duster like those worn by the gang of the generally benign bandit Cheyenne, in order to pin the blame on him.
A short time later, Jill arrives in Flagstone by train from New Orleans and takes a carriage to the McBain farm. Along the way, the driver makes a stop at a roadside establishment, and Jill follows him inside. Cheyenne (Jason Robards) enters after a noisy shootout (heard but not seen) with his prison escort. The man with the harmonica is also there, and Cheyenne calls him simply “Harmonica.” Cheyenne helps himself to Harmonica’s gun to force another patron to shoot apart the chain between his shackled wrists. His men arrive late, and he tells them, “You’re right on time … to bury my escort.” Taking note of the dusters Cheyenne’s men are wearing, Harmonica tells of his own shootout earlier: “I saw three of these dusters a short time ago; they were waitin’ for a train. Inside the dusters there were three men. … Inside the men there were three bullets.” Cheyenne says that’s a crazy story, because no one but his own men would have the guts to wear such dusters around those parts, and his own men would not get killed.
Frank finally arrives at the gate and says, “I know that now you’ll tell me what you’re after.” Harmonica replies, “Only at the point of dyin’,” and they get themselves positioned for their duel. Harmonica’s motive for revenge is revealed in a flashback. Long ago, Frank hanged Harmonica’s older brother. Harmonica, then a boy, was forced to stand under his brother, who stood on the boy’s shoulders with his neck in a noose. Both had their hands bound behind their backs. His brother would hang when the boy collapsed. Frank told him to “keep your lovin’ brother happy” and put a harmonica in his mouth. His brother died, and it left him scarred and thirsty for vengeance. Now he faces Frank in their final showdown. Harmonica makes his move; the men draw and fire. Frank loses. As he’s dying Frank asks again, “Who are you?” In answer, Harmonica pulls the old, battered harmonica from the lanyard around his neck and puts it in Frank’s mouth. It brings back Frank’s memory of the hanging, and he nods weakly in recognition before dying.
Harmonica comes into the house to get his gear. Jill asks if he will return to Sweetwater someday, and he responds with a doubtful “Someday.” Cheyenne leaves too. As the two men ride off, Cheyenne stops, gets off his horse and drops to the ground. Harmonica goes back to him and learns he was shot in the gut by Morton himself, “Mr. Choo-Choo.” Cheyenne asks Harmonica not to look at him while he’s dying, and Harmonica looks away until he hears him fall over dead. Harmonica takes the body away, draped over Cheyenne’s horse. The work train arrives on the newly laid tracks, and Jill takes jugs of water out to the workers.