Henry Fonda

On the DVD: Once Upon a Time in the West on disc is the transfer fans have been waiting for: the longest available version of the film in shimmering widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TVs) which lends full impact to Leone's long shots of Monument Valley scenery or bustling crowds of activity, but also highlights his ultra-close images as Bronson's beady eyes or Cardinale's luscious pout fill the entire screen. A commentary track is mostly by expert Sir Christopher Frayling, with input from other academics, participants and enthusiasts--it's good on the detail, and Alex Cox winningly points out that one scene bizarrely can't be reconciled with what happens before or after it.

Disc 2 has four featurettes which, taken together, add up to a feature-length documentary on the film, and though overlapping the commentary slightly offer a wealth of further good stuff, plus the elegant Cardinale's undiminished smile. Also included is the trailer, notes on the cast, menu screens with generous selections from Ennio Morricone's score, stills gallery, comparison shots from the film and contemporary snapshots of the locations. --Kim Newman
A masterpiece, but 6 minutes shorter than on VHS, 2010-02-22
This film is probably my favourite of all time, which is a bit odd as I do not generally like westerns that much. But this stands apart from all other westerns, and really all other films. You could compare this to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but I see that as a warm-up for this one. This was Sergio Leone's chance to work with a bigger budget, and cast stars who were already established. He had wanted to work with Fonda for some time, and extracts one of the best performances of his career, and one that totally contrasts with the roles that Fonda was known for. Claudia Cardinale looks amazing, and is cast perfectly. Charles Bronson gives the finest performance of his career, by a considerable margin. Leone had used Ennio Moricone's music to great effect in previous films, but here it really comes into its own, with scenes carefully choreographed to the music in a way that had never been done before, nor equalled since. It is a film I have watched many times, but I still remember that first time I saw it, and being spellbound by the fact that I did not know what was coming next. There is a deeper plot than is usually found in Westerns, and the central point of the whole film is held back until the end. I know the dubbing is dodgy, but no more so than in other films of the time, and we have to remember that the entire film was shot silently, with all the dialogue being added on afterwards.

This is the first time I have owned it on DVD, having previously had a VHS copy. The extra features here are worth having, but I do have a slight gripe in the version of the film contained here has a running time of 159 minutes, whereas my older VHS version had a slightly longer running time of 165 minutes. I believe the longer version was also released on DVD in some regions, so I am not sure why we have been slightly short-changed here. However, neither version contain the famously-missing scene where Charles Bronson is beaten up by the town Sherif's men shortly after arrival, the only clue to which is the unexplained appearance of a scar on his face in what would have been the next scene. So until they recover that footage, and reinsert or add it as an additional feature, this remains an essential purchase. Maybe the Blu-ray version will provide the opportunity to see the film in its entirety, which is allegedly 171 minutes. Until such a time, buy this.