Can you not simply believe me (or Scherp or someone else) when I (we) tell you that it is a SW?
I know what you mean, the ‘feel’ of the film for me is about 50 % Spaghetti and 50 % American western.
I’ll quote Scherp here then (from his excellent latest offering)…
“A second misunderstanding is that Once upon a Time in the West is more American in feel than his previous westerns. It’s more serious in tone, and it’s dubious if it can be called a genuine spaghetti western (a genre, as Howard Hughes put it, associated with fast action and much bloodletting), but it’s deeply Italian in style and meaning.”
I’ll go along with this.
Leone was responsible for making popular a style of movie that tried in some ways to imitate American westerns, but most (when they’re good) have failed. Instead we got a generally low budget breed, tinged with an Italian flavour of war-guilt, anti-colonialism and a peculiar religious bent.
OUATITW ‘comments’ on (in a post-modern sort of way) and transcends the cliches of this genre, but neither is it an ‘American Western’. It’s slicker and better in many ways than the poor twisted-cliched world of spaghetti-land, and it’s better than any American western I’ve seen. It’s certainly the most moving western I’ve seen (although I’m in no real mood for a rewatch soon, and it’s certainly not the most entertaining) and it’s probably one of the finest films of any genre - but it doesn’t feel to me like a spag… and therefore it can’t be in my Top 20.
My top 20 reflect the films that seem to intend to play with the cliches - but for whatever reason result in being both fresh and surprising - and therefore jolly entertaining. OUATITW looks too American in parts, has too big a budget, and in being so it is detatched (partly geographically, but also possibly in intent) from some of the spaghetti ethos that I so love. Ethos and intention being the key words here.
There… 
Well, to me it does, and it never crossed my mind that it was too American in feel and what not.
Without a doubt, this is the GREATEST spaghetti western of all time. The ultimate.
And the beautiful soundtrack even makes more special. A Masterpiece. There, just my two cents! 
[quote=“chameleon, post:416, topic:322”]Well, to me it does, and it never crossed my mind that it was too American in feel and what not.
Without a doubt, this is the GREATEST spaghetti western of all time. The ultimate.
And the beautiful soundtrack even makes more special. A Masterpiece. There, just my two cents! :)[/quote]
i agree - almost
second greatest spaghetti - penultimate
[quote=“sartana1968, post:1, topic:3130”]a masterpiece of my top 20 bottom movies
a very long bore and an empty movie[/quote]
[quote=“Reverend Danite, post:415, topic:322”]I’ll quote Scherp here then (from his excellent latest offering)…
“A second misunderstanding is that Once upon a Time in the West is more American in feel than his previous westerns. It’s more serious in tone, and it’s dubious if it can be called a genuine spaghetti western (a genre, as Howard Hughes put it, associated with fast action and much bloodletting), but it’s deeply Italian in style and meaning.”[/quote]
What I actually meant was, ehmm … don’t trust Scherp. The truth lies only in me …
Btw Scherp, what about adding a few remarks to the versions part of your review about the fact that the theatrical version (imo the DC) until now wasn’t released on DVD or Blu?
And especially that the Paramount master which is used for all versions worldwide (except Italy) since the mid 90s is still cut for a minute in the first scene, has a scene which shouldn’t be in (some will disagree), and the wrong closing music. And the Scorsese restoration has failed too.
Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay
Now it’s verified that when Leone wanted to see again the movie at home or show it privately to his friends the showing concerned always and only the 177 min. version, consequently to my way of thinking to consider it a Director’s Cut is an inescapable, logic-based conclusion…
Would like to watch it in 177 min version with English subtitles so much… 
[quote=“chameleon, post:416, topic:322”]Well, to me it does, and it never crossed my mind that it was too American in feel and what not.
Without a doubt, this is the GREATEST spaghetti western of all time. The ultimate.
And the beautiful soundtrack even makes more special. A Masterpiece. There, just my two cents! :)[/quote]Well said.
I know that Leone had this longer version, but I don’t know if he had not also a copy of the theatrical version at home.
In an interview in the early 70s, where he spoke about a longer version in his private collection, he did not say anything about this version being his favourised version (he only said he had one), nor have I ever read anything by Leone where he made any kind of complaints about the theatrical version.
I still think that this long version is less good. I’m glad I have a copy of it, though.
It would be nice to have it anyway though, for collectors for example.
I think to classify this film as an American western would be giving Hollywood too much credit!
The reason why this film is the greatest SW of all time is because it does everything right. Its got spaghetti elements without being exploitational or cartoonish. Its got American elements without being derivative. Its got the best elements of both American and Italian westerns all rolled up into one.
But of course, this film is still a complete piece of shit compared to Friday the 13th part 4, right Sartana? 
Couldn’t be described in a better way.
;D
In all honesty, last time I saw the film it bore me quite a bit. Not in a switch-it-off-right-now kind of way, but more in that it felt far less exciting than in my previous views. The glorious moments were still there of course, but there were segments that I were really looking forward to pass as quickly as possible.
[quote=“Stanton, post:420, topic:322”]Btw Scherp, what about adding a few remarks to the versions part of your review about the fact that the theatrical version (imo the DC) until now wasn’t released on DVD or Blu?
And especially that the Paramount master which is used for all versions worldwide (except Italy) since the mid 90s is still cut for a minute in the first scene, has a scene which shouldn’t be in (some will disagree), and the wrong closing music. And the Scorsese restoration has failed too.[/quote]
I have planned a comparison page (DVD - Italian DVD - BR), but I’ll have to buy BR-player first. I watched the BR under different circumstances (and I didn’t watch it A-Z), so I can’t really compare it to the other two. So that’s something for the future.
Like you, I prefer the shorter version (but without the scene that shouldn’t be there and with the right exit music)
I was also wondering about that 155 min version you mentioned. Actually I never read anything about an 155 min version.
The theatrical released version must have been the same for every country unless the national distributors made cuts to that version.
And this version (which runs 165 min, respectively 167 if it includes the exit music) was even released for a few weeks in the USA before the cutting started, and it was with 167 min in the UK rated by the BBFC, but was then released in this notorious 144 min version. The cut US version is not identical with the cut UK version and runs 146 min (even if most cuts are the same).
You can probably spare yourself the work:
Here’s again the detailed comparison between the Paramount version and the longer Italian version:
But I think you know this already.
The differences between the Paramount and that strange Scorsese restoration are these: