8. Sergio Leone
This legendary director, unlike others, was with me during my childhood. My father was an avid Western fan and he liked to show me some of his favorites, a lot of them being Leone Spaghetti Westerns. After watching them we would often have fictional gunfights, which was a hell lot of fun, until Mom put a stop to it quick.
Leone's first Western,
A Fistful of Dollars, was groundbreaking when it first came out. It invented a whole new style, and basically has every Western cliche in it's unfortunately too short 99 min for a good film, but on the other hand it has the effect of a fast-paced story. The cliches don't matter because, well, they are invented as the story progresses.
For a Few Dollars More was just mediocre in terms of Leone quality. It is the middle chapter of a trilogy (which I always find to be the weakest) and nothing was added to the development of style. Probably my least favorite Leone film, but still it's totally awesome.
My favorite is the final film of the "Dollars" trilogy,
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. I know, I know, y'all think it's crap and the music is the only perk and blah blah blah, but I don't care, I love it. It doesn't take itself seriously as the others and can feel like a drop in quality but the atmosphere and feel it has is capital B badass. The last famous 10 minutes (or I should say infamous) are one of the most tense moments in cinema history.
Once Upon A Time in the West, the film the majority think is the ultimate Western and Leone film instead of TGTBTU, is the greatest masterpiece, I certainly agree on that. All the experience, wisdom Leone has made over the years is poured into one, giant Western epic. In fact, it kind of feels like a Kurosawa film. Too make that feel with a Western, not to mention Spaghetti, is truly amazing. I just like TGTBTU better because I
personally like it better, but from a non-biased and analytic critic's view, Once Upon a Time is better.
Once Upon a Time in America, Leone's final film, brings the West to the streets of New York. Once again I become the minority on things one paragraph later, because I prefer this film over
The Godfather as the ultimate gangster movie. Way more entertaining to watch and enjoy overall.
How I rank his films
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Once Upon a Time in America
Once Upon a Time in the West
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
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