Once Upon a Time in the West – 4K 05/11/24

“Only at the point of dying.”   Hailed in Europe but ignored here, Sergio Leone’s most prestigious western transcends classic status. Its operatic gunfighter rituals become drama-sculptures of ‘genre destiny.’ Henry Fonda overturns his ethical, decent screen image with a supremely sadistic villain; Charles Bronson catapulted into European superstardom as this film’s ‘man with no name.’ Leone’s curious, dreamlike storytelling method hypnotizes, that’s for sure, as does Ennio Morricone’s superb music score. Paramount’s 4K looks sensational, although purists wish it were encoded with a higher bitrate. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Paramount Presents.
05/11/24