Once Upon a Time in the West final duel, remake without soundtrack

[TexPatriot]

I'm not saying it's better, as Morricone's soundtrack is brilliant, but the realistic sound, or silence, except for the lonely dust blowing, is powerful.

I love it when Harmonica smiles, knowing he finally has Frank where he wants him.

 

[Thorny]

Appaloosa was a good one.

 

[W54/XM-388]

I'm not saying it's better, as Morricone's soundtrack is brilliant, but the realistic sound, or silence, except for the lonely dust blowing, is powerful.

I love it when Harmonica smiles, knowing he finally has Frank where he wants him.

Interesting take on it, but I prefer the full on dramatic Italian Opera experience of the original.

That is an excellent movie that many folks don't even know about.
In my opinion, the often forgotten star of the movie is the woman who was one of the strongest willed characters in the movie.

 

[TexPatriot]

Appaloosa was a good one.

That was probably closer to how gunfights really went down, more like duels.

From reading accounts of the gunfights of Bill Hickock, Bat Masterson, John Wesley Hardin and other shootists, quick draw and allowing the badguy to draw first was a Hollywood invention.

One thing I liked about the final duel in Once Upon a Time in the West, Harmonica drew first.

 

[TexPatriot]

Interesting take on it, but I prefer the full on dramatic Italian Opera experience of the original.

That is an excellent movie that many folks don't even know about.
In my opinion, the often forgotten star of the movie is the woman who was one of the strongest willed characters in the movie.

The original with the soundtrack building it up which ends with Harmonica coming back to present and blowing Frank away was timed perfectly. I grew up with that version.

The realistic version of taking it out back to settle it with nothing but the sound of the wind creates an intensity.

Like I said, I don't think the recent real life version is better, just a different presentation of it.

 

[rhsc]

Interesting take on it, but I prefer the full on dramatic Italian Opera experience of the original.

That is an excellent movie that many folks don't even know about.
In my opinion, the often forgotten star of the movie is the woman who was one of the strongest willed characters in the movie.

Claudia Cardinale played that role. Probably one of her best performances.

Casting Henry Fonda as a stone-cold killer was a stroke of genius. He probably relished the opportunity to play someone closer to his true personality - offscreen, he was not known as a "nice guy".

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Removing Morricone's soundtrack for this scene was interesting, and it did emphasize the stark setting, but I have to go with including the original score; it's one of the finest compositions ever written for the cinema.

Here's a performance that really does it justice with full orchestra and choir: