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Once Upon A Time in the West

This Sergio Leone classic, a tribute to Hollywood Westerns, stars Henry Fonda as Frank, a gunslinger hired by the powerful owner of a railroad conglomerate to kill anyone who derails the project. But Frank contends with the wrong person when he murders Brett (Frank Wolff), a landowner; after his death, Brett's wife (Claudia Cardinale) demands revenge, hiring two renegades (Charles Bronson and Jason Robards) to go after Frank.
15
Negative Rating
12345
SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
0
Positive Rating
12345
FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

Henry Fonda does something unusual in this film and that’s play a bad guy, a man who murders a family of four in cold blood: a widower-father (who waits for his new bride to arrive), his daughter and two sons. Fonda plays the villain Frank fantastically and he reminds you of someone who is meaner than a junkyard dog. Charles Bronson plays Harmonica, a man who plays his harmonica often and seems to be carrying a secret. In addition, Jason Robards plays Cheyenne, a man who winds up helping out Harmonica when he needs it. The cast is very talented and includes Claudia Cardinale as Jill McBain, the woman who was arriving for a new life with the widower McBain, only to find his corpse has been lined up with his three children.

This is a gritty and grimy western and it gets down in the dirt with realism. Unfortunately, it includes a lot of violence and a few sexual scenes which are not conducive to family viewing. There is constant drinking in the movie too. We are therefore unable to award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to this film.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

0
Integrity

A lot of violence including an old man who is shot off-screen; a family of four is murdered and some blood is seen and the man who killed them was told to scare them, not kill them; bloody corpses are seen; a man grabs his son by the hair and slaps him; a fowl is shot out of the sky; four men shoot at each other and one survives; man beats up other man and blood is seen on his mouth; men shot dead off of horses; a man is shot in eye and blood is seen; other men are shot and killed; a man kicks a crippled man's cane away from him; man has noose placed on neck and is forced to stand on young man's shoulders until he tires; a man dies by hanging but it is not shown; a duel and a man is shot.

3
Sex

A newly widowed woman, who was a prostitute, has sex with man; a man strips woman's blouse off and touches her breast which is covered by undergarment; man kisses woman on breast although the scene is not graphic but obvious; man pats woman's behind.

2
Language

H-8; D-4; A-1; S-2; B-1; G.OMG-1; SOB-1; Woman called "whore".

3
Violence

A lot of violence including an old man who is shot off-screen; a family of four is murdered and some blood is seen and the man who killed them was told to scare them, not kill them; bloody corpses are seen; a man grabs his son by the hair and slaps him; a fowl is shot out of the sky; four men shoot at each other and one survives; man beats up other man and blood is seen on his mouth; men shot dead off of horses; a man is shot in eye and blood is seen; other men are shot and killed; a man kicks a crippled man's cane away from him; man has noose placed on neck and is forced to stand on young man's shoulders until he tires; a man dies by hanging but it is not shown; a duel and a man is shot.

3
Drugs

Smoking and drinking in a lot of scenes; including the drinking of beer and whiskey; chewing tobacco.

2
Nudity

Cleavage; shirtless men; side of woman's breast is seen; woman taking bath and bare shoulders seen.

2
Other

Gambling; some men keep other men from making bids at auction; spitting tobacco.

More Information

Film Information
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Runtime
165
Rating
N/A
Reviewer
Edwin L. Carpenter
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