I really wanted to watch this film since it is currently on Netflix streaming and I am a big fan of the spaghetti westerns, especially those done by Sergio Leone. The film stars Henry Fonda as the main lead. Another huge draw to the film is the fact that serious all American bada$$ Charles Bronson, is in it.
The film is extremely slow going at the beginning with a fight scene that builds much drama. I mean you just want him to kill that bug or at least get it away from his face. It bet this would make most people itch. There is little dialogue at the onset. They were in an isolated location at a train station. When the first train arrives, it drops off Charles Bronson, and quickly a gunfight ensues. Mr. Bronson lives up to his bada$$ness, gunning down three dudes, while he sustains only a wound to his left arm.
The long slow shots really draw you into the film, making it easy to imagine being there. It turns pretty dark quickly after the bad guys kill off an innocent family for no reason, including a controversial killing of a young boy.
The main problem I am sensing with the film is the slow pacing. I don’t think it really needed to stretch to nearly three hours. The other big problem I am having with the film is it is downright depressing, at least the music in the first half was. I imagine it could make someone suicidal.
It took me an entire weekend to make it through this film. I would watch for a bit, pause then watch a bit more. The second half of the film answered a lot of questions and brought it home. Henry Fonda was menacing as the main bad guy. I thought Charles Bronson was terrific in this. Claudia Cardinale was great as well. Let’s not forget about Jason Robards. He was also great and fun to watch.
I enjoyed the cinematography, especially near the ending, with the camera panning way out showing the railroad workers. This was awesome, and really brought home just how difficult it must have been to build. The railroad was a constant backdrop in the film as well as in the foreground many times. Even though I enjoyed these aspects I find it hard to recommend. It was entertaining but not enough to garner four stars.
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