Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Leone's violent epic Western is an essential masterpiece.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Once Upon a Time in the West
What's the Story?
In ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, three men in long duster coats wait at a train station. The train arrives, and the man they are sent to kill, simply known as Harmonica (Charles Bronson), instead dispatches them. Meanwhile, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), a newly married woman in a black dress, heads to the small settlement of Sweetwater to join her new husband, Brett McBain, and his children. Unfortunately, the vicious gunman Frank (Henry Fonda) has arrived first and gunned down the entire McBain family, leaving Jill a widow. Frank has also left evidence to frame the bandit Cheyenne (Jason Robards). It turns out that the McBain land is valuable, a prime spot to build a depot for the coming railroad, and that a terminally ill railroad magnate (Gabriele Ferzetti) wishes to get his hands on it. All the players attempt to outsmart one another in the name of the land. In the end, Harmonica has a personal score to settle with Frank.
Is It Any Good?
This epic Western, with its wide spaces, striking close-ups, and extraordinary music, is considered by many to be Sergio Leone's best movie, and one of the greatest Westerns of all time. The premier master of the Spaghetti Western, Leone also made Clint Eastwood's so-called "Man with No Name" trilogy -- culminating in another masterpiece, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly -- as well as the gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America. Unlike any other filmmaker, he worked in extremes, using huge, empty frames smashed together with shocking close-ups, dark frames punctured by squares of light, and silence broken by squeals of astonishing music.
This movie's nearly wordless, 12-minute opening sequence (featuring Western legends Woody Strode and Jack Elam) is arguably Leone's finest moment, and a moment that all filmmakers could benefit from studying. Ennio Morricone's music score is still the stuff of legend, beautiful, startling, and haunting. Additionally, Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the genre's pinnacles, exploring -- along with Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch -- the bitter end of the Wild West and the onset of civilization. This theme was so effective that it led to many declaring the end of the Western as a movie genre. Once Upon a Time in the West is still a bit convoluted in the plot department (it features a story by Leone and future filmmakers Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci), but every frame of it offers pure energized excellence.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Once Upon a Time in the West's violence. Does it feel very intense, even without much blood shown? How so?
When Frank and Jill are in bed together, why is the moment uncomfortable? Is this a sexy scene? Is it a violent scene?
How much smoking and drinking does the movie depict? Are these things glamorized? Are they merely a product of their time?
What is (or was) the appeal of the Western genre? What kinds of things does it have to say about us?
Why are these characters interesting to watch, even if few (or none) of them have any admirable characteristics?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 4, 1969
- On DVD or streaming : September 28, 2010
- Cast : Henry Fonda , Charles Bronson , Claudia Cardinale
- Director : Sergio Leone
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Western
- Topics : Transportation ( Trains )
- Run time : 165 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : western violence and brief sensuality
- Last updated : November 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate