Right from its virtuoso opening – an extended remodelling of the traditional Western shoot-out – Leone's milestone movie draws on familiar genre motifs, and tests their mythical aspirations against tawdry historical reality. Blending an elliptical vengeance drama (with Bronson as a nameless hunter), a perverse variation on the parable of civilisation brought to the wilderness (Cardinale as whoring earth mother), and a laconic commentary on the mores of a changing world (courtesy of Robards' wry outlaw), the film nods to classics like The Iron Horse and Johnny Guitar in focusing on the building of a railroad out west – facilitated by a sadistic gunman improbably but brilliantly played by Henry Fonda.
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