2 rights make 1 wrong
The banjo break on this song (I'm not kidding) reminds me powerfully of Cheyenne's theme from Once upon a time in the west. And this, in turn, brings to mind Charles Bronson, recently deceased, but at that time a formidable icon of... well, I think you can only call them the masculine virtues (if, like me, you conceive of the masculine virtues as a rather austere, stoic's delight).
What a fantastic film! The debate raging over Kill Bill is put into perspective when you remind yourself how wonderful that film was. Even those who don't love westerns must admire that opening sequence, the steely viciousness of Henry Fonda, the cool laconicism of Bronson (better than whom there was none when it came to saying a lot in very few words), the trembling eroticism of la Cardinale. And Cheyenne! Loki with a gunbelt. The eternal trickster, the rascal, clearly the character Leone most identified with. I don't think I ever liked Jason Robards in anything else, but this was his film.
The greatest achievement in this film is that in a huge country, the most stunning landscapes are laid out on the faces of the actors. Leone uses the extreme close-up to drag us into the interior world of his characters. It's astonishing how the jerks and twitches speak in a way that reams of dialogue would not. (Of course, this serves to emphasise the steeliness of Bronson - his impassivity translates as self-control.)
posted by Dr Zen @ 5:39 am
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