* * * * (Out of * * * *)
1. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
2. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
(a.k.a. A Fistful of Dynamite)
6. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
cinematiccoffee 
I’m happy to say with the exception of The Colossus of Rhodes I’ve seen almost all of these films. I do own Once Upon a Time in America but have never found time to watch it all. I’ve seen the Eastwood westerns far too many times, are they a trilogy? I’m not sure. I love the addition of Lee Van Cleef as Colonel Mortimer and Angel Eyes. Eli Wallach’s Tuco is a blast too in The Good The Bad and The Ugly.
Whenever I watch Once Upon a Time in the West I’m always taken by the symbolic moment when Cheyenne (Jason Robards) draws his last breath just as you hear the train entering Sweetwater. The end of the old west and the start of the new!
This film also has a memorable opening title sequence too. It must be the longest I’ve ever seen, culminating in Bronson gunning down Jack Elam, Woody Strode et al. Great films, great memories!
I love how Clint Eastwood dedicated Unforgiven to “Sergio and Don.” Leone is a master of style and escalating tension. Nobody did Epic more beautifully or more provocatively.
When it came to epic scale, style and tension, Leone was indeed one of the masters as you say. You need to check out Once Upon a Time in America, which aside from being his final film, also stands out as one of the many greatest gangster epics ever told. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Please do watch Once Upon a Time in America because you will be swept away by its epic scope.The Dollars Trilogy is indeed fantastic as a whole. What else can be said about Once Upon a Time in the West that you already say? The only thing I can add is Ennio Morricone’s epic score that is every bit as masterful as the ones in the Dollars Trilogy and Once Upon a Time in America. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Will do. I’ve seen segments of it but not the whole thing.
I watched Once Upon a Time in America. I liked it. I thought it was faithful to Leone’s distinctive style–I immediately recognized his pet themes, music score and so forth–but I felt it was a bit too slow in pace for it’s epic length. I also found it to be too misogynistic for me; I know this is inconsistent with my love for Once Upon a Time in the West which is just as misogynistic, but for whatever reason, I’m able to tolerated the latter film better and more than that, even laud it. Not so with former.
I loved Once Upon a Time in America (though you know that already), but I understand your feelings. I think the slowness was just a trademark of Leone’s similar to Once Upon a Time in the West. I can see why you feel that it could come off as misogynistic after taking into account how some of the female characters are not so much treated (though that is part of it) as much as how they mainly exist as characters, who do not have as much to do as Claudia Cardinale did in Once Upon a Time in the West. Even when she was abused, she was still a strong character and not a doormat. Personally, I see Once Upon a Time in America as the type of film that stands out more for its Production Design, Costumes and Music (Leone’s direction automatically counts). Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
It’s an excellent film, no doubt. As an overall production it is stellar. Perhaps my opinion is a bit jaded because I identify Leone with the Western. His trademarks of trails of sweat and sun baked scenery are entrenched in my cinematic psyche.
Anyway, always nice to chat about film with you.