Exploration 6 by Timmy O’Brien

An artist who has a had a big impact on my life is director/filmmaker Sergio Leone. I first saw his movies at a very young age, the first being A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966), both western movies starrring Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name. Even at a young age I was incredibly entertained by this movies, and are a huge part of the reason I am into film and filmmaking the way I am now. As I got older, I soon began to appreciate just how revolutionary these movies were, not only as westerns, but also as films in general.
Leone is best known for his use of wide camera angles, camera movement, slow scenes, minimal dialogue, and extreme closeups on character’s faces. At the time his movies came out, these kinds of filmmaking techniques were not typically seen in American cinema at the time of their release, so they were very new to the general audience. An aspect of his movies that are incredibly popular, and very special to myself personally, is the use of music by Italian composer Ennio Morricone. Much of the time, when there is no dialogue happening, Leone allows much of the music to do the talking. The music itself is iconic, especially the theme song to The Good the Bad and the Ugly, which is known by people who haven’t even seen the movie.
The characters in his movies are always incredibly distinct and memorable, even the background and supporting ones. Even without having dialgoue, many characters are memorable simply for their quirks or unique faces.
My personal favorite movie directed by Leone is Once Upon A Time in the West (1968), which I believe to be the pinnacle of everything great about the director that I mentioned before. It is another western movie, but it also manages to completley transcend the genre and be what I consider to be one of the greatest movies ever made. The cinematography is jaw dropping, the music is incredible, and the characters are very well fleshed out with incredibly unforgettable scenes of intensity and emotion. Each scene takes its time to create a good atmosphere, but the movie also manages to move a good pace while also being a slow burn. The movie tells its story through visuals, not by explaining things to its audience and treating the viewers like kids. The opening scene is a great example of his style, where three men are waiting at a train station for something or someone to show up. We don’t know exactly what it is, but as we watch it slowly unravels before our eyes without being directly told to us. The sounds are natural and there are many closeup shots, and there is very little dialogue. It builds up to a climax where we find out who they were waiting for, and ends in an explosive and exciting way. This scene itself could be its own short film.
I would compare Leone to another western director, John Ford. Both are greatly known for their use of wide landscape shots and heavy emphasis on characterization. The difference between the two is that Ford’s films are much more focused on heavy dialogue and tells their stories that way, while Leone does many through visuals and sparse dialogue. Both are compelling in their own way.
Leone has had a great impact on me as I enjoy writing stories and screenplays, and making films with my friends. I take many notes out of his book by making sure to take my time with characters and story while trying to create a good atmosphere, and don’t simply try to explain everything to my audience through endless exposition. If it were not for his movies, I do not think I’d appreciate cinema the same way I do now.

Example: https://youtu.be/8XkHsinz7oU Here is the climax to the opening scene I was discussing earlier. Note the minimal use of dialogue, the use of music, the wide angles, and the closeups on the character’s faces. They don’t say much but we quickly understand everyone’s personalities and sets the stage for the rest of the movie.

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Screenshot from The Good the Bad and the Ugly.