Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Kylo Ren

Is there an announcement for this somewhere? I looked on their Facebook and didn't see anything about this.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=36904

[Bourne1886]

Well having never seen this film before (I know, I know) I decided to purchase it yesterday and I’ve just finished watching it. It’s had a profound effect on me. It’s one of my favourite westerns now. I thought the Blu-ray picture was pretty good to be honest, along with the sound.

The place holder is different to the version I got. The one I bought was the standard version currently £7.99 at the moment and is an Amazon Choice buy. It showed a different cover.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Upon-T...s%2C188&sr=8-2

The standard version I bought and received had the digibook cover. It has one disc and has all the extras on the one disc. The three part doc,commentary trailer etc.

The rear place holder on Amazon UK shows only the Commentary.

Just in case anyone was interested.

[Boggle]

Originally Posted by Bourne1886

It’s had a profound effect on me

I concur. Saw it for the first time years ago and it floored me. It changed the way I looked at film. Before I had more of a casual appreciation, but this one made me take a deep dive into cinema. The cinematography, the performances and of course the music. Not just one of my favorite Westerns, probably my favorite film, period.

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by Bourne1886

Well having never seen this film before (I know, I know) I decided to purchase it yesterday and I’ve just finished watching it. It’s had a profound effect on me. It’s one of my favourite westerns now. I thought the Blu-ray picture was pretty good to be honest, along with the sound.

The place holder is different to the version I got. The one I bought was the standard version currently £7.99 at the moment and is an Amazon Choice buy. It showed a different cover.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Upon-T...s%2C188&sr=8-2

The standard version I bought and received had the digibook cover. It has one disc and has all the extras on the one disc. The three part doc,commentary trailer etc.

The rear place holder on Amazon UK shows only the Commentary.

Just in case anyone was interested.

I had a similar feeling after watching Once Upon a Time in America. The theme music "Poverty" still gets me. It's such a gorgeous piece of music and Leone was just an incredible filmmaker. Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the greatest westerns ever made. I remember watching it with a friend who had never seen any of Leone's films and thought OUATITW was amazing "for an old movie" (lol). Morricone's score is also incredible, as always. Glad you enjoyed it.

~Matt

[Eye Candy]

For your enjoyment:


The Danish National Symphony Orchestra from the YouTube Channel DR Koncerthuset

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Kb4N0Ahqbmn7Zl

Once Upon a Time in the West - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live) - YouTube

[ps3bd_owner]

Does a genuine 4:3 AR version exist of this film?

I loved Ennio Morricone's score of "Once Upon a Time in America", but didn't quite feel as memorable here his score, which I'm kinda disappointed.

Also, Claudia Cardinale was freaking beautiful! Like a Goddess.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by ps3bd_owner

Does a genuine 4:3 AR version exist of this film?

I loved Ennio Morricone's score of "Once Upon a Time in America", but didn't quite feel as memorable here his score, which I'm kinda disappointed.

Also, Claudia Cardinale was freaking beautiful! Like a Goddess.

Why would you want a 4:3 version of a ‘Scope film?

[ps3bd_owner]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Why would you want a 4:3 version of a ‘Scope film?

Old times.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by ps3bd_owner

Old times.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by ps3bd_owner

Does a genuine 4:3 AR version exist of this film?

I loved Ennio Morricone's score of "Once Upon a Time in America", but didn't quite feel as memorable here his score, which I'm kinda disappointed.

Also, Claudia Cardinale was freaking beautiful! Like a Goddess.

1/2 things you're correct on.

[ptb2010]

Originally Posted by ps3bd_owner

Does a genuine 4:3 AR version exist of this film?

I loved Ennio Morricone's score of "Once Upon a Time in America", but didn't quite feel as memorable here his score, which I'm kinda disappointed.

Also, Claudia Cardinale was freaking beautiful! Like a Goddess.

You're disappointed in the score? Are you crazy? It's for me one of the very best scores ever written! America has a lovely main theme but is nowhere near as great. Perhaps its the operatic feel of the music you don't like?

[ptb2010]

Dipped into the Paramount release Blu Ray agin yesterday. After 20 minutes I took it out and put in the French Tv broadcast HD I made a copy of. The difference still astonishes me. The colour is simply gorgeous. Why this couldn't have been used for the Blu Ray release is beyond me. Wonder what the Kino Lorber discs will be like.
Only A Fistful of Dynamite hasn't been shown on French tv is a gorgeous HD transfer, yet!

[latehong]

Originally Posted by ptb2010

Dipped into the Paramount release Blu Ray agin yesterday. After 20 minutes I took it out and put in the French Tv broadcast HD I made a copy of. The difference still astonishes me. The colour is simply gorgeous. Why this couldn't have been used for the Blu Ray release is beyond me. Wonder what the Kino Lorber discs will be like.
Only A Fistful of Dynamite hasn't been shown on French tv is a gorgeous HD transfer, yet!

The disc for Kino Lorber Sergio Leone Westerns collection is the same Paramount disc, I'm afraid.

[Alfred E. Neumann]

Still waiting for a new BD and UHD of the new 4k restoration (only released theatrically so far), long overdue.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by ptb2010

You're disappointed in the score? Are you crazy? It's for me one of the very best scores ever written! America has a lovely main theme but is nowhere near as great. Perhaps its the operatic feel of the music you don't like?

They're both great but West is better agreed.

[ps3bd_owner]

I know ya'll disagreed with me in wanting a 4:3 AR version of this masterpiece, but everyone has their own opinion so each to their own, no need to gang up on a person. I'm just someone who appreciates media in different forms than just the officially intended one, if it actually exists (for example, I prefer the Dragon Ball & Z films in 4:3 rather than 16:9/1.85:2 although the new HD remaster by TOEI looks amazing).

Now, the intended aspect ratio of the film is "16:9" AR (more specifically, 2.35:1). I've downloaded a sample of the VHS version which is in 4:3 AR from YouTube and made a comparison of the Fullscreen and Widescreen versions.

Comparison #1: WS | FS




Comparison #2: WS | FS




Comparison #3: WS | FS




Turns out, there's no "genuine" 4:3 AR version, it was just a zoomed in copy of the film like others did back then (now some companies crop series/films intended to be seen in 4:3 AR and present them in 16:9 instead because it's "modernized").

P.S. I shouldn't have compared the score of Once Upon a Time in America and Once Upon a Time in the West as they're different styles albeit from the same composer. I've learned to cherish both. You know, there's a Texan radio (The Ranch 92.3) that features an ad with Ennio Morricone's "Il Buono, Il Brutto e il Cattivo" tune in the background, but most assume it's from a U.S.-born composer. Heh.

[Cremildo]

The widescreen version is the full-screen version because that's how the film was designed and intended to be seen.

There's nothing "full" about the cropped monstrosity you seem to like so much, unless you're still watching stuff on a CRT.

[KubrickKurasawa]

These were on T.N.T. cable station a lot back in the 1990's in that aspect ratio.

Might as well try your TV set's "STRETCH" or "ZOOM" options for free first.

There is so much dead space in those widescreen shots for this particular film. I would almost think Leone let someone else film this. The shots are not as well composed imho and in everyone's opinion they are far slower shots. Soundtrack is always excellent though but that's a different person than cameraman/director obviously composer. Henry Fonda and Morricone are the only guys that bring anything in this film you can tell he was bored of the western genre by this time he just wanted to work with Fonda and get Eastwood back but it didn't happen and it is what it is.

[Gacivory]

If you’re gonna clog up a post with pictures at least have the decency to spoiler tag the images.

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

The widescreen version is the full-screen version because that's how the film was designed and intended to be seen.

There's nothing "full" about the cropped monstrosity you seem to like so much, unless you're still watching stuff on a CRT.

Yeah, that reminds me of my days as a kid watching movies on Tv in the 60's and 70's where 2 people would be talking to each other in the film but they couldn't fit them both on the screen. I also like to see movies with alternate aspect ratios but only if I can see more of the film.....