Once Upon a Time in the West / C’era una volta il West

Not a western, but a dream of this - and a European's dream of America, which is not just a measurable country, but a dream of the immeasurable. And of course this too: the corruption, the destruction of the dream - Paradise Lost. Long, slow farewells. Once again: the desert. The Monument Valley. The vast land. The big sky. One more time: the view of Jason Robards' infinite tiredness when Claudia Cardinale serves him the last cup of coffee of his fading life. The last sound of the Pacific, even if it is nothing but the sum of unfulfilled wishes at the moment of death. Once again: the melancholy and pride in Henry Fonda's cold, blue eyes. One more time: the wedding table in front of the house and the red chequered tablecloths rising in the wind. A film of final moments that seem to stretch endlessly, as if trying to stand up to time and extinction with all their might. (Harry Tomicek)

Photo: Österreichisches Filmmuesum