151. WESTERNS 101: Sergio's Spaghetti

The Filmlings

A huge portion of the modern idea of what a western is can be traced back to an Italian director with an appreciation for samurai films, Sergio Leone. Today Alex and Jonathan look at his influence on the spaghetti western sub-genre with For a Few Dollars More (1965), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Duck, You Sucker! (1971). We discuss how Leone uses backstory and pacing to build tension, the specific tropes and identifiers of the spaghetti westerns, and the increasing scale of the themes that underlie the common elements. Skip to:

• (21:18) – For a Few Dollars More
• (47:21) – Once Upon a Time in the West
• (1:04:38) – Duck, You Sucker!
• (1:21:46) – Overall
• (1:40:48) – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

• Rango (2011)
• Slow West (2015)
• Hell or High Water (2016)

For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2023/04/26/leone
Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF