Once Upon a Time in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

6 corrected entries

(7 votes)

Corrected entry: The harmonica that Harmonica puts in Frank's mouth, after the shootout, is of a different type than the one Frank had put in the mouth of Harmonica as a kid in the flashback.

albert

Correction: There's nothing requiring it to be the same harmonica. It's the gesture of putting a harmonica in his mouth that's significant and that makes him remember, not the harmonica itself.

Corrected entry: We find out pretty quickly into the movie that Frank has no idea who Harmonica is, or what he wants. So, why would Frank send three people to meet him after he gets off the train?

Correction: Frank doesn't know who he is, but he thinks (correctly) that he's dangerous.

Corrected entry: When in the opening scene at the station the train starts moving Frank's men hear Harmonica's tune. He appears behind the leaving train, but in the wide shots he has both hands down while he is heard playing. Only in close-up he is holding the harmonica to his mouth. (00:10:50)

NancyFelix

Correction: This is incorrect. Throughout the whole scene, Harmonica has one hand holding his bag and the other holding the harmonica. At no time does he have both hands down.

Gavin Jackson

Corrected entry: Why didn't Frank's men attempt to outbid Harmonica when he successfully made the $5,000 bid (using Cheyenne) for the railroad station? It's not like they didn't have the money, given that Frank tried to buy the property back off Harmonica later.

Gavin Jackson

Correction: I suspect that they would've outbid him, if they had the right amount of money. That property would've gone for five hundred dollars if Harmonica hadn't walked in at the last moment. Harmonica was feeling the bid process to see how much money Frank gave them. Let's face it, if you gave those band of cutthroats an exorbitant amount of money, you would probably have to hunt them down and kill them later. Additionally, back in those days, I am sure they wanted cash on the barrel head after you won a bid in an auction. (Or proof of property that is worth that dollar amount.) I mean you couldn't just whip out a VISA card and charge it.

RLN

Corrected entry: During Cheyenne's nightly visit at the McBain farm Jill jams the coffee kettle on the table where Cheyenne is sitting. Then there is a cut to Morton and Frank in the train, where they discuss the issue with the late McBain's farm and widow at broad daylight. Then it cuts back to Cheyenne still sitting at the table, sipping coffee, continuing his conversation with a now more cheerful Jill, and it's night again. (01:08:45)

NancyFelix

Correction: Cheyenne is paying a morning visit to Jill. Some time during his 'speech' he says "Didn't sleep a wink all night" That scene begins with Jill carefully looking out the window - it is broad daylight and the roosters are crowing.

Corrected entry: When Maureen came out of the house she was humming the song "Danny Boy" That song wasn't written until 1913.

Correction: "Danny Boy" was written in 1910. In 1913 the song was set to the tune of "Londonderry Air." Maureen was humming "Londonderry Air", which was published in 1855.

Bishop73

Continuity mistake: During the last flashback that reveals Harmonica's issue with Frank and the significance of the harmonica, the harmonica in the boy's mouth is sometimes dented, sometimes not. (02:22:00)

NancyFelix

More mistakes in Once Upon a Time in the West

Cheyenne: Listen, Harmonica, a town built around a railroad - mm mm mm mmm - you could make a fortune, huh? Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hey, more than that. Thousands of thousands.
Harmonica: They call them "millions."
Cheyenne: "Millions." Hm.

More quotes from Once Upon a Time in the West

Trivia: While Morton's private train plays a key role in the movie, and the train moves several times, the train's engineer and fireman are never shown, nor is any reference ever made to them.

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Question: There's a few things I didn't understand in this film: 1) What's the deal with Jill? Did she really love Mr. McBain or did she just marry for money etc? 2) After she sees the McBain's bodies, why does Jill search the house? Is she checking to see whether anything was stolen? 3) When Jill meets Harmonica in the barn, why does he rip her dress? 4) What's whole thing with Jill and Frank near the end? What exactly happens?

Answer: 1) Jill is a prostitute from New Orleans. She seeks out a new life out West. Love is irrelevant here. 2) She was promised a country living, a family, and wealth. That's why she is looking not only for money or gold but also for the reason her family was killed. 3) So Leone can show her beautiful body. 4) She's saving her life. She's a prostitute and I guess she knows how to fake it. Remember: "There's nothing that can't washed off by a hot bath".

Answer: "Leone fools us into thinking that Harmonica is a criminal and sexual predator in the scene in Jill's barn in which Harmonica rips off the white lace beneath the bodice of Jill's dress. This act, that seems to betoken sexual aggression and to anticipate rape, is actually one of protection. Harmonica represents no more of a sexual threat than Cheyenne does. What Harmonica realises, and Jill does not, is that Frank's sharpshooters wait for her in the hills above her house and that the white of her dress makes her an easy target. He might have explained this situation more carefully to her, of course, but Leone's characters seem to almost thrive on, or to court, ill opinion. Moreover, when Harmonica's shots ring out at the well and Jill realises he is actually intent on protecting rather than brutalizing her, the effect is all the more dramatic for his having given her no hint of his intentions. Leone's heroes do not like to wear their morality on their sleeves." (John Fawell).

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