The Greatest Opening Scene in Western Movie History Remains Undisputed 59 Years Later

The first scene of Sergio Leone's masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West remains the best opener the Western genre ever produced. Released in 1968, Leone's film has had an outsized influence on cinema in the 58 years since. Every moment is dialed in at a level few works of art achieve, and it all starts from frame one.

What makes the beginning of Once Upon a Time in the West so great? It's a tour de force of Western visuals, yes, but there's something more to it than that. Something viewers today might not fully appreciate: pacing.

With West's opening, Sergio Leone teaches a PhD class in tension, in what functions essentially as its own self-contained short film.

The Opening 15 Minutes Of "Once Upon A Time In The West" Are On Another Level Of Gripping Filmmaking

Sergio Leone's Magnum Opus Of Dramatic Tension

Let's be honest with ourselves, readers: we're not patient with our storytellers like audiences used to be. We want stories that get right to the point. And then the next point. And then the next point. If you've seen a Sergio Leone picture, whether it's A Fistful of Dollars or Once Upon a Time in the West, you know that's not how he operates.

Once Upon a Time in the West is a 2-hour, 20-minute film. Its opening sequence takes up 15 full minutes of that runtime. It starts with three desperados, grizzled and dangerous-looking men, occupying a train station in a desolate patch of the Western frontier. It becomes clear they're waiting for someone, and Sergio Leone makes us wait with them.

One of the men catches a fly in the barrel of his six-shooter and listens to it buzz. Another collects dripping water on the brim of his cowboy hat and then drinks it to quench his thirst. Where modern films lack patience, and fixate on narrative expediency, Once Upon a Time in the West does the opposite. It builds atmosphere.

The Beginning Of "Once Upon A Time In The West"Is About More Than Just Action

The Perfect Tone-Setter For An Ambitious Western Saga

The opening scene of Once Upon a Time in the West builds toward the most essential action beat of the Western genre: a gunfight. Yet the point isn't the violence, it's about the anticipation leading up to the violence. Who are the men waiting for? And why? The answer to the first question is Charles Bronson's character, known only as Harmonica.

The answer to the second question precipitates the action of the rest of the film. The three outlaws introduced to start West ultimately fall to Harmonica's quicker draw, but what's remarkable is how fully realized they are as characters before they're gunned down. Even after just ten minutes on screen. And with very limited dialogue.

As we mentioned before, West's initial sequence is 15 minutes long. The shootout, when it finally happens, takes less than ten seconds. This is how you know thar staging ction is the thing director Sergio Leone is least worried about. His filmmaking genius shines through in everything leading up to it.

No Other Western Can Touch The Opening Of "Once Upon A Time In The West"

A Generational First Scene That Can't Be Replicated Today

Modern movies, of every genre, are designed to hook viewers. The work of Sergio Leone is an example of an old-school approach, which is more about immersion than it is engagement. Once Upon a Time in the West plunges you into its vision of the West from its opening moment onward. It's not desperate to keep your attention.

Instead, it's methodical. The scene shows Leone's expert grasp of film structure. It operates as a mini-version of the entire film. Dramatic tension deliberately builds up and then is released in a flurry of action. The scene features rising action and a spectacular climax, in addition to perfectly staged visuals full of Western iconography.

Great books are defined by their opening lines, great films by their opening scenes. The Western genre is full of unforgettable openers, but every example before Once Upon a Time in the West pales in comparison, and everything after exists in the shadow of Sergio Leone's transformative take on the genre.