Charles Bronson Gave His Best in This 5-Minute Western Scene

There might be some debate on whether Once Upon a Time in the West is Sergio Leone‘s finest Western, but there is no doubt that it is in this feature that Charles Bronson delivers the performance of a lifetime. Bronson delivers the perfect balance between subtlety and machismo with his role as Harmonica, an enigmatic cowboy out for vengeance. There is an inexplicable nuance to his performance, heightened only by the mastery of Leone’s direction, and the notes so perfectly composed by Ennio Morricone. While the part was originally intended to be portrayed by Clint Eastwood, casting Bronson was the best move Leone could have made, and the gravitas of his enduring portrayal exemplified the filmmaker’s choice.