Once Upon a Time There Was Sergio Leone

This is the first major retrospective of the work of the king of the spaghetti western, who was probably the strongest influence on modern cinema, inspiring the action films of Hong Kong and South Korea, along with those of Quentin Tarantino. 

His work, unseen for years, is presented in new or restored versions.  The retrospective includes some films he only produced (rather than directed) and also a silent film made by his father Vincenzo, using the name Roberto Roberti.

 

Films he directed

The Colossus of Rhodes (Il Colosso di Rodi, 1961)
A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari, 1964)
For a Few Dollars More (Per qualche dollaro in più, 1965)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo,1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (C’era una volta il West, 1968)
Duck, you Sucker! (Giù la testa, 1971)
Once Upon a Time in America (C’era una volta in America, 1984)

 

Other films

La Contessa Sara by Roberto Roberti (La Contessa Sara, 1919), a silent film by Leone’s father.
My Name is Nobody by Tonino Valerii (Il mio nom è Nessumo, 1973), produced by Leone.
A Genius, Two Friends and an Idiot by Damiano Damiani (Un genio, due compari, un pollo, 1975), produced by Leone.

 

Photo : The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Sergio Leone, 1966 © DR / Coll Christophe L

 

Photos Leone's working :

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C'era una volta Sergio Leone, by Pierre Cadars

Leone’s films were long seen as a minor trend but his work is now considered original, coherent and immaculately produced – the work of a master, in fact.

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A Fistful of Dynamite, reviewed by Frédéric de Vençay

This film, his darkest and most violent, is a bogus Western and a historical and lyrical panorama.  It displays an unprecedented visual force and disenchantment with politics.

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My Name is Nobody, reviewed by Yannick Harrel

Westerns, a showcase of American culture, have become a genre of their own. Their golden age may’ve passed despite a few attempts to revive them, but they have bequeathed magnificent moments of cinema to future generations.

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Tribute organised with the help of the Bologna Film Archive.