The first movie that blew the Coen brothers’ minds: “You can’t help but sit up and take notice”
There is a time in every movie lover’s life when a film comes along and practically knocks you off your feet. You suddenly realise why cinema is one of the greatest, most universal art forms out there, and in some cases, you might even decide that it’s your calling to go out and make a film that will have the same effect on someone else. These films tend to stay with us for the rest of our lives, inhabiting a little space in the back of our minds and constantly informing every piece of art that we make – or even our approach to life.
Look at David Lynch, for example. You can trace practically every movie of his back to Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz (there’s even a whole documentary about it, Lynch/Oz), suggesting that when you find a film that truly captivates you, it’ll always remain a part of you. The Coen brothers also cite the classic tale of Dorothy and her red shoes as a huge influence, once stating, “Every movie ever made is just an attempt to remake The Wizard of Oz;” but that’s not the first movie that they remember having their minds blown by.
Rather, the pair grew up obsessed with the work of Sergio Leone, whose seminal entries to the western genre cemented him as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. He rose to prominence in the 1960s with his Dollars trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, which made a star out of the budding American actor. A Fistful of Dollars is widely considered the first spaghetti western of all time, while The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the final entry in the trilogy, is heralded as one of the greatest westerns of all time, known for its iconic Ennio Morricone score and infamous final duel.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Joel revealed that the pair were big fans of Leone’s movies, which they “saw when [they] were kids.” He continued, “Those sort of operatic spaghetti westerns we definitely did see, and I think it’s fair to say that Once Upon a Time in the West blew our minds to a certain extent. It’s a great movie and such a strange one that you can’t help but sit up and take notice.”
Released in 1968, the movie received widespread praise, with Henry Fonda starring as the villainous Frank. It’s a gritty tale of capitalism, violence, and revenge, and it has gone on to inspire many filmmakers in its wake, like the Coen brothers, who have made various westerns throughout their career. Their most iconic attempt at the western came in 2007 with the Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men, which similarly explored the violence at the heart of America.
In another interview, this time with The Telegraph, Joel highlighted the impact of Leone’s classic western. “We grew up watching crappy sixties Dean Martin westerns, but Once Upon a Time in the West was the eye opener.”
While many westerns rehashed similar ideas and didn’t do much to truly challenge big topics like the Frontier myth or the rise of capitalism, instead preferring to depict digestible fight scenes and heroic triumphs, Leone was different, and the Coen brothers were deeply inspired.
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