Category: Sergio Leone

3 January 1929

30 April 1989

Sergio Leone is probably the most famous director of Spaghetti Westerns. Not only were his films the most successful ones, they are also those that are regarded the best. He started quite small as assistant director on numerous Italian genre films before he started directing. After his Spaghetti Westerns he also made Once Upon a Time in America.

Trademarks:

Long, slow paced epics that explore the mythology of the West and Western.
Ritualistic build up to action or death.
Work with Clint Eastwood.
Fascination with faces.
Deep zooms.
Widescreen photography.
Little dialogue.
Long opening scenes.
Impressive camera work and set design.
Tedious attention to detail.
Use of Ennio Morricone's scores to set the action of a scene.
Crane shots.
Revolutionary screen violence.

Filmography

As Director:

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Duck, You Sucker!/A Fistful of Dynamite (1971)

As (Co-)Writer:

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Duck, You Sucker!/A Fistful of Dynamite (1971)
My Name is Nobody (1973)

As Producer:

My Name is Nobody (1973) - also uncredited co-director
A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe/Nobody is the Greatest (1975)

Good to know

Sergio Leone was one of the persons Clint Eastwood dedicated his Oscar for Unforgiven.
Was a classmate of Ennio Morricone, see Leone left, Morricone right

Documentaries: