Camera Angles and Movement: Tavern Scene from Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West

Here’s a video analysis of Sergio Leone’s “tavern scene” in Once upon a time in the west:

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This is a quintessential Sergio Leone scene – has all his signature techniques:

• Actors popping into scenes
• Close ups and long shots
• The element of surprise
• Suspense
• Great music
• Great dialogue
• Economy of storytelling – pure cinema

Scene notes:

• Scene length: 13:35 minutes.
• Total number of shots: 152
• ASL (Average Shot Length): 5.36 seconds.