Pocket Universe

I personally don’t know if I would consider it the greatest western of all time; my favorites in that category range from classic to deconstructionist to unusual. However, it certainly has all of the hallmarks of a classic western: a morally-ambiguous hero, a payoff, a bounty, and a tense, finger-twitching showdown. At nearly three hours in length, it is also unquestionably epic. (In fact, the 2004 DVD release restored 18 minutes of footage that were previously unseen in America, and Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach were even brought back in to re-dub their lines nearly 40 years after the movie’s release.) In keeping with the epic storyline, the characters do not often follow a direct route from point A to point B. Instead, the storylines of the three main characters frequently intertwine and double back on each other. This drama is played against the backdrop of the end of the Civil War, so the fortunes of the Confederacy also play a significant part in the storyline. As a result, the characters are often dwarfed by the larger events occurring around them.

The most interesting part to watch is the interaction between Eastwood as Blondie (the Good) and Wallach as Tuco (the Ugly). Over the course of the storyline, the balance of power shifts back and forth as each tries to one-up the other as they try to get revenge for previous wrongs, then quickly backpedal when fortunes are reversed. Despite the star power of Eastwood as the Man with No Name (this being the third in the trilogy, after A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More), Eli Wallach is really the star of this film. Instead of having a clearly-defined moral compass, Tuco is an opportunist, willing to betray his own friends if it will allow him even a momentary tactical advantage. This makes him a much more entertaining character, especially as you watch him squirm when he suddenly loses control of the situation.

With the other two characters, Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are really two sides of the same coin as the Good and the Bad. They are each honorable (in their own way), but simply have different tactics in a given situation. And even though Eastwood is the Good, “good” often depends on your perspective. When the three finally end up together at the climax, you get to see each one vie for power as they play an elaborate chess game, trying to set up their next move while hiding their plan from the others. This is where the movie comes together and all of the waiting pays off, where the viewer finds himself questioning which character should walk away a rich man, and which character should get what he deserves. And like a master storyteller, Leone keeps the viewer guessing until the very end.

I would recommend this movie to anyone with an interest in westerns, especially if you haven’t seen any of the classic spaghetti westerns produced in Italy during the ’60s. The cinematography is stunning, the music is wonderful, and the characters are ultimately compelling, even if the story drags a bit in the middle. And of nothing else, it will open your eyes to how much other filmmakers have borrowed from Leone.