An illustrated exploration of the mid-twentieth-century filmmaker's "spaghetti westerns" considers his role in defining the genre, his visual style and elliptical storytelling methods, and his creation of such works as A Fistful of Dollars and Once Upon a Time in the West. 12,500 first printing.
A pictorial and comprehensive book about the most audacious filmmaker of all time. I watched Christ Stopped at Eboli recently. So I appreciate the sets and aesthetics of the Leone movies. This is an account of one of the greatest achievements in cinema. Some of it is boring. But it is a work of genius. Italians are a talented people. Everyone thinks America is the Mecca of cinema. But Italian Americans did all this stuff. Leone, Morricone, Scorsese, Coppola, Ortolani, Donaggio, De Niro, Al Pacino, Pesci. So many of them. Italians have contributed so much to cinema. Sergio Leone was a man more interested in the history and cinema of another country and he went ahead and made whatever the fuck he wanted to about that country he looked up to. Would anyone dare to make a film like this today? I believe there are many people who still want to make daring films like the ones Leone made. But they cannot get off their ass. They do not have the drive or the talent to do it. They have the technology - cameras on their mobile phones. They have the mediums (Youtube and so many of its competitors). But they cannot seem to get off their ass and do what Leone did. Leone is one of the greatest cinema entrepreneurs of the 20th century.
A really deep look into the life of Sergio Leone with some fantastic interviews. The interviews with those who worked with Sergio, and Sergio himself, are highlights.
Created for The Autry Museum of the American West's Sergio Leone retrospective back in 2005, this book is a nice overview of Sergio Leone's western all'italiana films. Filled with some amazing interviews (Lee Van Cleef's was short, but amazingly honest and hilarious) and even more amazing imagery of the various marketing materials (posters, lobby cards, etc.) used for this films. This book is a great starting point for anyone interested in Sergio Leone the filmmaker and the brief, but intense period when western all'italiana films were being made by the dozens per year.
Filled with poster art and artifacts of the cinema-verse of Sergio Leone plus interviews with all involved in the making of Leone movies. Plus an essay on John Ford by Leone AND an interview with Martin Scorsese on Leone. Have recently watched the DOLLARS trilogy and this book greatly enhanced the pleasures of doing so.