Editing Analysis

The opening sequence of my favorite film "Once Upon a Time in the West" is truly one of cinema's most memorable scenes..despite the fact that very little happens. It's the raw simplicity which makes it so compelling, for here we have three heavily armed men at a train station in the middle of the desert..and all they do is wait. One plays with a fly, one collects water dripping from the tower on his hat brim, and the other cracks his knuckles; all to simply pass time. We go through this for about eight minutes before the shriek of a train whistle is heard and the men spring into action. When the train arrives, it is obvious they are out to get someone, but who? In fact, no one descends from the train. After waiting with nervous anticipation, they turn around to leave as the train continues down the line. That's when the wail of a harmonica is heard behind them. They turn and on the other side of the tracks is our hero. After a few harsh words, silence again, and then in the blink of an eye gunshots erupt and all four characters hit the ground. All are mortally wounded save for the protagonist.
A typical Hollywood director would trim the scene down to three minutes, perhaps opening directly with the arrival of the train. However, in Leone's cinema, the style of the film keeps our eyes glued to the screen, despite the slow pace. The editing, done by celebrated Italian editor Nino Baragli, is one of many crucial elements of the film's style. There is no quick cutting or visual montages. The only fast cuts occur during the moments which a normal editor would flesh out: the gunfight. The editor was familiar with Leone's abrupt transitions from his trademark extreme close-ups to his long shots. The editing keeps us wondering what will happen next. In one moment, we have a shot lingering on a gunman with the fly successfully captured in the gun barrel. When the train whistle is heard we abruptly cut to a shot from a low angle, track-level shot with the speeding train accelerating over the camera. The editor knew how to constantly keep a level of surprise within the film that the director, Sergio Leone, always sought to capture.