What Ennio crafted for *Once Upon a Time in the West* is truly a singular masterpiece. In my eyes, his score was perhaps the only element that subtly suggested Morton wasn't purely a villainous force.
The Cheyenne theme felt a bit like something out of a classic Western comic strip—that laid-back, cool whistling style Morricone used perfectly captured the very essence of that character.
On the other hand, I’ve always loved how Frank and Harmonica shared a certain thematic DNA, given their fated connection. That specific motif was quite haunting; it signaled right away that there was a dark, underlying history at play that we wouldn't fully grasp until the final act. Bronson had that chilling harmonica melody which would almost seamlessly bleed into Frank’s theme, often carried by an electric guitar; in some versions using different instruments, they really felt like two sides of the same coin. For me, the main orchestral and choral swell of that piece might actually be the most powerful moment in Ennio's entire discography. It provided such a perfect climax to the narrative.
Then there is Jill, with her stunning theme that simultaneously defines her character while offering a window into the sweeping grandeur of the American frontier and its breathtaking landscapes.
But honestly, the greatest miracle might be what he did with the least famous track—the one composed for Morton. At first glance, he’s just the antagonist who hires hitmen to clean up his mess. But Morricone approached him through the lens of his dreams—the longing to finally reach the Pacific Ocean and settle there for good. You can see it in the way he gazes out the train window, but those nuances wouldn't have landed nearly as hard if Morricone hadn't painted a portrait of his pathetic soul. He essentially gave the man a heart, showing us that he isn't a monster, just a man driven by ambitions that led him to make terrible, misguided choices. Ennio found the humanity in him and shared it with the audience, and that is just one of the many reasons why Ennio remains the absolute GOAT of film scoring.
By the way, Morton was played by Gabriele Ferzetti, who is actually the sole survivor of the main male cast from that film. He's 90 years old now.
It is also incredibly grim to note that at least two actors from this film later took their own lives. One even happened during production. Al Mulock, appearing as a cowboy, jumped from a hotel window while they were still filming. He’s the character you see right at the start:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_MulockThen, about three years later, Wolff ended his life in a hotel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Wolff_%28actor%29
