Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the classic 1968 Western 'Once Upon a Time in the West,' directed by the legendry Sergio Leone and starring Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, and Jason Robards, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. On the audio side of the ledger, Paramount has merely repurposed the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2011 Blu-ray. A new Blu-ray, with a new commentary and a featurette as well as all of the legacy extras, is also included. This new release is part of the prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line of Blu-ray and UHD releases.

Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray disc bundled with this release.

Paramount's somewhat schizophrenic UHD quality variations seem to come to a head with Once Upon a Time in the West, a 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that is very clearly an upgrade from the previous Blu-ray (and even the included Blu-ray, which appears to be newly sourced from this same master) but it also appears to be far from the ideal. It's a decidedly good UHD, far ahead of more uninspired catalogue UHD releases like Planes, Trains & Automobiles but also vastly underperforming from the ideal that the studio can reach, as was evidenced in the recently released and mesmerizing UHD version of The Crow.

The picture appears rock solid at-a-glance, yielding what can be very high levels of complex detail that present faces with the sort of telltale complexity and depth that scream "UHD" while clothing is also satisfyingly dense and detailed, especially considering the wear and tear on the various Western attire elements seen throughout the film, Wooden structures show plenty of wear, and the rough, sandy, and rocky terrain also present very good tactile definition. However, the image definitely has its shortcomings which are obvious upon closer inspection. Grain is not prominent at all, but the image does not have that grotesquely scrubbed over appearance, either. At times the sense of fine grain is very evident. Look at a shot of Jill at the 1:35:55 mark, but then look at a shot two seconds prior where some blue sky looks to be defined by digital chunks rather than natural grain. Paramount has squeezed the 166-minute film on a BD-66 disc, hardly the ideal for a picture that needs more breathing room. It's clear that some corners were cut, and the result is a disappointing "good not great" image.

The Dolby Vision color grading does give the palette a nice boost. Depth and tonal intensity are enhanced here compared to the Blu-ray (either the old one or the new one included here), which are especially vital for a movie of this sort what with its predominance of warm woods, dusty terrain, and sweaty earthy colors. The added depth and punch is never overdone but rather gives the image a richness in its ruggedness, a realism in its realm that amplifies the color specifics but never overwhelms the viewer. It's a tasteful application that enhances the film rather than redefine it in any way. Black levels are solid if not inching to crush in a few spots. White balance is fine, and skin tones take on a slight natural warmth in line with the movie's visual mood.

I will offer just a few words on the new Blu-ray. It looks quite nice, but in direct comparisons is clearly lacking the fine detail level and deeper coloring that the 2160p resolution and Dolby Vision grading offer to the UHD, but that's obviously to be expected. The Blu-ray holds its own for good detail and good color depth, and is very watchable and, maybe in some ways, even mildly preferable if only for the better compression that is evident throughout. Take a look at that aforementioned sky shot at the 1:35:53 mark. The compression issues in the sky are much less in-your-face, and that holds for just about any example where the compression issues are more obvious on the UHD. This Blu-ray looks very nice, and if there could have been a merger between the "better" compression on the Blu-ray and the superior resolution and color expression on the UHD, the result might just have been the definitive UHD this film so clearly deserves.

Note that this disc would not play on my reference Panasonic DP-UB9000, which marks yet another Paramount UHD disc that refuses to play on this otherwise reliable machine. Playback was instead through an old backup Oppo UDP-203 player.

Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than offer a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, this UHD presentation of Once Upon a Time in the West retains the legacy Dolby Digital mono and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks from the 2011 Blu-ray. This is standard operating procedure for Paramount UHD re-releases, and the legacy 5.1 track is very good. For a full audio review, please click here.

Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For this new UHD release of Once Upon a Time in the West, Paramount has included all of the extras on the Blu-ray. No extras, and not even the commentaries, are included on the UHD disc. Brief coverage of the new material is included below. Please click here for reviews of the carryover content. A digital copy code is also included with purchase. This release is the 44th in the "Paramount Presents" line and includes the slipcover with fold-open poster artwork.

• NEW! A Look Back with Leonard Maltin (1080p, 5:32): Maltin explores the film's photography, the cast, the music, technical details of the shoot, the film's length and Paramount's cuts, and the picture's legacy.
• An Opera of Violence
• The Wages of Sin
• Something to Do With Death
• Railroad: Revolutionising the West
• Locations Then & Now
• Production Gallery
• Once Upon a Time in the West Theatrical Trailer
• NEW! Audio Commentary: Jay Jennings and Tom Betts, hosts of the "Spaghetti Western Podcast," explore the film and offer a well versed and very listenable track that looks at the film from a multitude of perspectives.
• Audio Commentary: Directors John Carpenter, John Milius, and Alex Cox; Film Historians Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr. Sheldon Hall; Writer Bernardo Bertolucci; and Actress Claudia Cardinale.

Once Upon a Time in the West 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Once Upon a Time in the West is one of those movies that deserves the very best, not the very good. Unfortunately, it's the "very good" that it's received with this UHD. It's a watchable, even mostly good image, but with some tender loving care it could have been a classic on the format. The audio is fine and the new extras are welcome. Recommended.