The credit sequence
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Three intimidating gunfighters arrive at the makeshift station of Cattle Corner.
The stationmaster marks on a board that the Flagstone train has been delayed by two hours.
The gunmen approach him. He offers them tickets but they have no intention of buying. Instead they
lead him to the office, push him inside and slam closed the door, bolting it with a loud metallic
clank. The screen goes black. 'A Sergio Leone Film'. | ||
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The gunfighters walk onto the platform,
cobbled together from old sleepers. One sits down on a bench, another walks towards a water tower. |
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| A windmill, desperately in need of some oil, groans periodically. |
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The third gunman makes his way to a water trough at the other end of the platform. |
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The first man rocks on the bench, creaking. |
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| A telegraph machine kicks into life inside the window next to him. All the time the persistent whining of the windmill. |
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The telegraph machine clatters away.
The man looks towards it. CLACK, CLACK, CLACK. The creak of the windmill. |
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He reaches across and grabs the wires of the machine and, with a hard yank, pulls them out. |
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| SILENCE. |  |
The second man, standing below the water tower, fans himself with his hat. SPLAT. A drop of water hits the top of his bald head. He raises his eyes. |
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A second drop hits him square on the forehead. Slowly he raises his hat to his head. A dull thud as the next drop hits the crown of his hat. |
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| The third man sits on the water trough. He crunches his knuckles. CRACK, CRACK. |
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Back to the first man. A fly buzzes around his face.
It settles on his neck and walks across his chin. He flinches. |
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CRACK, CRACK. More knuckle crunching from the man at the water trough. |
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| The fly is still hounding the man on the bench. He blows at it to no effect. |
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Water continues to drip on the man below the water tower. |
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But now it splashes into a small puddle collecting in the brim of his hat. The windmill starts its rhythmic drone again. |
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| The first man has lost patience with the fly.
Waving at his face, his eyes follow the fly's path as it takes flight. It settles on the bench beside him. |
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He slowly raises his gun and suddenly thrusts the
barrel against the side of the bench trapping the fly. Its buzzes frantically inside. |
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Carefully the gunman puts his finger over the end of
the barrel and raises it to his ear to listen to the anxious fly. He grins. |
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| In the distance, the sound of an approaching train. |
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Suddenly the train is upon us, thundering over the camera. |
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The man at the water tower slowly brings the rim of his hat to his lips. He drinks the water that has collected. |
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| In the background we hear the panting
of the train as it draws nearer. The man at the water trough turns to watch
it approach. |
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At the water tower the man takes out a rifle with a sawn down barrel. He cocks and loads it. |
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He looks up as the train gets nearer. |
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| The train is now pulling up to the station, all the time getting louder. |
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The seated man rises and walks toward the centre of the platform. |
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The train pulls in to the station as the words 'Directed by Sergio Leone' fall in front as if bringing it to stop. |
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And there we have the longest credit sequence in cinematic history, running close to
seven minutes. The scene continues in the same fashion - the train stands
panting in the station like a gigantic metallic beast - a wagon door slides open.
And then, as the train pulls off, the three gunfighters turn to leave, convinced
that the man they have been waiting for has not shown. But then, the sound of a harmonica ... | ||
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