Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone (/liˈoʊni/ lee-OH-nee, Italian: [ˈsɛrdʒo leˈoːne]; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was a renowned Italian filmmaker, best known as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema. Leone's distinct film-making style subtly juxtaposes extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots. His notable filmography includes the Dollars Trilogy of Westerns featuring Clint Eastwood: 'A Fistful of Dollars' (1964), 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965), and 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966); and the Once Upon a Time films: 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968), 'Duck, You Sucker!' (1971), and 'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984). With Leone's love for cinema deeply rooted in his childhood, he pursued a career in the film industry at 18, making his mark by writing screenplays for the popular historical epics of the time.

Over his most active years, Leone established his command over low-budget films, crafting them to reflect the grandeur of larger-budget Hollywood movies. In the mid-1960s, as public interest in historical epics waned, Leone shifted focus to the 'spaghetti Western' subgenre. This led to the creation of 'A Fistful of Dollars' (1964), which established Clint Eastwood as a star, and the two following movies that completed the acclaimed Dollars Trilogy. Towards the end of his career, Leone devoted a decade to the project of 'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984), a meditative exploration of popular American mythology centered around themes of greed, violence, and the intricacies of ethnicity and friendship. Although physically absent from the film world since his untimely demise, his imprint remains vibrant through the numerous unrealized projects he left behind.