How to watch

After defining the spaghetti western with the Dollars Trilogy, Sergio Leone made three epic films exploring the myths of the Americas. Once Upon a Time in the West stars Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Claudia Cardinale; Duck, You Sucker!, also known as A Fistful of Dynamite, pairs Rod Steiger and James Coburn in revolutionary Mexico; and Once Upon a Time in America follows Robert De Niro and James Woods through decades of Jewish gangster life in New York. Ennio Morricone scored all three.

🕐 Release Order

Here are the three films in release order.

1. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
2. Duck, You Sucker! (A Fistful of Dynamite) (1971)
3. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

The films don't share characters, but they do move forward through history in a satisfying way.

📖 Story Chronology

The trilogy's settings progress from the railroad-building Old West to the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s and then to New York from the 1920s to the 1960s, matching the release order.

1. Once Upon a Time in the West – the American frontier (1968)
2. Duck, You Sucker! – the Mexican Revolution (1971)
3. Once Upon a Time in America – 1920s to 1960s New York (1984)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Watch in release order to follow both the historical timeline and Leone's growth as a filmmaker. Each film stands on its own, so if you're short on time, start with Once Upon a Time in the West. For Once Upon a Time in America, seek out the full-length cut rather than the heavily shortened original US release.

🔗 Related Guides

• The Dollars Trilogy Watch OrderGuide
• The Godfather Watch OrderGuide
• The Magnificent Seven Watch OrderGuide

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!