Once Upon A Time In The West - camera angles and editing

This is the final duel from the film 'Once upon a time in the West'. Its a great showdown which is help by the way it was shot, i took note on camera angles and how long camera shots last for in each shot.

These are some screenshots from the duel, which show some of the camera position which i find really interesting.

 I really love the angle, its very dynamic, its also framed very well with the legs acting as a focal point to the fellow cowboy and gives a different point of view instead of just at the same height as the other cowboy but at a lower angle giving him more presence.

 Over the shoulder shots. This shot is particularly interesting as you give you a sense of being in the persons shoes, as if your seeing what he is seeing from his perspective.

 Another intriguing angle, shot from boot level it gives the cowboy in front a sense of scale, but also shows the cowboy in the distance in full view. Its a good way to make both cowboys seem tough and to have a sense of threat about them.

 I think this is a great opening shot, quite simple, but its really effective. Camera shows a side on view of both cowboys surrounded by the desert like background, its visually impressive. It also sets the scene really well to give the viewer a clear sense of whats going on.

 During the middle, it has a sequence of shots where the camera keeps cutting back to each cowboy's face, with the camera getting closer and closer each time.

 Focusing on the eyes creates a sense of tension as if anything could happen at any time

The shot of them drawing their gun is something to take note on. Its a good way of show both drawing their guns at the same time. The camera is set just behind one of the cowboys, set low to show his gun, which takes up the majority of the left hand hand of the screen. This angle also allows the view to see the other cowboy draw his gun at the same time, so for the view its impossible to tell who shot who first, great way to keep the scene tense.

Editing

Furthermore when viewing this dueling scene i noticed that the camera shots start off quite long and slow, however throughout the buildup the camera edits get quicker and quicker. I think thats as great way to introduce a sense of tension to the scene.