<P> The original version by the director was 166 minutes (2 hours and 46 minutes) when it was first released on December 21, 1968 . This was the version that was to be shown in European cinemas and was a box office success . For the US release on May 28, 1969, Once Upon a Time in the West was edited down to 145 minutes (2 hours and 25 minutes) by Paramount and was a financial flop . The film is considered by some to be the first installment in Leone's Once Upon a Time Trilogy, followed by Duck, You Sucker!, called Once Upon a Time...the Revolution in parts of Europe, and Once Upon a Time in America, though the films do not share any characters in common . </P> <P> The film is now generally acknowledged as a masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made . In 2009, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". </P> <P> The film portrays two conflicts that take place around Flagstone, a fictional town in the American Old West: a land battle related to construction of a railroad, and a mission of vengeance against a cold - blooded killer . A struggle exists for Sweetwater, a piece of land near Flagstone containing the region's only water source . The land was bought by Brett McBain (Frank Wolff), who foresaw that the railroad would have to pass through that area to provide water for the steam locomotives . When crippled railroad tycoon Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) learns of this, he sends his hired gun Frank (Henry Fonda) to intimidate McBain to move off the land, but Frank instead kills McBain and his three children, planting evidence to frame the bandit Cheyenne (Jason Robards). It appears the land has no owner; however, a former prostitute (Claudia Cardinale) arrives from New Orleans, revealing she is Jill McBain, Brett's new wife and the owner of the land . </P> <P> Meanwhile, a mysterious harmonica - playing gunman (Charles Bronson), whom Cheyenne later dubs "Harmonica", pursues Frank . In the film's opening scene, Harmonica kills three men sent by Frank to kill him . In a roadhouse on the way to Sweetwater, he informs Cheyenne that the three gunfighters appeared to be posing as Cheyenne's men . </P>

Where does once upon a time in the west take place