“There are only problems with him”: Rated 4.2 out of 5, this western from Sergio Leone is a pure masterpiece, but it proved to be very difficult to film with this iconic actor.

Sergio Leone, the undisputed master of the Western, had already conquered the world with his famous Dollar trilogy and the monumental Once Upon a Time in the West, a colossal success in France with almost 15 million viewers in 1969. Genius and enchanting music by Ennio Morricone.

However, Leone was not supposed to direct this film. The project was originally to be entrusted to Peter Bogdanovich, who spent several months in Rome preparing the framework. But his script was rejected first by Leone and then by the studio itself. Without Leone behind the camera, the film may never see the light of day. So the Italian director took back control and turned it into a cinematic gem that mixes the poetry of the Western with the violence of the Mexican Revolution.

At the center of the story are two completely opposite characters: Sean Mallory, an Irish explosive expert on the run, played by James Coburn, and Juan Miranda, a boorish and impulsive bandit, played by Rod Steiger. If the bond between Leone and Coburn was instant, it quickly turned into a nightmare with Steiger.

Shooting under high tension

in the book conversations Sergio Leone Author, filmmaker Noel Simsolo candidly recounts the unbearable tension that reigned on the set. Steiger, who wanted to give his character a tragic and intellectual dimension, completely departed from the director’s vision.

“There are only problems with him. He thought he was making me happy by speaking Italian that sounded Russian. He pissed me off. He wanted to create a serious, completely cerebral character. A strange mix of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. I really don’t know what to add! Terrifying! I killed myself and explained that he was playing a simple peasant thief and bandit. defeated. Rolling naive bastard… no. He talked to God while playing.“

He continues: “I managed to keep calm for a long week. I was calm when I made plans with Steiger twenty times. The team was amazed at my attitude. On previous shoots, they saw me throwing tantrums in similar situations. “

Despite the director’s patience, the situation deteriorated after several days of reshoots. Rod Steiger imposed on himself one day in the middle of the scene and asked him to stop filming so as not to exceed the legal schedule. It was too much for that Sergio Leonewhich exploded.

“The incident happened while we were shooting on a mountain fifty kilometers from Almeria. I was developing a plan with Coburn. And Steiger came to intervene. He told me that we didn’t want to exceed the schedule of the working day and we had to go home immediately. With that he beckoned Coburn to follow. So I blurted out, “If I want to do twenty-four hours straight, I’ll do it. And I don’t care if your name is Rod Steiger and you won an Oscar by mistake. Because you’re such a piece of trash. And I’m sending you and United Artists to hell! I’m replacing you tomorrow because you’re a lousy actor.’“

The tension then reached its peak.

A cold war between the director and his actor

From this episode onward, exchanges between the two men took place exclusively through Leone’s assistant. The filmmaker flatly refused to talk to Steiger.

“I had a very strict attitude. I didn’t talk to him directly. The assistant served as relay. I told him: Go get this excrement that’s in his trailer. Tell him what I want him to do on this camera.’“

And when the actor missed the shoot, Sergio Leone He redoubled the sarcasm and demanded that he forget the techniques of the Actors Studio in order to “play normal”:And when Steiger was doing his job badly, I still spoke to the assistant: “Let’s cut. Tell this guy his stuff is bad. I’ll show you what I want to do. And let him do it without looking or flaring his nostrils. Let him do it normally! Normal! Like he never knew how to play. Let him forget his acting studio!”“

This war of egos lasted for several days until Rod SteigerExhausted comes to apologize. He even offered to terminate the contract without compensation. From that moment on, says Leone, the climate changed completely.

“Everything changed from that conversation. He became obedient like an eight-year-old child. He wondered, however, why I made him shoot his shots thirty times, while I contented myself with one or two shots of Coburn. After twenty-five takes, Steiger was too tired to take his tricks out of the actor’s studio.“

according to Sergio LeoneThis forced weariness ends up away Rod Steiger By revealing all the raw truth of his art as an actor and his character.

Chaotic but masterful work

Yet from this grueling shoot was born a film of rare intensity. Once there was a revolution It may not have the iconic lines of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but it has a breath of tragedy and a bitter twist that places it among the pinnacles of Leone’s filmography.

And if the film director’s sister Rod Steiger Explosive as it was, it spawned one of the most fascinating — and chaotic — relationships in movie history.

Once Revolution can still be seen streaming on Prime Video.