Once Upon a Time in the Revolution (1971)

Once Upon a Time in the Revolution (1971) is a sprawling Zapata Western film helmed by renowned director and co-writer, Sergio Leone. Set in revolution-torn 1913 Mexico, the story follows outlaw Juan Miranda as he leads his bandit family in a daring robbery of wealthy men, which also includes the assault of a female passenger who had insulted him. While on his motorcycle, Irish Republican explosives expert John H. Mallory happens to pass by and is drawn into Juan’s world as he poses as ‘Seán’. Despite initially refusing to join forces with Juan, he soon finds himself framed for murder and on the run from authorities. In order to clear his name, John reluctantly agrees to help Juan rob the Mesa Verde National Bank but ultimately manages to escape during the journey.

Upon arriving in the city, John quickly connects with a group of revolutionaries, led by Dr. Villega, who enlist his help in using explosives for their cause. When Juan arrives later, John introduces him to the group and they work together to orchestrate an attack on the Mexican army by targeting a bank. However, Juan is taken aback when he discovers that the bank does not hold any money and is instead being used as a political prison by the army. In an unplanned turn of events, Juan’s actions while freeing prisoners lead him to be hailed as a hero of the revolution. As the revolutionaries are pursued by Colonel Günther Reza and his army detachment, John and Juan bravely choose to stay behind armed with machine guns and dynamite. Using these weapons, they successfully destroy much of the detachment as it crosses a bridge that John had rigged with explosives.