Coburn is Sean/John, who had a friend Nolan
Looking through the board a lot of people think otherwise! Why, when Leone said it is so?
shareHi there
I think it might have something to do with the "sorting the versions" featurette of Once Upon a Time....The Revolution (my preferred title) DVD.
The featurette suggests that John H Mallory says "Sean" when Juan asks his name because he was remembering his friend from Ireland (the next scene is a flashback scene of Nolan). This is plausible because it is strange that we do not get to hear Nolan's first name in either the film or in the credit listing (or even in the novelisation). In the extended flashback scene at the end of the movie the music freezes on the "Sean" chant at exactly the point where we see Nolan trying to grab the girl from Mallory to kiss her. This implies that it is possible that "Sean" was actually Nolan's name and that there was a "love-triangle" going on where the two guys were fighting over the girl. It was possible they were both called "Sean" (Nolan and Mallory) because it reflects the partnership which Juan wants to start with Mallory (ie: "John and John" or the "Johnny and Johnny" partnership) which Sean Mallory is reluctant to join (out of guilt over what happened to Sean Nolan).
What did Sergio Leone say about the John/Sean name?
"Be seeing you!"
No6
Hello,
Can't remember if I knew what Leone said but it has been mentioned on this board that he did.
Nolan being the Sean: It was the opinion of someone on the dvd extra but these sort of people thought in the past that a 121min. version was what we should have!
Frayling, the top Leone authority, on his dvd commentary refers to 'Sean' throughout and at the Sean/John point in the dialogue only says that John is a translation of Sean.
The first time I saw it I simply thought he wanted to distance himself from his past - and when doing so he caused his flashback to happen.
It's rumoured that Frayling has seen an actual script and says Nolan's first name is Ryan.
For a strong Irish republican family at a time when republicans are strongly pro-gaelic I can't imagine they'd ever call a child John instead of Sean. At that time the British authorities would use anglicized personal and place names so the newspaper calling Sean, John would be totally normal.
Hi Elm
I agree that it is more likely that when Mallory says 'Sean' that he is referring to himself. In Ireland people answer to both their gaelic names and the anglicized versions. And since Mallory was in an Irish Republic movement the Gaelic verison would have been used primarily amongst its members. I have seen French movie posters of Once Upon a Time .... The Revolution where it states Coburn's charatcer is 'Sean' (ie: James Coburn plays 'Sean'). So if the French Distributors were incorrect I am sure Leone would have checked them. It is a pity that the producers of the OUATTR DVD did not put these questions to the script writer Donati who was interviewed. I am sure if he would have explained what was Nolan's actual first name, and why Mallory introduces himself as 'Sean' to Juan in the first place before saying 'John'.
"Be seeing you!"
No6
It's worth commenting on the 'Sean, Sean' music. People strangely use it to 'prove' Nolan is Sean when the music is used to denote Coburn's Sean character whether in a flashback or the film's present time, even when he is not seen and just his explosions are heard - it just Coburn's character's theme whenever and wherever he is.
share...and still people are thinking otherwise, when he himself actually said both versions of his name!