In 'Once Upon a Time in the West,' the quote 'He’s not a man. He’s a piece of music' refers to the character Harmonica, played by Charles Bronson. The instrument is not just part of the score; it is a vital plot device. Morricone used a bass harmonica, played with a strained, breathy technique to create a sound that felt like a dying gasp or a scream. The three-note motif is played by the character whenever he appears, serving as a terrifying harbinger of death. Unlike the cheerful use of the instrument in folk music, here it was distorted and amplified to sound industrial and vengeful. The harmonica became the physical embodiment of the character’s traumatic past. This fusion of a physical instrument and a character's dialogue created a new standard for how leitmotifs could be integrated into movie legends.