Hey msb!!!Welcome to the boards.I personally love this film and i too have spent much time pondering the ending.I think ts up to you yourself to believe what you want to.But it sure would be nice to know how Leone viewed it.

The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It's the same thing, fear, but it's what you do with it that matters. Cus D'Amato