This film is strange not in a surreal way, but in the way it dispenses entirely with the Man With No Name character and tells the story of one of the bad guys and his effect on everyone he encounters.
Put it this way, if Klaus Kinski came to you and said he had a sure fire way to make loads of cash, would you not run away screaming? In fact, if Klaus Kinski said hello to you, would you not run away screaming? These people learn the hard way, but let's back up a bit.
Kinski this time plays Crazy Johnny Laster, a demented drifter who loses the plot the moment he sees cleavage and tries to force himself on every woman he sees. For some reason, some guy thinks Johnny is a good bet to recruit for a robbery. They kill a landowner who has just sold his land, only to find the money has been sent to a bank in Dallas to a relative. I'm sure the guy thought it was a good idea at the time, but I'm not so sure he thought it was a he hit the ground with one of Johnny's bullets in his back.
Johnny still wants the cash, so he heads south with a plan and recruits a local guy and a Mexican couple for a heist, but how do you think that's going to work out if they put Johnny in charge of someone they've kidnapped? And what about that rival Mexican gang who want the cash too?
There's no mysterious stranger here, just Johnny and all those stupid enough to trust him. There's also the genuine good characters who are shoved to the background: the sheriff and the deputies, the townsfolk, the landowner. We just get to sit back and watch all the fallout as Johnny makes kissy lips at cringing women (truly horrifying) and shoots anyone who disagrees with him. He never actually gets to rape anyone.
The pretty grim ending doesn't come as a surprise, but it's good to see Kinski unleash his inner madman. Or just be everyday Kinski for the cameras.
Put it this way, if Klaus Kinski came to you and said he had a sure fire way to make loads of cash, would you not run away screaming? In fact, if Klaus Kinski said hello to you, would you not run away screaming? These people learn the hard way, but let's back up a bit.
Kinski this time plays Crazy Johnny Laster, a demented drifter who loses the plot the moment he sees cleavage and tries to force himself on every woman he sees. For some reason, some guy thinks Johnny is a good bet to recruit for a robbery. They kill a landowner who has just sold his land, only to find the money has been sent to a bank in Dallas to a relative. I'm sure the guy thought it was a good idea at the time, but I'm not so sure he thought it was a he hit the ground with one of Johnny's bullets in his back.
Johnny still wants the cash, so he heads south with a plan and recruits a local guy and a Mexican couple for a heist, but how do you think that's going to work out if they put Johnny in charge of someone they've kidnapped? And what about that rival Mexican gang who want the cash too?
There's no mysterious stranger here, just Johnny and all those stupid enough to trust him. There's also the genuine good characters who are shoved to the background: the sheriff and the deputies, the townsfolk, the landowner. We just get to sit back and watch all the fallout as Johnny makes kissy lips at cringing women (truly horrifying) and shoots anyone who disagrees with him. He never actually gets to rape anyone.
The pretty grim ending doesn't come as a surprise, but it's good to see Kinski unleash his inner madman. Or just be everyday Kinski for the cameras.