This is certainly not a masterpiece. However, it's a western and a good one. It has betrayal, vengeance, gun fights, fist fights, ambush, dynamite. The best aspects of the film is the cinematography. You can tell this guy thought about his shots, and moved with the action. After watching hundreds of movies in the past few years and reading their reviews the good, the bad and the ugly, I have vicariously experienced the point of view of hundreds of my fellow movie watchers. The acting was good. But the dubbing was mediocre to bad. This isn't the actor's fault. Thomas Hunter was a good lead, sometimes a bit over the top. But it was refreshing to see at least someone try to portray anger. Henry Silva looked the part, but his "crazy" was way over the top. The music was good, but not great. Morricone has done far better. Nicoletta Machiavelli was beautiful, but her role was just a side character. Dan Duryea was good. All other actors were just passable. Tons of action. The opening with the wagon chase and crash. The beat down. Hunter ambush at his home and fight. Hunter at the saloon. Hunter against Silva's men. The ambush with the horses. Silva's men killing the townsfolk in the saloon. Silva's men getting killed in the town. Silva's death was, again, over the top. The big guy getting killed in the end was mediocre. Nicoletta gets shot, but then is pictured in the end. A happy edited ending? Hunter reunites with his son, given a sheriff's job and a fresh start.
The script is good. But not great. It's functional. The beginning betrayal reminded me of One Eyed Jacks with, one bandit going to prison, and the other taking the money and living it up. But that's where it ends. For the record, One Eyed Jacks is a garbage movie. Please find and read my takedown of that trash film. There's a reason why it is the Only film direct by Marlon Brando. It's kind of hard to see how stupid your acting is when you're the one acting and nobody tells you that you have dirt on your face. Jacks is an amateur mess. While I'm at it, I rewatched another film, The Last of the Mohicans, 1992. What a pile of pure trash. I'm working on that review now. First off it's not about the Mohicans. It's about the adopted white son of a Mohicans, and his stupid adventure in trying to save a couple of daughters of a British commander in the French and Indian War. If I was Native American I would be happy that some of my kin were given employment in the film, but would be insulted by the bait and switch.
Back to this film, after seeing so much brain dead films, it's refreshing to see that what we have here is a professional and entertaining film.
7 stars. 10 for balance.
The script is good. But not great. It's functional. The beginning betrayal reminded me of One Eyed Jacks with, one bandit going to prison, and the other taking the money and living it up. But that's where it ends. For the record, One Eyed Jacks is a garbage movie. Please find and read my takedown of that trash film. There's a reason why it is the Only film direct by Marlon Brando. It's kind of hard to see how stupid your acting is when you're the one acting and nobody tells you that you have dirt on your face. Jacks is an amateur mess. While I'm at it, I rewatched another film, The Last of the Mohicans, 1992. What a pile of pure trash. I'm working on that review now. First off it's not about the Mohicans. It's about the adopted white son of a Mohicans, and his stupid adventure in trying to save a couple of daughters of a British commander in the French and Indian War. If I was Native American I would be happy that some of my kin were given employment in the film, but would be insulted by the bait and switch.
Back to this film, after seeing so much brain dead films, it's refreshing to see that what we have here is a professional and entertaining film.
7 stars. 10 for balance.