Overview
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Release Date:
29 octobre 1971 (Italy)
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Accroche:
Rod Steiger and James Coburn will blow you apart in "A Fistful of Dynamite" ("Duck You Sucker") by the master of adventure Sergio Leone
Plot:
An IRA explosives expert on the run in Mexico meets an amoral Mexican bandit; together they get drawn into the Mexican revolution.
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Avis des utilisateurs:
Leone's most underrated film,a rich masterpiece which gets better and better with each viewing
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Additional Details
Autre(s) titre(s):
A Fistful of Dynamite (UK) (USA) (alternative title)
C'era una volta la rivoluzione (Italy)
Duck, You Sucker (USA)
Once Upon a Time... the Revolution
Il était une fois la révolution (Canada: French title) [fr]Il était une fois... la révolution (France) [fr]
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Durée:
157 min | USA:120 min (initial US release) | USA:138 min | USA:154 min (Laserdisc version)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Curiosités
Anecdotes:
Impressionist
Will Jordan's agent took out a quarter page ad in Variety just after the film was released stating that Jordan had dubbed the voice of
Rod Steiger in the film.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Juan is in the bank, after he lets some of the prisoners go, a soldier appears walking down the stairs in the background.
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Guillemet:
Juan Miranda:
What kinda work you do for the German? Listen, I asked you a question. What do you do for the German?
John H. Mallory:
I've been looking for silver.
Juan Miranda:
Silver? You know something? I don't understand you. I don't understand how you waste your time and your holy water looking for silver. To me, that's a sin.
John H. Mallory:
Do you have any better ideas?
Juan Miranda:
Si, I think gold is better than silver.
John H. Mallory:
Ah, there isn't any gold in these hills.
Juan Miranda:
Oh ho, yes there is! In Mesa Verde.
John H. Mallory:
Mesa Verde? It's a city.
Juan Miranda:
Of course it's a city! Who ever heard of having a bank in the country, huh?
John H. Mallory:
Uh huh, a bank.
[
...]
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foire aux questions
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is this movie based on a book?
What is a "spaghetti western"?
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Recommendations
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It's generally thought that this film is Leone's weakest major film,and it is far less well known than the Dollars trilogy and the two Once Upon a Times. In actual fact,this is a masterpiece that deserves to be far better known and regarded than it actually is. It sees Leone attempting new things such as character development and political comment,while refining elements from his earlier films. It's really the bridge between Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America,and it contains a great many elements of both films {which let's face it,despite both being Leone films are quite different}.
It starts in humorous vein,right from the opening sequence of the dirty,very poor Rod Steiger character Juan being taunted by some rich folk aboard a lavish carriage,the camera showing lots of close ups of mouths and eyes in what almost seems a parody of Leone's style. Juan is much like Tuco in The Good the Bad And The Ugly,loud,simple and very funny {he's even often accompanied by comical music }.Juan's first encounters with the other main protagonist,IRA man Sean {James Coburn} are treated like comical duels,and as they go to rob a bank it seems the picaresque tone will continue.
However,about a third of the way through the film becomes more and more serious. As Juan,thanks to Sean,becomes more and more involved in the Mexican Revolution,the tone becomes darker as more and more scenes take place at night and there is serious tragedy. The change in tone may jar to some people,but one can see the mature,contemplative Leone of Once Upon A Time In America reveal himself before our eyes.
Of course there are still some great action scenes,such as the taking of a bank which is superbly cut to Ennio Morricone's music {listen for the cheeky quotes from Mozart!},or Sean and Juan machine-gunning what seems like a whole army. There is as usual a great deal of violence,but it's less personal and graphic and instead is shown to have more consequence. The film's plot does move rather slowly,with Leone taking his time as usual,but this mean we can more enjoy the mannered Steiger and the laid back Coburn as one of the greatest partnerships in cinema history.
Of particular interest are the several flashbacks dotted throughout the movie,shot in dreamlike slow motion and usually set to what is quite simply one of the most beautiful film themes EVER {Morricone excels himself with the score for this film}. Representing Sean's past,they ask as many questions as they answer,Leone trusting his audience to work things out. The final one is missing from many versions of this film,a tragedy because as well as being sublimely beautiful {and ambiguous,is it Sean's memory?,a marijuana-enhanced hallucination?,a vision of Heaven?} it adds yet another element to the story.
A Fistful Of Dynamite {well,the French Once Upon A Time..The Revolution is the films' best title}is a masterpiece,it's extremely entertaining whilst also being full of complexity. Things become clearer and more interesting on second and third viewings. Don't expect the operatic ritualism of Once Upon in The West or the comic crowd pleasing of the Dollars films,but if you watch this you will be watching a cinematic master at the height of his powers.