This perhaps isn't the best known spaghetti western but I have to say that it's absolutely one of the better and more enjoyable ones that I have ever seen!
Like basically all genre examples, it has a pretty simple and straightforward main story in it but it however are all of the little details and nuances in it that help to make this movie an effective one. And even while the main story itself is pretty simple it still manages to find a pretty original approach to things, which also indeed lets this movie work out as a pretty original one within its genre.
It's basically one long chase movie, involving a cat and mouse game between an unofficial lawman played by Lee Van Cleef and a Mexican peasant played by Tomas Milian, who is accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl. Of course nothing really ever goes as planned and also not everything is what it seems, which means that the story has some interesting changes in it at times and a good chemistry and relationship between its two different main characters.
It's of course also interesting to see Lee Van Cleef play the main lead and 'hero' for a change. But then again, basically all main western protagonist are always just as cold, calculated and ruthless as the movie its villains. Only difference is that they live by a code and their own rules, that we as the viewers can relate to and makes us like- and root for the movie its main 'hero'. But really, it's not like Van Cleef's character in this movie, or his performance, is any different from the one he plays in "Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo." for instance. This is not a complaint of course. It just means that his character is a pretty awesome one and Van Cleef is confident and convincing in his performance.Thing that I also liked about the movie was that it wasn't constantly building up toward the next shootout or other action sequences. It was actually more focused on its characters and storytelling and I have to say that a lot of the movie its highlights aren't even action related. But don't worry, the movie still has plenty of gunfights and other action in it as well, including a classic shootout at the end. It by no means is a boring or slow movie, unlike some other genre movies. It's also a rather short movie, which in this case is a good and pleasant things, since it keeps things going and to-the-point.
It further more is a genre movie with a great look to it. Everything about it screams out spaghetti western, including the musical score by Ennio Morricone. It has great settings, great cinematography and a great cast of scruffy looking men that all add to the movie its atmosphere.
A great entertaining spaghetti western.
8/10
Watch trailer
No comments: