Out of the Wallach Spaghetti westerns, it’s not as good as Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo or I quattro dell’ave maria, but way better than Il bianco, il giallo, il nero
This was my introduction to Franco Nero, and while he may be doing a retread of previous characters, he’s fine, even if his character can be incredibly cruel. One of my favourite exchanges is between him and a dying man at the beginning.
Orlowsky: I’m a pastor.
Dying man: Go back to your sheep.
Eli Wallach I would endure any movie or TV show for. Again, his character is very Tuco-ish, even more so than Cacopoulos from I quattro, but since I love the character in the first place, I enjoy his performance here. Max is a rowdy, cheeky smartass, and has more of the appearance of a wisecracker than the other two bandido characters. I like his little quirks, like how he can’t swim and how he hates being touched on the ass. Speaking of which, I felt bad for him when he was forced to drop his pants. It’s sexual harassment, and you’re not going to take it, are you, Maxie?
He seems to be part Juan from Giu la testa as well. He’s a loving brother and uncle, another character aspect I love from him. I didn’t like how he got over losing his sister and nephew so quickly, though when he does react, it’s pretty poignant.
His character isn’t the funniest I’ve seen. It’s not even as well developed as Juan or Chuncho. And yet he has a few redeeming qualities that appeal to me.
Lynn Redgrave is awesome in this movie. A perky, fiery, smart Irish reporter who kicks a ton of Zapata ass. I enjoyed her performance immensely.
The film isn’t that great, it goes all over the place, some bits I can’t follow. The comedy is hit and miss. I don’t even know why I like it so much except that Eli’s in it, doing his usual thing.
