Colt in the Hand of the Devil / Una colt in pugno al diavolo (Sergio Bergonzelli, 1967)

[Mickey13]

Copied from the Spagvemberfest 2023 thread:

@Mickey13

Considering the abundance of original ideas and some unexpected sophistication found in the storyline, the film should have become a minor classic or some kind of hidden gem, but Bergonzelli’s coarse, by-the-numbers craftsmanship simply fails to measure up to the ambitiously defined goals and thereby, the movie mostly falls through the cracks in virtue of the merely standard rendition. This is not to say that Bergonzelli totally fumbles the execution because the handling of the material turns out fine for the most part; both the pacing and the focus are taut all right, with that being said, one cannot shake off the impression that more could have been done with such a robust premise and such an amply elaborated tale. The story in general does not differ from other outings in some spectacular fashion, yet some of the details prove surprisingly unorthodox.

Firstly, the dealings between Bob Henry and George Wang are intriguing in that there seems to exist a kind of love-hate relationship between them which underlies the interpersonal dynamics throughout and eventually paves the way for the unusual resolution. Secondly, though the individual plotlines comprising the entire storyline might not be so uncommon in and of themselves, the way the whole narrative is ultimately coalesced and assembled feels sturdy and does not come off as formulaic. Bob Henry’s mordant acting style accords well with the mercantile disposition of his character; George Wang’s interpretation of the role might not introduce much novelty into the equation, but at the same time, his performance turns out quite satisfactory and eschews some of the more over-the-top tendencies of the Sanchoeqsue bandido archetype. Taking into account the plentiful upsides, the motion picture is certainly worth a look, though it should have turned out much better in the end.