I watched this film for the first time yesterday (read my DVD review on the main site!) and I liked it. What about you guys? Do you think it’s among the A or B class of Spaghetti Westerns? How does it compare to other Van Cleef films?
For more info visit:
DATABASE LINK: Giorni dell’ira, I - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
0 voters
Hey all,
I love this film to death. I think it is among the best SWs ever – so, yes, A-Class. Obviously, the Leone films come first and then Great Silence, but I think this is my favorite after those 4 films.
(Don’t read further if you’re worried about being spoiled…but I’ll be somewhat vague just in case you want to read)
What I love about DAY OF ANGER is unusual hero character in Scott Mary. This way he’s treated and abused then rises up is just great. Very against the grain, and cool. This isn’t the usual silent stranger tough guy; Scotty Mary has to develop his grit. He’s learning to be “bad” so to speak.
Also, I love Van Cleef’s performance in this film. He’s just really dark. I read a review once before, that I think is bang-on, which compares the student/teacher relationship to Star Wars. Van Cleef is trying to tempt Gemma’s character into being just like him – cruel, mean, etc. And the best part, to me, is that I couldn’t really blame Scott Mary if he did side with Van Cleef after the way he’s been treated by the townspeople.
The direction, score is great. I love the dark humor in the film as well. It is a very unique film in genre. It may be a little “simpler” than other spaghettis, but I do love it. I love Big Gundown, too, although I prefer this one to that one in terms of Van Cleef films. I enjoy Death Rides A Horse, but I think DoA is without a doubt superior.
I’m sure I haven’t seen as many SWs as most here, but this is definitely in my top five for now.
M
I should have said Dollars films, not Leone (I wasn’t counting Dynamite). Meh.
It sure is up there with the best of the SpWe´s. A classic not to be missed.
Before the Wild East DVD arrived the only version I had seen was the short (running about 85 minutes) swedish exrental which was misssing alot of scenes. The DVD is 111 minutes.
Gemmas progression from naive boy to hard gunslinger was never explained, suddenly he was dressed in black and revengefull and you just sat there and thought; Uh ?? what happened ?? 
I’m still waiting for the german DVD release. the u.s one is to expensive.
I just watched this again today, and dropped my initial rating down a notch. For me what works is the Bowie & Almeria sequences but the Cinecitta or Elios studios and interiors really aren’t up to Leone & Carlo Simi’s high standards.
The Clifton set sections seemed off and since this last viewing I think I figured out why, for one thing I noticed a glaring lack of horses, lol, check out Talbys arrival there isn’t a horse on the street, barely any wagons either, you’ll notice the same for a lot of the last 20 minutes, no extras no horses. Like there wasn’t the budget for horses or extras. The other wierd/off looking set details was the over use of green potted plants scattered all around the town, like the set designer was a woman, lol, not that there is anything wrong with that but it doesn’t have that rough and ready wild west look. There is also a wierd looking catwalk/pedestrian overpass which with the lack of street traffic seems superfluous and a tremendous waste of lumber.
The first time I watched it I was pretty enthralled with Lee Van Cleef The story which is ok & not too bad, but could have been much better, also from the sound cuts it sounds like a few scenes were clipped and it may have been longer yet. Also Valleri isn’t in the same league with Leone there was one scene where Van Cleef taps his glass on the table and there is a cut to the judge pounding on the gavel that could have been much better think of what Leone would have done.
Cigar Joe has hit the nail on the head. The lack of traffic on the street makes Clifton seem like the Little House on the Prarie town! In most SW’s, there is constant hustle and bustle on the streets (just look at the opening scenes in If You Meet Sartana for example). Clifton seems like a veritable ghost town in comparison. There aren’t even any wheel ruts or muddy puddles, or even a pile of horsedung in sight. It looks like someone steamrollered the streets flat. Of course, we’ve seen empty streets in other films, but that is usualy during siesta time, like while Eastwood and Van Cleef are watching the bandits casing the bank at El Paso in FAFDM or when Nobody sits on the chair in the street waiting for Jack. But in those examples, the empty lifeless streets work. In Day of Anger, they just detract from the film. That’s probably enough waffle from me…
Ciao Ragazzi! ;D
They are new of the forum, but not as far as the wester: being Italian they have grown “to bread and Lion” even if is a kind that I am appreciating from some year.
This movie exalts the figure of Frank Talby, with an exceptional artistic test of Lee Van Cleef, that it maintains all the its style intact. Giuliano Gemma are discreetly. Voto: 4/5
(Excused boys, but English I speak it to hard work and my book reviews are reduced!) :-[
Translate to italian:
Sono nuovo del forum, ma non per quanto riguarda il wester: essendo italiano sono cresciuto “a pane e Leone” anche se è un genere che sto apprezzando da qualche anno.
Questo film ruota intorno alla figura di Frank Talby, con un’eccezionale prova artistica di Lee Van Cleef, che mantiene intatto tutto il suo stile. Giuliano Gemma se la cava discretamente. Voto: 4/5
my version of day of anger is called "days of wrath "and is 109 min, im just curious is this the original run time?
I found it to be a good spaghetti, but not great or anything. My copy is 111 minutes and is the Wild East release.
The original running time is about 115 minutes.
Fair to middlin’. Certainly better than GOD’S GUN, but wayyy below BIG GUNDOWN. The ending was really hokey. If you want a good spaghetti with a vaguely similar theme, try FACE TO FACE with Volonte and Milian.
I liked that movie very much. Lee Van Cleef is great in it [of course 
], Gemma also gives a nice performance, nice story and good action. Riz Ortolani’s score in this one is one of the greatest in the genre i think
Seems I don’t rate this film as highly as most other people, it doesn’t quite make it into my Top 20! Lee Van Cleef is brilliant as always but I find it hard to believe Gemma’s character would let himself get bullied like that at the beginning of the movie.
Out of Valerii’s 4 SWs (before he directed My Name Is Nobody) this is by far the best.
Generally well done, with an interesting plot, but a bit stretched out in the middle section.
A good film, but a better director could have made a classic out of this idea, with such a cast and score.
I watched this last night and I loved it, loved the score too.
How do you pronounce Gemma?
[quote=“The Gun, post:16, topic:158”]I watched this last night and I loved it, loved the score too.
How do you pronounce Gemma?[/quote]
J emma
a theatre near me is playing this as a double feature with The Ruthless Four cant wait to see it.
Sounds like the kind of cinema I’d like to have near me. Sadly, we’ve got nothing but multi screen fiascos showing nothing but hollywood blockbusters.
the theatre is like an old rundown one…dont know how it is still up but its playing a 16mm print of day of anger.
