I have done a considerable amount of cleanup and addendum work on the Wikipedia articles for these two films (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_(film) and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Silence). My work on Django especially references Giusti’s work, although since I haven’t read his books on SWs, I’ve gone by what was written in the Django Review on the SWDB website, which references Giusti’s book. If anybody wants to review and verify the info I’ve provided, you’re more than welcome, and please add what you feel worth adding, especially to The Great Silence.
PS - The info provided by the review of Django implies that Fabio Testi was in the running for the role, but Nero’s choice of rival in a interview that I referenced, Peter Martell, seems a more likely choice, as Testi hadn’t done any movies until after Django.
Never heard about Fabio Testi being considered for the role. I think it’s unlikely, like you said he had not done any movies yet and he started his career as a stuntman and the leading roles in cheap Fidani procuctions.
Btw, the story about making ugly extras to wear hoods over their heads. I always thought it was just a joke made up by Deodato.
Where’d you get the implication that the red hood story was a joke? The place I got the story from was the interview with Nero and Deodato on the Blue Underground DVD, where Deodato discusses the story, as I interpreted his tone of voice, in a humorously nostalgic fashion, not in a sarcastic or joking manner.
Chris Casey wrote this in Django topic here in 2007:
"I was told by a friend, who interviewed Franco Nero recently, that Ruggero Deodato was putting everyone on with that story about using the red masks just to cover up the faces of the ugly extras. According to Nero that is just an amusing tale that Deodato cooked up for the interview as seen on the DVD. Nero says that the red masks were intentional, that they were mentioned in at least one draft of the screenplay (which was written as they went along, by the way)…and that Corbucci used them to comment on how he felt there were similarities between the Red Brigade and the KKK.
I like Deodato and highly enjoyed his animated interview on the DJANGO disc’s Special Features; but, I don’t think we can take too much of what he says as gospel. He is quite the prankster, so I am told."
For the time being, I’ve removed Deodato’s production history info from the article in case more accurate info is avaliable, or if his statements are backed by other sources.
You write:
"In comparison to the standard 2.39:1 Technicolor/Techniscope presentation most Spaghetti Westerns were filmed in, The Great Silence was filmed in the cheaper widescreen (1.66:1) Eastmancolor format "
First: 2.39:1 is a mistake, you mean 2,35:1
I doubt that 1,66:1 is cheaper than a usual 2,35:1 widescreen format, cause the used film stock is exactly the same 35 mm film stock, which actually has an 1,37:1 aspect ratio. And I see no reason why the postproduction of an anamorphic shot film should be more expensive than the non-anamorphic counterpart. But maybe others know more.
And then it seems that TGS was unlike Django intendend for an 1,85:1 aspect ratio, as hard formatted 1,85:1 35 mm copies exist. And newer DVDs are in this aspect ratio, and the trailer on the old DVDS was also in 1,85:1.
In fact it is Techniscope which is cheaper than other formats cause it needs only half of the film stock in the shooting process.
Testi was mentioned by producer Manolo Bolognini in an interview, quoted by Giusti in his book.
The quote:
“Corbucci wanted Mark Damon, fresh from Johnny Oro. I had already suggested Franco Nero, who seemed perfect for the role to me. Maybe the name of Fabio Testi was pushed forward as well … but in the end Corbucci accepted Nero.”
I don’t know how likely it is that he was really considered
(I’ll look into it again tomorrow, i’m having a busy day today)
Yeah, better, but you still imply that it is cheaper. I’m not sure if this is true, especially compared to the very special Techniscope, which was a cheap widescreen process.
But it is a topic I would like to know more about. Many people think that 1,66 or 1,85:1 is cheaper than 2,35:1 for the simple fact that it gives one the feeling of being something less worthy.
Another idea about the costumes. I’m pretty sure that the inspiration for those came from the snow western Day of the Outlaw, which has pretty similar costumes. I would be surprised if Corbucci had never seen that film.
Great work btw. These Wikipedia stuff should about SWs should be done by people who care for the genre.
Are you intending to give Il mercenario a similar treatment.
Btw my IP address is banned on Wikipedia cause it is in a range of banned addresses from people who had trouble with mods. So I can’t make any change without contacting Wiki and beg them to change this. Strange …
I have considered working on The Mercenary’s article, and I have made a couple edits to the infobox and plot summary. For production info, since I own the Koch Media DVD, I can use the interviews on that disc as a starting point and reference.
