There is also a Japanese VHS (available at Cine City) that is complete.
Not seen the movie in a while but does anyone else wonder what this film has to do with homosexuality? Them black dressed guys in this film aren’t gays, only fascists, like Questi actually said himself in a documentary. They rape a man, but that is not necessarily a gay sign. And again, to quote Shobary:
and dress up in these black "gayish" costumes but thats about itAlso fascism, it's all about fascism.
But I saw this in Italian, is it some sort of dubbing question again?
[quote=“Silence, post:122, topic:299”]They rape a man, but that is not necessarily a gay sign.[/quote]LOL! What is then?
NEED!!!
Rape is rarely sexual in motive. It´s a power thing.
One of the most Overrated SW:s!!!
I saw that coming, but to quote BL…
You can almost call this a Pasolini Western!
No, I do not think so. Django kill has more substance in his story, as many other spaghetti westerns. It is a statement against a depraved society. Questi wanted to show what happens when morality is lost. All the characters act according to selfish considerations. There are no charity, helpfulness, or other properties that maintain the society alive. And Milian is not a typical Western figure. He is more like a half-dead person. With the look of Jesus.
Django will kill not sure every fallen, perhaps it should not. Questi originally wanted to make any Western. But the producers he wanted only to fund a Western. So Questi adapted the story in the Western time.
For me, one of the most fascinating movies of the genre.
My rating 9/10.
I just posted my buddy’s review of this to our site. I have to agree with The Stranger, this movie has a lot going on under the surface that works well as a statement on society. I think the film is paced kind of slow, but it is good if you really devote yourself to watching it.
Also, the scene when they dig for the gold bullets in the guy’s body had to be an inspiration to George Romero and his zombie pictures. It’s so similar.
Check out the review.
A well-written review
I also interpreted Milian’s character as a reference to Jesus
Early on in the movie (actually after a few minutes, if I’m not mistaken), there’s an upside-down shot, with Milian rolling over the ground. Because it is upside down, we have the idea he is rolling over (or in) the sky (or falling from heaven)
The black muchachos are probably a reference to Musolini’s black coats, the town a reference to the town of Salo, in the north of Italy (at Lake Garda), the capital of Musolini’s ‘empire in the North’ after he was re-installed by the Germans (the Italians had chased him). This empire in the north is one of the darkest pages in Italian history, a period of depravation and total decay (Pasolini’s movie Salò or the 120 days of Sodom also refers to this period). A film is of course not just a series of references, and usually the interpretatuon of them is not essential, but in this case it we’re dealing with a highly symbolic film
I’m not sure about this (haven’t seen the film in a while), but I guess the Italian title, Se sei vivo, spara! (If you live, shoot!) is a line said by one of the bandits when they arrive in town: they see Milian, a man who must be dead.
I rewatched it today, things didn’t really improve from the last time I saw it: it remains an overrated SW for me. Well, it’s surely Spaghetti for its weirdness, but I have my doubts if we can safely use the term Western for this film.
The plot is very loose with Milian wandering almost aimlessly in the “Unhappy Place” after Lulli is killed, he is not particularly interested in anything after revenge is fulfilled, while I cannot understand one bit of that “I have to finish what I came here to do” kind of thing he’s talking about. I also think it’s one of Milian’s films where he is not over-acting, one of his most restrained and laid-back perfomances.
Also, I now realized how weak the scene with the vampire bats in the jail is, quite trashy actually, it somehow reminded me of those 80’s z-grade commando flicks with those tons of inserted footage…
Finally, for the number of things that happen during the movie I think the 117 min are a bit too much.
Interesting and quite nasty in some parts, but as a whole, it’s not really entertaining and definitely not what I personally expect from action cinema.
I think the film will also be no action cinema.
There will be a statement. It wants to show the failure of the society.
And maybe the movie is more topical than ever. Let us be honest: Are not we living in a certain way in such a society. There are no neighbor, no courage, no humanity, no loyalty. Altogether, there are no values. Values that the society together. And the film was 40 years ago certainly radical. Today he is still too risky. And the trend is in society so on, the film in another 40 years normal. Or we say the states that are represented in this film.
The greed of the people for money. After more and more money.
Values such as sense of family, friendship lost.
And just wanted to express Questi with this film. He wanted to represent his point of view. Maybe he did it with the crowbar. And perhaps in a radical way. That this was a Western, is not important.
And maybe the films of Leone and Corbucci stylistic ambitious. But Questis film is certainly the most challenging film of the genre. And one of the most controversial films of the Italian film industry.
And a action Western is more the work of Castellari. BUM, BUM, BUM, BUM. Undemanding with a lot of noise. Without meaning and story.
This is my opinion about the movie. I apologize for my bad English. But I hope you understand what I wanted. 
Corbucci on the other hand on TGS for example shows the downfall of society and many of the things you describe above but has a good and coherent story to tell as well. Something that makes his movie far more exciting and entertaining that Questi’s film. I don’t have a problem with politically charged films as long as the director can make his statement/comment through something that is at the same time entertaining and not just mere preaching.
Yeah with you on that one, I just hate those “preachers” trying to impose their message through a film without at least any subtlety.
You right, of course. Corbucci also showed this tendencies.
But Corbucci showed more political tendencies.
The dedication at Il Grande Silenzio for Che Guevara, for example.
I think it is different between Corbucci and Questi. Corbucci sympathized with leftist political tendencies in the society of the 60s. (Or he is just jumped on to this wave, to sell its films better 
?).
Questi wanted to practice a more general critique of the development of society.
Of course you’re right, the films of Corbucci are more entertaining. But I think Questis film is fascinating. And I say this as a big fan of Corbucci.
[quote=“The Stranger, post:136, topic:299”]I think it is different between Corbucci and Questi. Corbucci sympathized with leftist political tendencies in the society of the 60s. (Or he is just jumped on to this wave, to sell its films better ?).
Questi wanted to practice a more general critique of the development of society.[/quote]
Either way the social commentary exists in both films. The difference IMO lies in the entertainment factor.
BTW, didn’t mean that Questi is blatantly preaching in his film, but it seems that he somehow missed the point of making an entertaining and exciting action film as well. Or perhaps he did not want to do that in the first place. The result is the same as far as I am concerned though.
Yeah, it is made against the genre. The only SW which is an anti-western (Silenzio is not really an anti-western, even if many might think so).
In interviews Questi made clear what he wants. A western made against the virility of the genre. Hence the bunch of homosexual cowboys.
In fact I’m still surprised that this strange film is so popular amongst genre fans, and really is a Top 20 SW.
Very true. Part of the reason I don’t like it I think. Same goes for McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
Against the virility of the genre ! Interesting point.
I do not think it is less virility than the other films in the genre.
For example, there is no truly dominant woman in the film. Except maybe the wife of the bar owners. But otherwise, many women are again the victims.
And the participation of gay cowboys may also be described as homophobic. For they are the bad guys, not the good guys. Perhaps one criticism of the sexual orientation of the society. And to a false tolerance thinking ?
Then the figure of the Strangers. This person described as reminiscent of Jesus.
Here one might say that Jesus is a symbol of the Catholic Church. And the Stranger looks at the occurrences only. And he sees evil, injustice. But he does not mind. Is this perhaps a description of the occurrences of World War II ?
And the behavior of the Catholic Church. It has also watched only and has not intervened.
And then the end: we see two kids playing a game. The play a deadly game. A possible statement of Questi: Evil breeds up another evil. And the next generation is ready.
Then the whole violence against children. At the beginning of the movie a man used a child as a footstool. In the middle of the movie a child is violently thrown relative to the ground.
Perhaps one criticism of Questi that we must make a better protection to our vulnerable members of society ?
There are so many possible interpretations for this film. And I think that makes the film fascinating.