That is true
4 Likes
Watched this again the other night. Itās not without flawsā¦ I canāt get my head around the wigs, the silly dancing and Carole AndrĆ©ās character (please just get rid!). Sollima failed to exploit the landscapes, which is disappointing. You canāt say that this is an exceptionally beautiful film any means but perhaps itās deliberate. This is a character-driven film more than anything and thereās something about it that keeps you hooked. Every time I watch it, thereās a feeling of suspicion. I think to myself, āIs this a case of the emperorās new clothes?ā I have referred to it as āone of the best spaghetti westerns ever madeā and I canāt say my sentiments have changed. Despite trying to second guess myself, once the film comes to an end, I know Iāve experienced something. I canāt quite pinpoint what it is but the film manages to leave a deep impression. Itās simplistic but undoubtedly effective.
3 Likes
The SW elements in this film is what saves it, the plot is not very interesting to be honest, and also not very spaghetti-esque.
Furthermore, Gian Maria Volonte is much better as Mexican bandits in other SWs than he is as a pacifist professor in this film.
FTF is relatively well made but there is no brilliance in Sollimasās films, as Stanton also says.
1 Like
With āFace to Faceā, itās just one of those things you either get or you donāt ā¦ Maybe an acquired taste, definitely one that for me improved with repeat viewings ā¦ I disagree strongly with the last two comments - It certainly does have moments of brilliance which raises it higher than most in the genre ā¦ and to say the director didnāt exploit or use the landscape to full advantage is insanity!
Every outdoor sequence is stunning, from the āTierra del Fuegoā hideout in the hills to the quiet cool forest where Brad and Beau discover their ideological differences. Itās a beautiful looking film, which for once doesnāt jar when it cuts from Spanish exteriors to Italian studio scenes ā¦ so, it must have been filmed throughout in blistering summer sun.
I would actually struggle to find anything in the film that I can find fault with ā¦ Itās a lot more than just the above average Sw ā¦ itās got an epic and poetic vibe too.
in a word, Ethereal.
5 Likes
The outdoor scenes are fine. As well as the hideout with the old frontiers people who didnāt like the coming of civilization.
But the whole changing of personality stuff is odd for a SW.
The film is well made of course, but more in a conventional way. It doesnāt have the brilliant directing that Leone and Corbucci were capable of.
The landscapes donāt stand out to me the way they did in The Big Gundown and thatās the film Iām comparing it against.
Face to Face isnāt entirely flawless. It has its moments of silliness. I mean, look at this:
But I donāt think its flaws are enough to drag it down. It certainly is one of the best examples of the genre.
Yes, it is mainly a psychological western in its core which is sort of unusual for a SW and it does little bit of this and little bit of that, nothing of it is bad but also nothing really standout.
There are few other SWs with strong psychological side. A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die is imo the best of them. And then there is El Puro ofc. 
Im not sure how I feel about it overall but I think the last part really builds up a head of steam, helped by the music.
Milianās final outburst, to me, is one of the best moments in spaghetti westerns. It seems silly but its one of those moments that stays with me in everyday life.
1 Like
Firstly I really enjoyed Face to Face which I watched on Saturday night I had tried to watch it back a month or so ago but the sound was dreadful so I got the DVD in. Different league.
I didnāt know anything about this one before seeing it. First of all I greatly enjoyed it. It gets better as the movie goes on. The first scene is great with Volonte as the lecturer with the students frames Volonte against how he will develop and change. The students must decide against just and unjust, truth and untruth. The dean wishes him luck and points out that he lacked ambition. Maybe Bradās lack of ambition was from him never finding something that he was passionate about. Great shot of him with a stained glass window behind him - always a winner in spaghetti westerns. I liked Brad Fletcher with his photo of his colleague - I expected this might appear somewhere in the plot but Brad goes in another direction. Great opening credits and soundtrack.
I liked when Beauregard goes to the town with the wealthy bald businessman hiring him to wipe out his rivals. )Is this bald guy supposed to be an allegory for Mussolini?) The two wealthy capitalists watch from the balcony.
Siringo is a good character as well. Volonte steals the show here. I like the southern ranch and the very pleased with himself owner who is part of the gang. The desert scenes are mighty too.
A couple of criticisms are valid. Brad is musing about the outcast society and praising how they are living with true freedom. A scene later he is boxing the head off Maria and about to sexually assault her. There may have been scenes cut? He takes on the massive guy in a fist fight and ends up relying on his opportunism. The scene where he duels with Beauregard may be fatal for him as he shows he is willing to shoot his friend.
Itās a great movie - a high 4 stars - great story and acting. Great character changes. Great ending. Uplifting. Just the couple of bits that may have been cut stop it from getting top marks. Well done to all concerned.
7 Likes
What is the quality of the German DVD release for this movie like? Is it still 1080p despite being a DVD? Since the limited edition bluray version is no longer available.
The Blu-ray is an upscale of the DVD.
so they are both from a 480p/sub 480p source?
Iām not sure but it didnāt look significantly different to me.
I feel the same way. 4/5 from me, as well
I was under the assumption it uses the same master as the French and US BluRay?
is it a clear HD version of the film tho? I just donāt want to buy a copy that isnāt genuinely of good high res qualityā¦
well the parts from the longer cut that are integrated are upscales for sure, but otherwise to my knowledge it is an OK hd transfer
1 Like
is the bluray and the dvd versions roughly the same quality? Or is the bluray version much better?
well of course the bluray is better, itās bluray ;D
yeah but you can still technically burn a 1080p movie to a DVDā¦ itās just extremely uncommon because it would work as storage only and is incredibly unpracticalā¦ but the only bluray version available atm costs like 400 euro lol