Well, they had a chance to do another one together, but Clint turned it down.
I watched this film Friday night, immediately following A Fistful Of Dollars. Today I’m finishing with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
It’s interesting to me to see how Leone improved his craft with each film, culminating with Once Upon A Time In The West. But For A Few Dollars More is obviously a great film, just not quite at the level as the later two.
I’m thrilled Leone is finally getting the respect he’s always deserved!
“I rewatch it now and a I got a question,something puzzle me.In the middle of the movie when Clint Eastwood arrive in the Mexican band after he set free another bandido,then Gian Maria Volonté explain his plan and Eastwood said he prefere going to sleep before a gunfight.At this time the music stop suddenly and for few seconds a black screen appear and the movie restart when Eastwood is with three members of the gang.The version i saw is the french realese of the movie,so my question is there a cut? and is there other versions of FFDM like GBU many versions?”
The scene you are talking about above is the now long-forgotten Italian “Intermission”. Back in the 1960s, even short films had intermissions where the audience could take a pee break or go get some popcorn or candy. In the original release version of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, Eastwood says “If there’s gonna be any shooting, I’m gonna need my sleep.” The theme came up, the screen faded to black, the music continued and the curtain closed for ten minutes or so. Then when everyone came back, the curtain opened again and it was the next morning.
Fistful of Dollars has the same mid-way intermission when Eastwood receives the money from the Baxter woman, pockets it and says, “Yeah, and that’s not gonna break my heart.” The main theme rises and the screen goes to black very quickly. The curtain was meant to close for a short time, then re-open on the shot of the mission bell ringing.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY also had an intermission as well. It came after Blondie and Tuco left the mission and Eastwood hands Wallach a cigar. Tuco smiles, spurs on the horses and the main theme comes up full bore. The curtain was meant to close over the long shot of the wagon traveling furiously left to right across the vast plain.
When the curtain re-opened, they were farther down the road, going much slower, just before meeting up with the Yankees.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST also had an intermission. Take a stab at where it came.
[quote=“Yodlaf Peterson, post:26, topic:327”]Once upon a time in the west
The good the bad and the ugly
For a few dollars more[/quote]
well so for a few dollars more is your third and fourth most favored leone??? I also like once upon a time in the west better than GBU!
[quote=“Sean Mallory, post:32, topic:327”]Did anyone notice where Indio gets shot? I think his neck, but it’s not clear…[/quote]to me it looks like somewhere in his chest.
I think it’s his chest too. I have a lobby set that has one still of Indio firing at Mortimer, then one of him dead while Mortimer gets his watch back, and a third when he is on the wagon on top of the other bodies. You see both sides of his neck via these pix and he doesn’t seem to have any marks there…
I gave it a 5. It’s actually my favourite of the three, mainly because of the depth of the characters of Mortimer and Indio. Van Cleef’s villain in TGTBATU is great but not as interesting…
[quote=“Silver, post:37, topic:327”]I gave it a 5. It’s actually my favourite of the three, mainly because of the depth of the characters of Mortimer and Indio. Van Cleef’s villain in TGTBATU is great but not as interesting…[/quote] Not as prominent either. But I like Van Cleef better when he’s more villainous. He was just too sympathetic a guy in this one. This would have really been kicks if he had played Volonte’s part.
I’m with Ennioo and Silver on this one. I love all of the dollars films but For a Few Dollars More is my favourite. For me it hits the right balance of pace, characterisation and length while still containing all of the great Leone visuals. Plus, if I was pushed into choosing a favourite Morricone score this one would probably win too.
