Although Balducci sounds like he should be Italian, he is in fact French - as is this film. So, as a Eurowestern maybe it shouldn’t be tucked up here. But, whether or not there is any Italian connection regarding its production, it is a Spaghetti Western in ethos - if not so in geographical terms. And it is in Weisser’s book - although he doesn’t even attempt to ‘make up’ a synopsis of “this seldom seen French production”. And it is a lot closer to Italy than South Africa … and a review of 3 Bullets for a Long Gun also resides (quite rightly imo) within these hallowed walls.
And it’s got Lorenzo Robledo in it for Phil.
And it’s got a catfight for RF
so …
As usual - WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS (and nudity … so go on then …)
Dust or Lust … it’s got 'em both!
The opening scene is of a poor fellah, tied to a tree, being whipped by a gang - and then being dragged to his death through the aforementioned (Almerian) dust.
Feeling good about this bit of nastiness, we then witness a gratuitous rape of a peasant girl amongst the cactii - and that’s gotta be nasty - as well as reckless. This is not turning out to be a pretty film - and is thankfully as far removed from the seventies silliness that permeated the genre, as it is possible to get.
As I mentioned though, this is a sw in ethos - it just has extra stuff as well …
… lots of nudity as the French and the seventies dictated
… and some arty slo-mo ‘dance of death’ stuff at the end - which is rather effective.
Other than that it’s just yer average sw revenge, fucked up family stuff we’d expect …
that is - if you expect this sort of scenario …
Our main protagonist is an extremely handsome, cross-wearing blue eyed blonde hippyish-looking youth called Hawk (Daniel Beretta), who we are to believe is innocently ‘simple’ and who chooses not to speak, and so is effectively mute throughout the film. However he does choose to be in an incestuous relationship with his mother :o! That is made relatively obvious, but is also refererred to again when the 2 catfighting saloon gals bitch at each other - one referring to the other as being the ‘age he prefers’.
He is also pretty damn handy with a gun - and there’s some fine gunplay to be had eventually!
It seems everybody quite fancies the young blonde boy’s looks and wants a go on him, but none more so than the beautiful blonde daughter of the sheriff. Maria (Karin Miere) makes her love for him quite obvious, particularly in a (marvellous) nude bathing scene - but our fellah’s having none of it … (yet), and chooses instead to dump her, completely naked, back in town. This 'treat 'em mean - keep ‘em keen’ attitude only makes her (and my) heart beat faster … so maybe not one for the feminists, eh?
To cut a long story short, the dead fellah was his dad and the murderer was his uncle (who now wants to marry his mum) - and with the accidental death of the sheriff (at Hawk’s hand), Maria’s gunslinger brother arrives to settle the score with Hawk - but she’s not gonna be happy about that now she and Hawk have finally swapped some juices. Fucked up families or what!!?
Great!!
You just know that it ain’t gonna end up with everybody gathered around the family dinner table having a laugh.
Oh yeah Phil - I’m not sure what killed Lorenzo this time - whether it was the bullet in the guts, the fact that he was a walking fireball, or that he drowned in the horse trough - take yer pick really! 
So, all in all - a highly entertaining flick, with copious amounts of that nasty nihalistic stuff and naughtiness.
Imdb reckons that there could be a Hamlet type link - regarding a play within it that is changed by the actors to ‘expose’ some villainy. And in spaghetti-terms, it even has an equivalent barroom brawl - during the play.
Anyway, I wouldn’t know a Hamlet if it bit my bum, but all that family wonkiness does seem Shakesperean I suppose?
Anybody else for this?
[Oh yeah - edit … an’ Francis Lai did the soundtrack - certainly sounded like him in bits - effective as well.]
