This is undoubtedly a hybrid but two or three sequences, the beautiful landscapes and the presence of familiar actors such as Franco Nero*, Klaus Kinski, Guido Lollobrigida/Lee Burton and José Manuel Martin are more than enough to give the movie, which I don’t find boring at all but on the contrary rather gripping (if you watch it from beginning to end without interruptions), an unmistakable SW flavour.
A good film, definitely recommended to fans in the mood for something different but of guaranteed quality.
Here Nero is still in its first phase, the one I prefer, without the ironic connotations - in my opinion not too congenial to him - we find in Zapata westerns like The Mercenary, Companeros and Long Live Your Death.
Just viewed this one again. Nero is still a big sucker for romance in this one. Seemed more like a western this time around, even though I know it is not 100% . The fandub of the Surf dvd looked nice in I presume its correct widescreen ratio. The score is a bit to dramatic for my liking.
Really didn’t feel like a true Spaghetti, and in the overall I didn’t like it. The initial idea seemed very good, go back to basics, meaning to the original Carmen novel and not the libretto from Bizet famous opera.
So a real dramatic story with a despaired Jose (Franco Nero) falling in love for Carmen (Tina Aumont), a woman that doesn’t love any man.
The film does have real pedigree, got a good musical score, nice photography work, one of the best Italian screenwriters, the legendary Suso Cecchi d’Amico.
So why I didn’t like it? Nero is OK even if in full method acting style, Tina Aumont was a gorgeous woman, she had that kind of lascivious look that can turn some men head’s upside down, so perfect for the part, not quite she really can’t act. Still there’s gypsy Kinski and Lollobrogida on board.
But the main complaint is that for a film with such a dramatic story it feels to brand, even the ending, there’s a constant bland feeling through the all film, not strange if one considerer that this was from the same director that directed La donna del lago, but there that feeling helped the film but not here.
Also notice some clear David Lean influences, at some point the images and the music brought me back to Lawrence of Arabia go figure.
The English dub didn’t help also.
This film must have had some budget, got some of the best production values I seen in a SW, but then again it wasn’t supposed to be a SW anyway. Of course when you film in Almeria got Franco Nero, Kinski and Lollobrigida, there’s always the risk of selling this as Django film.
In the end I was a bored by it
Apart from the middle part, the western part, it is indeed a bore. Only that I think that Nero is weak and Aumont, the opposite of a femme fatale, is totally miscasted.
Yes I’ve seen much better from Nero,like said just OK, he clears overacts.
About Aumont yes she’s no femme fatale, and as I understand your words, you mean she lacks class for it. I agree she had that slutty look far from a femme fatale, but in my view she’s perfect for the part, lot’s of man would fall for that type. Soldiers of XIX century Spanish Army, could easily fall for a woman like Aumont.
My only complain, is that she really can’t act, she was in the wrong bussiness
“Aumont has not the charisma to play a femme fatale, she looks much too friendly (instead of erotic) to make believe that men lose their reason because of her.”
I really don’t think that she represents anything which can make a man destroy himself. She looks cute, but never dangerous.
Hmm, I can’t remember much acting from Nero. But Kinski did his Kinski thing.
Humm I guess its the inner Portuguese in me coming to that conclusion about Aumont
But yes I see your point, but really depends on the man, I ve seen worst in real live.
I googled Aumont. Nice girl, but like Stanton I don’t see a femme fatale in her; actually I don’t find her very sexy.
The eyes maybe: too big for my liking
Nice girl, but one can find prettier ones in the genre.
Haven’t seen the film, but I’ve got the premonition that I might enjoy it. It’s helmed by gifted Bazzoni who was a somewhat shady persona in the Italian filmmaking industry - his output was not precisely very fruitful. And it’s a pity.
Ok I have to defend the lady, yes she was no femme fatale, and as far as I know wasn’t that far from ending like Karin Shubert did, but you guys have to show me your trash cans, she was no give away, and more than enought for a soldier (soldiers aren’t picky), to go mad.
I think Tina Aumont was good in the movie and suited the role well. She wasn’t supposed to be femme fatale in the style of Greta Garbo, chilly, untouchable, cold-blooded type. She was supposed to be fiery passionate gypsy with street smarts and unsteady heart and she was just that. There are different types of fatal women, they can even be friendly. For example, I think one of the most famous, Rita Hayworth as Gilda, was very friendly.
This obviously only “part time SW” Man, Pride and Vengeance still sounds interesting and was available in Bluray, so I decided to give it a try with an order (even if I/ the Ebay system mistakenly used my Spanish address but I hope my immediate message to the seller within the Ebay system will correct that)
Man, Pride and Vengeance should by definition be a certain dissapointment since since the action does not take place in the American Western nor in Mexico but in Spain with Spanish characters. But several actors, some of the story including the stagecoach robbery and the very spaghetti-western-familiar locations in different parts of Almeria, Guadix and Ronda are arguments for at least in fantasy to consider it as a SW.
For the first half hour I didn’t even surely recognise Franco Nero who was differently styled especially in his hair and the dubbing voice with an non-american accent sounded strange. Could it have been himself dubbing ? - Maybe the interview with Nero on the Bluray will clarify that .
Even if it is considered a true SW I cannot say it was especially good, only fairly entertaining as a story, but of course fine locations including a view over the town Guadix (maybe from a nearby/similar spot/angle as in Navajo Joe).
In that case I would rate it 5 or possibly 6/10 but I think the definition of SW would be too far stretched out if you allow the SW to take place outside USA/Mexico (where I suppose Johnny Hamlet’s action took place). Anyhow, this one is not good enough to reach my Top 40 so it is more of an academic problem for me how I categorize it.
That’s his own voice. I guess you haven’t watched so many of his other westerns, such as The Mercenary, Keoma, Companeros and others because he always dubs his own voice.
Personally I don’t think it is a spaghetti western but I do like the film itself.
. The fandub of the Surf dvd looked nice in I presume its correct widescreen ratio. The score is a bit to dramatic for my liking.
