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The Deserter - La Spina Dorsale del Diavolo
Couldn’t find a thread of this movie, so created one
Here’s the film’s page: Spina dorsale del diavolo, La - The Spaghetti Western Database
And here’s the film’s Review:
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/The_Deserter_Review
I have a question myself:
Read note 3 of the review
Is there anyone who has more info on the different versions mentioned in this footnote?
Ha ha we are not even sure how his real name is:
Niksa Fulgozi? (Data base ; Bruckner book)
Niska Fulgosi? (Scherp ; Giusti)
No idea what he might have done. Maybe just another credit for co-production’s sake.
[quote=“Stanton, post:3, topic:2241”]Ha ha we are not even sure how his real name is:
Niksa Fulgozi? (Data base ; Bruckner book)
Niska Fulgosi? (Scherp ; Giusti)
No idea what he might have done. Maybe just another credit for co-production’s sake.[/quote]
We have someone from Serbia here, he’ll probably tell us what the exact spelling of the name is
I have no idea, but I guess only one of the two is a common name in Serbia
I’d put my money on Niska, sounds more likely, but I don’t know why
I watched this one on VHS so that was already a big problem. But I still didn’t enjoy myself. I thought that Fehmiu was way too wooden. Even Bronson would atleast change his voice around. It seems Fehmiu has the same monotone voice throughout the entire picture. I also thought a large amount of the cast was wasted. Especially Connor’s and Strode who doesn’t even make it till the end of the movie. I found it boring and irresponsible.
Haven’t watched this one in some years but I don’t have fond memories of it.
I’d say it might be down to the fullscreen vhs copy I have of the film but, in truth, everything I saw back then was on fullscreen vhs so that excuse won’t work. Perhaps I should give it another try. There have been other films which have improved for me over the years.
Yes, the film has a great cast, and somehow wastes this great cast a bit. At least not too much is done with all these actors.
Here I agree with Korano, but I also thought that Fehmiu was effective in the lead. The difference between charismatic underplaying and wooden acting.
[quote=“scherpschutter, post:4, topic:2241”]We have someone from Serbia here, he’ll probably tell us what the exact spelling of the name is
I have no idea, but I guess only one of the two is a common name in Serbia
I’d put my money on Niska, sounds more likely, but I don’t know why[/quote]
Checked another source. It’s Niksa Fulgosi or Fulgozi. There weren’t any other credits for whoeverheisorwas.
Been looking around a little too. Funny man. A sort cinematographic equivalent of the One Hit Wonder
Maybe just a name they made up for legal reasons, maybe just to get permission to shoot scenes in former Yugoslavia
I just can’t imagine he did some directional work. Kennedy wasn’t John Ford, but he was a respected name and having him on the set, De laurentiis or the American actors wouldn’t have ever accepted a totally unknown person as a director. I just don’t think there ever was a man called Riksa Fulwhatever
I remember reading a book based on Burt Kennedy’s film diary type things. He talked a good amount about the making of The Deserter but never mentioned this guy. Most probably legal shit. Same with China 9, Liberty 37
the trailer promises a lot but the only action scene wan at the very end of the film
So I suppose it’s a TT : total tr… ?
trash no…
6/10
I’am impressed 
.
one or two times to see it
nothing more
[quote=“scherpschutter, post:9, topic:2241”]Been looking around a little too. Funny man. A sort cinematographic equivalent of the One Hit Wonder
Maybe just a name they made up for legal reasons, maybe just to get permission to shoot scenes in former Yugoslavia
I just can’t imagine he did some directional work. Kennedy wasn’t John Ford, but he was a respected name and having him on the set, De laurentiis or the American actors wouldn’t have ever accepted a totally unknown person as a director. I just don’t think there ever was a man called Riksa Fulwhatever[/quote]i am from bosnia, bosnia was part of ex-yugoslavia. niksa is common name in these parts (bosnia, serbia, croatia), niksa = first name, or nikšić = last name, with nickname nikša or nikše.
nikša fulgozi was involved in creating come comic books in '50s, but couldn’t find out much more about him. this is his imdb page
fulgosi/fulgozi sounds more italian to me, it is not surname from these parts, but if it is his real surname, his parents must be frome somewhere else, he was born in croatia though…
greatest spaghetti star from these parts of ex-yugoslavia is anthony ghidra/guidra (real name dragomir bojanić “gidra”). really great actor, one of the best.
[quote=“The_Stranger, post:16, topic:2241”]i am from bosnia, bosnia was part of ex-yugoslavia. niksa is common name in these parts (bosnia, serbia, croatia), niksa = first name, or nikšić = last name, with nickname nikša or nikše.
nikša fulgozi was involved in creating come comic books in '50s, but couldn’t find out much more about him. this is his imdb page
fulgosi/fulgozi sounds more italian to me, it is not surname from these parts, but if it is his real surname, his parents must be frome somewhere else, he was born in croatia though…
greatest spaghetti star from these parts of ex-yugoslavia is anthony ghidra/guidra (real name dragomir bojanić “gidra”). really great actor, one of the best.[/quote]
Thanks very much for this info
And yes, we all love Ghidra here, wonderful face, wonderful guy
I quite liked this one although I found the storyline a bit over the top. Must have the most prolonged training sequence I’ve ever seen in a western - a good contender for a Rocky film. People trying to cut cactuses in one blow, tomahawk fighting, ridge climbing and other cool stuff. There also a dog following our special force throughout their whole mission to exterminate some apaches at the mexican border. Very impressive scene the one where Chuck Connors blows the rocks in the end. Entertaining to say the least.
I have just finished watching this film. So my take on it is as fololws. It seems to me that the yanks just came over to show the italians how to make a western, to improve on the italian style but I think all they did was make an american western in europe. There are too many yank actors in it, the story is very american (dirty dozen etc). Having said that it is not a bad film and is entertaining enough. The only thing that spoils it is the bad print. A good print and this could be a good film, but not a spag west by any means. Is is the roughness of the spad wests that makes them fun, and the sets and the music and the. Well is you are a fan of spag wests you know what i mean.
A hard-boiled bas-ass-movie that transfers the successful dirty dozen scheme of WW II movies on spaghetti western. Whereas in the dirty dozen movies the Nazis regularly deserve to be killed by the allied suicide squad (even if these consist of a gang of cutthroats) the merciless and indiscriminate elimination of the Indians as exerted in this flic, is more than dubious. Especially surprising for a flic produced in the late 60ies where even Hollywood changed its attitude towards the Indians as suppressed American natives. Nevertheless, besides this problematic “message” the movie is at least entertaining to watch.