The film is divine. A masterpiece plain and simple.
I am not exaggerating when I say that after viewing it my perception on so many things (the way I carry myself, the way I look at films, my appreciation for nature, etc.) had been altered.
It’s got a good reputation in the film community, but I still see it as being unsung to some degree. Deserves a lot more respect and attention than it currently has.
Like Sebastian said, too bad about the lost footage! This was a scene that would have been interesting to see!
I have the earlier dvd-release of this film, where the few extra scenes were separate from the main film.
This shorter version was the original international release of GBU and some people say this is the better version, the new scenes don’t add anything, just makes the film longer.
Furthermore I’ve heard that the gunshots on the new dvd have been altered to sound more “modern”, is this true?
I have yet not bought the new one, even though it’s been around for some time, but this doesn’t seem positive!
As a kid, I hated westerns. There, I’ve said it. But before the moderator bans me from the site, let me explain myself. Having been subjected to various John Wayne movies and Bonanza every Sunday afternoon, I was completely uninspired by the old west and it’s portrayal onscreen. However, one night I was at home with my dad, my mum had gone out for the evening; my dad told me that I could either stay up and watch the film he was about to watch, or I could go to bed. Being a precocious 10 year old, I opted to watch the film – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. What started as an exercise in staying awake, so lead to my complete surrender to the film’s charm – it was captivating right from the get-go and by the time it was finished, I was a lover of westerns.
Not only did The Good, The Bad & The Ugly introduce me to the spaghetti western, it marked my first viewing of an Italian genre flick. Respect.
I actually still haven’t seen the restored version of this film, only the original international release, but opinions seem to differ about the new scenes. Some say great, others say not all scenes add something valuable.
However this was the longest and most epic spaghettiwestern ever made even in it’s original release, and sometimes less is more you know.
I think even the version I’m familiar with can at times seem slightly overlong.
Well, this is still a masterpiece and a perfect blend of most sw themes, coupled with Leones wonderful humour.
I think the introductions of the three main characters are extremely enjoyable. Then the crossing through the desert, very atmospheric. Tuco meeting his brother after many years, a bit sad.
All this perfectly handled by Leone.
But the scenes at Betterville camp, and the beating up of Tuco, don’t work quite as good in my opinion. Neither the shootout at the abandoned town with Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes gang.
Theses scenes could perhaps have been trimmed or slightly altered.
The scenes by the bridge are good showing the waste of war, but it all ends a little abruptly after the bridge is blown up I think. Maybe a scene showing the soldiers leaving in some way would have been appropriate?
The finale in the graveyard is absolutely fantastic, everything perfect!
Final thoughts; Leones best film and one of the best spaghettis ever made, but not completely flawless. Still the most representative example of this genre.
Silvianto, you should run to the store to buy the restored version. The scene with the civil war battle over the bridge is longer and far superior in this version in my opinion.
Also this version looks so much better than the original DVD.
As far as the sound goes I do agree there. I wish they would have left the original mono soundtrack as an option. Some people enjoy 5.1, but to me it doesn’t make sense for a film like this. Was there even a 5 channel original recording of the score available? And having dialogue move around in space is just a gimmick and not part of Leone’s original vision or intent in any way.
I think the scene you mentioned (Tuco’s conversation with his brother the priest) is one of the central scenes in the film. This is where Tuco clearly becomes the central character of the film, and becomes the most sympathetic character of the film.
Also it’s very interesting that what is probably the most beloved western of all time (highest ranked western on IMDB) is such a strong anti-war movie and so critical of capitalistic individualism and the way it is mythologized/romanticized in the USA.
Leone’s masterpiece, in my opinion. He manages to turn out an epic film which is exciting and fun from beginning to end; with well controlled humor, exciting action, indepth focus on the pivitol character, great music and cinematography, AND included personal social observations and criticism. GREAT ART!
Follow-up: Leone is a master artist at top form in GBU. Nothing is arbitrarily included in the movie. Everything has a purpose to propel the plot or to support his themes. And of course one of the over-ridding things Leone does in this film is to turn typical American western conventions upside down.
One thing to consider is why is Tuco Mexican? It’s not an accident.
Just a thought on the extra scenes in the special edition. I think their inclusion makes the 3 central characters seem a little less super human, if that’s the right phrase? Now we can see how they track each other down and where they get their henchmen from etc. In the old, cut version they seemed almost phsychic, able to read each others moves before they happened. I thought the way Tuco just turned up at Blondies hotel, Angel Eyes just happened to be in the POW camp and so on gave the film a charming quirkiness that is somewhat missing from the SE. Having said that, the SE is a great improvement, just sadly missing the mono track.
Cian, very interesting to read your feeling on this. For me it made the film even better as I could see there were no continuity gaps, that Leone had thought everything out in meticulous detail and hadn’t just stuck everyone together where the plot called for it.
Your point is very well taken — your preference for the mysteriousness of the official edit. A matter of personal preference.
If I had been the one to make the SE DVD I would have made a menu option to watch the restored print with or without the additional scenes included, thus satisfying everyones preference. Too bad they didn’t do that.
THE EXTRAS: What do you think of the extras? Like a lot of DVD extras none of them really did much for me. The exception is the one about the restoration of the print and TechniScope film. I’d never seen a frame of unprojected TechniScope film before, and the way it’s visually compressed when filmed and then expanded when projected was really interesting to see.
…