I know my opinion is unpopular but I think itâs all the same guy. Poncho, gun, gauntlet, and all.
Itâs not a case of being popular, or unpopular, opinions are goodâŚthey mark a person out as being an individual.
As for whether the character is essentially the same in all three filmsâŚto each his ownâŚ
That makes two of us (three, counting @Jukin). I like to think of the dollar trilogy as a saga, or a tale, starting with GBU and ending with Fistful, the protagonist getting rich, then richer, then ending up emptyhanded.
It certainly wasnât intended that way at the outset, but it may well have ended up that way at the end. I think Leone was someone who always liked to suggest things, but never make them explicit. That was one of his (and his screenwritersâ) talents. For example, is Harmonica a ghost? Probably not, but the idea is put in our heads nonetheless. Did Noodles dream everything? Probably not, but the idea is again put in our heads nonetheless⌠Should people logically accept that a character who just popped up out of the edge of the screen wasnât there all along (a la Kurosawa)? Probably not, but we do anyway.
Looks good. Still waiting patiently for an English dubbed version of the Italian cut though 
Make that four. I firmly believe Leone was far too smart to have an identical character in all three films and expect people to not believe they were the same guy. I know the US market dubbed him TMWNN but I think by the time GBU rolled around it was clear in his head they were part of the same saga, or at the very least the same cinematic universe.
I see still no reason for that. And Leone never said something like that in the interviews I have read. I even canât remember that anywhere in the books someone assumed that.
And Eastwood is not the first western actor wearing the same clothes in several films, any basically playing the same character in not connected movies.
If Leone wanted him to be the same he could have named him Joe in all 3 films, but he didnât.
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Welcome back, Stanton.
I was always here.
But Iâm not the only one repeating himself from time to time.
I was placing bets with myself as to which topic youâd pop up on first.
Anyway Iâm glad youâre here, because Iâm working on a new top 20. Exciting times.
Youâve always been the caretakerâŚ
Ultimately I agree with Toscano and Novecento, itâs each to his own and probably on Leoneâs part deliberately ambiguous. For me personally though I see it as the same saga, with the ambiguity just heightening the enigmatic nature of Clintâs character. Didnât Frayling say something on one of the DVDâs that when Leone made the ending of GBU âeven heâs asking himself whether theyâre the same character or notâ or words to that effect? Could be wrong though, havenât watched those documentaries for years.
Maybe I donât understand what you meant. You really meant I was away? No, canât be, because I wasnât away. Wasnât I?
You had only posted twice in the last eleven days prior to today, and not at all in five days (although Iâve no doubt you were visiting the site regularly). Maybe he means that.
Yep! The forum felt rather, Stantonless the last few days, thatâs what I meant.
[quote=âstanton, post:450, topic:307â]
But Iâm not the only one repeating himself from time to time.[/quote]
See now this part was indecipherable to me 
[quote=âDean, post:455, topic:307, full:trueâ]
I thought you gave a comment to my reply, which was a variation of things I already had posted.
At least you miss me ;), others hope I never post again. 
But actually I donât have much time at the moment, and then, the forum is at the moment less exciting than it once was.
I agree, not sure why though.
I give the forum 18.75 out of 20. It is exceptional and cult!!
(shameless in-joke for older members)
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I donât want to curtail your discussion on women in spaghetti westerns, gentlemen - itâs an interesting topic in and of itself - and Iâm all for the conversation organically taking a brief sojourn or two from the thread topic, but we havenât had a post on this thread relating directly to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in two weeks, twenty-odd posts ago. More than happy for you to continue your discussion as I said but, unless weâre bringing it back to TGtB&tU, Iâd be grateful if you could do so on the dedicated thread HERE (and Iâm happy to fold these last few posts into that thread if youâd like?).
Thanks guys.
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The only major female character in this is Maria, and she only has a tiny role in the film.