Dir: Sergio Corbucci – Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Frank Wolff, Vonetta Mc Gee, Luigi Pistilli, Carlo d’Angelo, Marisa Merlini, Mario Brega, Raf Baldassare, Spartaco Conversi – Music: Ennio Morricone
<< SPOILER WARNING : I try to avoid as much as possible to give away a film’s outcome, but it’s impossible to write sensibly about this movie without discussing its ending. So if you haven’t seen The Great Silence yet, buy or order it still today and return to this review later – Scherpschutter >>
The Great Silence, Corbucci’s masterpiece and today recognized as one of the best westerns ever made, was also his greatest deception. The film was denied a US release and did not particularly well at home, frustrating Corbucci’s sneaking desire to outshine Leone.
During a cold Utah winter near the end of the 19th century, outlaws have to leave their hiding place in the mountains and descend into the valley for food. The town of Snow Hill has become a muster place for bounty hunters, who simply waylay for the outlaws to slaughter them and collect the bounty. The leader of the bounty hunters, Tigrero (called Loco in the English version), has joined hands with corrupt banker, and justice of peace of the region, Pollycot, who wants to ‘clean up’ the valley. The only one who dares to oppose them, is a mysterious mute gunslinger called Silence, who always draws second, but shoots first.
To read the rest of the review, go to:
http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/The_Great_Silence_Review