As The Great Silence has many negative elements to it, the negative ending compliments the film 100%.
I love the Morricone soundtrack, just wow!
??? Well all these âunhappy endingsâ in SWs and GIALLOs are enough to procure
and induce fits of urban depression and possibly a rise in the suicide rate :o
Call me also a CLASSIC FAN but I would prefer a happy ending to a great SW anyday.
It is not always possible I know but after watching 1hr 30 m of great acting/directing
music/camera close ups you want to feel good and happy (And I DO NOT mean drugs or
Loud âmusicâ !1 ??? :
;D I mean a good heroic just resolution in the film !![move][img
Hey everybody, just registered and thought Iâd join in!
I voted 5 just because itâs as good a spaghetti as any other out there⌠I always laugh when I see the alternate happy ending, itâs just too good. ;D I guess Frank Wolff was able to swim his way out of the frozen lake. But the best is in the trailer, when Silence talks! Good stuff. That Corbucci knew what he was doing.
[quote=âThe Dutchman, post:104, topic:122â] Hey everybody, just registered and thought Iâd join in!
I voted 5 just because itâs as good a spaghetti as any other out there⌠I always laugh when I see the alternate happy ending, itâs just too good. ;D I guess Frank Wolff was able to swim his way out of the frozen lake. But the best is in the trailer, when Silence talks! Good stuff. That Corbucci knew what he was doing. :)[/quote]
I wonder what would he say if the ending was dubbed? "April fools! i am not muteâ ;D
[quote=âalk0, post:105, topic:122â]I wonder what would he say if the ending was dubbed? "April fools! i am not muteâ ;D[/quote]Or maybe heâs just trying to pick up Vonetta McGee on shooting break. Too late, Kinski was banging her already. 
Dir: Sergio Corbucci â Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Frank Wolff, Vonetta Mc Gee, Luigi Pistilli, Carlo dâAngelo, Marisa Merlini, Mario Brega, Raf Baldassare, Spartaco Conversi â Music: Ennio Morricone
<< SPOILER WARNING : I try to avoid as much as possible to give away a filmâs outcome, but itâs impossible to write sensibly about this movie without discussing its ending. So if you havenât seen The Great Silence yet, buy or order it still today and return to this review later â Scherpschutter >>
The Great Silence, Corbucciâs 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 Corbucciâs 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 âclean upâ 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
Iâm speechless.
I also agree that Trintignant was much better for this particular film than Nero would have been!
Outstanding review Scherp. Obviously a film you have strong feelings for.
You keep upping the ante with each review you write. Fantastic.
Not only is this one my fav Kinski movies, but it is in my Top 10 SWâs.
Excellent movie.
Bravo, scherp! This is probably the best review of TGS Iâve read.
Top notch review, amigo sherp!
Youâve brought some brilliant points to light.
I am especially glad to see you mention DAY OF THE OUTLAW and BLOOD ON THE MOON!! I have always felt that both of these films had a influence on Corbucciâs classicâwhether consciously or subconsciously. And speaking of Mitchum, another film that he starred in called, TRACK OF THE CAT, has some snow sequences in it that really remind me of THE GREAT SILENCE, as well.
Great stuff, sherp!
And, of course, THE GREAT SILENCE is a great film!!
I have to agree, Scherp, your best so far.
Where I have to disagree is Frank Wolff. More precise the role of Frank Wolff.
This is the one thing I never liked on this otherwise marvellous film. The Sheriffâs character is conceived as a clown, a caricature, Wolff plays a guy who acts like he has seen too many western films (or read too many western novels), but he shouldnâd be a clown, he should be a tragic figure, and to be such he should have been conceived as a real character, not a joke.
The Sheriff is the only one who believes in the law as it was meant to be, and except for his killing, all the murders in this film are covered by the written law, which original meaning is perverted here by a corrupt law, which makes average citizens to criminals to get their estate, and pays the bounty hunters to get rid of them.
So every murder by the bounty hunters is justified by the law, as are the self defense killings by Silence, who is so fast that he can afford himself to draw second (after provoking his prey).
As a result we have a bleak situation of general murder within the law.
But the role of Frank Wolff works against the bleakness, against the darkness, against the black humour.
Up to this day, I wasnât able to adjust this role to the rest of The Great Silence.
Thatâs also the reason why I prefer The Mercenary for a tiny, tiny bit.
[quote=âstanton, post:116, topic:122â]Where I have to disagree is Frank Wolff. More precise the role of Frank Wolff.
This is the one thing I never liked on this otherwise marvellous film. The Sheriffâs character is conceived as a clown, a caricature, Wolff plays a guy who acts like he has seen too many western films (or read too many western novels), but he shouldnâd be a clown, he should be a tragic figure, and to be such he should have been conceived as a real character, not a joke.[/quote]
100% agree with this Stanton.
It is the one thing about this film which I felt was below par and a real opportunity missed. Not just to use Wolff better but also to use his character more meaningfully.
Having said that, the film is still my favourite Corbucci without a doubt.
I would say Wolffâs character was made to be like that for the same reason Silence was portrayed as a kind of an idealist. The both were doomed from the beginning because in the grim world of âThe gerat silenceâ there so place for idealists and easy-going people who believe in traditional justice. I see Wolff character and his demise as a part of Corbucciâs deconstruction of a traditional western. He was a funny-sidekick type of character lifted from an American western, so i guess Corbucciâs telling us: âin the wild west such people wouldnât last, see for yourselfâ 
Yes, yes, an idealist, a tragic one, but the funny sidekick portrayal is the problem, an aesthetic problem for me.
(Btw, I mostly donât like funny sidekicks in any films)
[quote=âstanton, post:116, topic:122â]Where I have to disagree is Frank Wolff. More precise the role of Frank Wolff.
This is the one thing I never liked on this otherwise marvellous film. The Sheriffâs character is conceived as a clown, a caricature, Wolff plays a guy who acts like he has seen too many western films (or read too many western novels), but he shouldnâd be a clown, he should be a tragic figure, and to be such he should have been conceived as a real character, not a joke.[/quote]
I see your point, but (as you might expect) I donât agree with it
To me Wolffâs character was tragic: if he was a clown, he was a tragic clown
I donât know if he was meant to be really funny, but he sure was meant to give some relief to the otherwise very, very down-beat movie. For me this worked, but can understand it didnât for others.
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