The Hellbenders / I crudeli (Sergio Corbucci, 1967)

ENNIOO · April 3, 2009, 1:20am

Reminds me must get round to viewing Citizen Kane soon.

I_I_Idiot · April 3, 2009, 1:23am

Hope I didn’t ruin the end for you

ENNIOO · April 3, 2009, 1:28am

No not at all .

The_Stranger · May 23, 2010, 12:45pm

I saw the movie yesterday for the first time (in German television).
I was very disappointed.
OK, the end is typical Corbucci.
But otherwise? It seems very American.
He looks a little like the movie The Tramplers. No wonder, with a producer Albert Band.
But it is not what had made me a fan of Corbucci.
Far away from his masterpieces Django, Il Grande Silencio and Mercenario.
But the music of Ennio Morricone and camera work by Barboni is good. For me too well for the movie.

cochino · October 10, 2011, 1:49am

I find it funny that many people complain about a badly written script that made no sense on this one, when it’s more solid than most SW ones. Seriously, as much as I love SWs, they’re not exactly known for making a lot of sense most of the time and tight writing.
What I liked the most are also the things I read complains about. The acting, the plot, the suspense, the twists, all this is what makes it a very good one and certainly different not only from other Corbucci films but from most SWs all together. I don’t think it’s a top 20 for me, but still pretty good.

I_love_you_M_E_Kay · October 10, 2011, 2:25am

Yeah, it’s a great film. My only real complaint is Joseph Cotton’s performance, he was better in The Tramplers which is only a half-way decent movie. Too bad he gave his best SW performance (ok, so I haven’t seen White Comanche) in the lesser Band Southern family drama.

cochino · October 10, 2011, 3:35am

I thought he was just fine. I liked Norma Bengell’s acting the best though, it was nice to see a strong female character in a SW. Females usually feel out of place in SWs and introduced just for being the romantic element on the movie, but I thought her character here was pretty good.

I_love_you_M_E_Kay · October 10, 2011, 12:58pm

I agree with you on Norma Bengell, she stole that movie! Check out her other SW, Fedra West, if you haven’t already, I thought it was pretty damn good.

Mickey13 · October 23, 2011, 2:43pm

A nice movie by Corbucci, but overall nothing special (the biggest flaw was a cast IMO).
I didn’t like it too much, I remember it was a bit boring, but I’d give this one 3 stars anyway.
Before I vote, I’ll watch it once again, but I’m afraid, there will be no improvement with second viewing.
But who knows…?

Mickey13 · October 23, 2011, 2:50pm

I find it funny that many people complain about a badly written script that made no sense on this one

Wow! I didn't know that, it's strange. The script was probably one of the best things in this little movie. I didn't like the pacing somehow(I don't know if it tries to be fast or slow) and too American for me. Joseph Cotten was irritating and probably because of him I didn't like it so much. I wish they would have chosen someone else. :-\ But definitely script was very strong, that's a fact.

stanton · October 23, 2011, 3:40pm

No fact for me . I think the script is already mediocre.

ENNIOO · October 23, 2011, 3:55pm

Joseph Cotten is the best part of the film for me. He is a man obsessed with his quest.

Mickey13 · October 23, 2011, 8:52pm

Here is a nice review:
http://mondo-esoterica.net/Hellbenders.html

Handcuffs68 · October 23, 2011, 10:34pm

Watched it once, and it’s been awhile. Don’t remember much about it. ??? Will have to find time to re-watch it again, i guess. :-\

Jude · September 22, 2012, 7:33pm

I just watched this for the first time. Of course I’m a big fan of Corbucci’s work but now I felt it was the right time to check this movie. I have to say I was happily surprised with The Hellbenders. The plot is quite simple but it works in every way very nicely, mr. Corbucci made an enjoyable movie with simple things here. Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack works well and the cast of this movie is also excellent. Joseph Cotten is the perfect man for the main role and he did a brilliant job indeed. I also have to give points for Norma Bengell’s role, she definitely did a solid role here.

All in all The Hellbenders is an entertaining adventure-spaghetti western, another enjoyable movie from the one and only, Sergio Corbucci. 4 stars out of 5.

Hornet · October 16, 2012, 9:45am

Won an auction on eBay of the Anchor Bay-release, so it’s arriving in my mailbox in probably a week or two! Looking forward to watching it, I love the other Corbucci movies!

the_ugly · February 2, 2014, 5:52pm

Good film, Corbucci did well from an average-seeming plot, especially the weak 1st half which Is basically a bunch of people travelling across country with a coffin full of stolen loot and getting stopped by various people at regular intervals. Many convenient yet unlikely occurences ensue. The score is very good. Overall I would give it 4 stars but I would have to be in the right mood to watch again.

The Spanish DVD I watched (Los Despiadados) with I, Crudeli on the cover has excellent AV quality but no extras at all.

Marvin_W_Bronson · February 2, 2014, 6:38pm

I really like this one (but I’m a Corbucci nut). Plus you get Norma Bengell… mmm.

Stork_Vulture · February 3, 2014, 4:30am

I think I bumped it up a star to 3 because of Corbucci, the beginning, and the ending. A whole lot of the rest was unremarkable.

Deep_South · March 17, 2015, 12:39pm

As the credits rolled my friend remarked how Shakespearian it was - the epic, murderous passions - and I think she’s got something.
If Compañeros was his Henry IV, then I guess that makes Hellbenders a kind of mini-King Lear.
(although I’m not sure who would be Prince Hal and who would be Falstaff in Compañeros… that said, Tomas Milian getting shot in the ass with a slingshot is such a Falstaff monent… oh, and the banana skin… hang on, they’re both Falstaff!)

Corbucci’s genius is that he doesn’t overstate the characters. He casts well and then lets your imagination do the work. Cotton’s eyes tell you everything you need to know about him. Other than that, compare the drunk scene to his drunk scene in Citizen Kane and you can tell that, well, he’s not super-good at drunk scenes.

SW is great at making a great look do a lot of work, without the need for non-stop great acting. I’ll always love Cotton in The Third Man but I don’t think he was all that as an actor. Apparently on the set of The Abominable Dr Phibes he bitched and moaned about having to learn all these damn lines, and Vincent Price snapped and told him to get over himself.

And Norma Bengell? Why was she not in every second SW ever??? That’s some acting.

Is it my imagination, or has the main theme been recently-ish made into a modern dance/club track by someone like St Etienne?

I agree with an earlier poster that the action-heavy middle of Django showed that Corbucci’s heart wasn’t that into the shoot-em-ups. There’s so much content in his best films, so much story and dread and human fibre… but the pure SW thrills are never totally elbowed out of shot, either. Hellbenders is a great film of any sort - but it is first and foremost spag, which in my world makes it twice as brilliant.

Oh, and, hi!