Milian’s first Spaghetti Western and he really steals the show with a magnificent performance. The scene where he is agonising over allowing the young traveller to leave the town is easily on par with any of “Brando” or “Dean’s” work and his death scene is incredible. A giant of Italian cinema, how come he is so unfairly underrated elsewhere.
Truly great SW. Very stylish and unlike the other SW’s of the perioid, the movie has kind of right-wing message. The main character ain’t no Robin Hood. Instead he turns out to be a real baddie thinking only of himself. Milian’s performance is superb as usual.
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I thought it was a very good, almost right-wing toned film. The idea that the ‘Freedom Fighter’ (played by Milian) was considered a folk hero, but was actually a rather bad man is very interesting, and almost seems like a reaction to Milian’s usual casting as a naive peasant (although curiously it was his SW debut and thus the film almost seems to have been made a few years ahead of its time!).
Now watched it and found it really entertaining. Tomas Milian is really great as the bad boss. He often reminds me of his role as Beauregard in Face to Face. But he surely steels the show. Wyler is not the best choice. He reminds me of Clive Owen in the firstpart and of Craig Hill in the end. Dunno why. But the movie is good stuff. 4 stars indeed!
Nice movie. I thought it’s too slow for the most time but the ending, great Milian’s acting and decent music make it a worthwhile addition to every spaghetti collection. 4 stars as well
Yeah you are right. I liked the scene before watching it. Only seeing the DVD cover of the german DVD: I was so lookin’ forward to this. And all expectations were redeemed
I was watching this movie last night. Very good stuff indeed. Then, at approx. 1h 27m my dvd player quit on me, right after Milian gets shot. So I still need to see the last 3 minutes. >:(
Reckon that’s the best dribbly death scene to end a film - outdoing Telly Savalas getting stuck by from Coburn in the (uncut) … Fort Holman, and even outdoing Trintignant in Silence.
Story: Well the story is okay, but to be convicing it needed a few more people in the pueblo I think. And one big problems of course which is
Audio: ahh the english audio on my DVD was really bad. I had problems understanding a lot of the stuff that happened. but i could not watch it in german either since the dub is a joke(or at least tries to be). Wyler is voiced by the guy who later did captain picard of enterprise(at least it think its him)and milian by terence hill´s voice. This is distrackting togehter with the trying to be funny stuff. and the audio switched from otself to spanish sometimes ???
well and there are no subtitles with my dvd.
I forgot to mention the music itself. sometimes very american with the flute and stuff. on the other hand i was reminded of the de guello music known from fistfull. am i the only one?
So why do they kill the travelling boy who wants to leave the town, or better why dont they let him leave.
And did the one guy in the pueblo survive who shot one of milians guys. i mean he was shot too but safed by the woman. but in the final scene you see wyler on the side and five people on the right(being the old couple, the young woman the fat guy and maybe the bar owner.)but he was shot two times.
well milian is great but overall, i dont see it a s that special. And i like him too much to not be for him even though when he is such a mad motherfucker.
i think i nedd to rewatch it maybe going through it in german :
It has been ages since I watched this film so my memory of it is a bit shakey. MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!
Milians character is well liked in the town until something happens to change all that (not his fault I remember and this is why we have some sympathy for the character). He agonises over killing the young traveller, he really likes the guy but now that the traveller has witnesses the gang torturing the bounty killer he cannot trust him not to tell someone, Milians character basically trusts no one anymore.
Wyler is quite an interesting choice for playing the bounty killer, he gives a very understated performance which is perfect for the role of someone the townspeople (or us the viewer) never really warm to but ultimately accept as a necessary evil.
The film has a great female lead too.
Anyway that’s my take on it, yes a downbeat movie but IMO a classic of the genre.
The German Marketing DVD has a couple of versions of the film on it, so cheap too, great value for money. The picture quality isn’t perfect, I can’t remember the sound being as bad as you say though but again this may be my memory.
well i think that changed when he said he would rob this waggon that passes through town or has the stuff the town needs. together with the killing of the traveller(i have to rewatch it, but he does not want him to leave and would also kill him himself, IMO. I think he play agonized to win over the female who still has a positive attitude towards him.)
So I thing it is his fault and we see him getting drunk of the stuff from the bar. he somtimes say he allways pays his depths but seems joking to me.
well you see the sound is bad and i have to see it in german i guess. i also liked the different opening and ending scenes available on the dvd. the english opening has a really terrible quality! and the old german ending is a bit longer, where you see wyler riding of with milian strapped on a horse.
