The Ugly Ones / The Bounty Killer / El precio de un hombre (Eugenio Martín, 1966)

(Mortimer) #81

I really like films such as Bounty Killer and Cemetery Without Crosses, one’s which are unpredictable, and build up interest in the characters. It’s much more emotional when a character I have gotten to know is shot or tormented than seeing lots of generic Mexian soldiers being gunned down or blown up.

I’ve been thinking about Bounty Killer a lot recently. When the bounty hunter does not tell the sherrif who is assembling a posse where to find the bandit he seals his own fate as well as the fate of the people in the very small town. Another way he is very much of an anti-hero. Whereas Milian has a kind of charm in his early scenes in the film. Nice the way the director plays with the expectations of the audience. Plus the tension which builds as one knows a terrible fate awaits the people of the town but not when it will happen or what form it will take.

The other type of SWs that greatly interest me are the ones which are hyper-stylized or stylish. One reason I’m looking forward to seeing that Tinto Brass film. Feel free to throw some recommendations of lesser known films in these two categories my way.

Like most here what I dislike the most are the comedy SWs. PU.

(Starblack) #82

I’m not so sure about Wyler. With his ultra-deadpan style, bordering on bland (though he’s better here than he was in Rattler Kid), he surrenders the film too easily to Milian - a much more dynamic, charismatic performer - and we don’t feel ourselves torn between the characters as much as we ought to. I know the conflict is as much about what they represent as who they are as individuals, but if the the bounty hunter role had gone to somebody like Lee Van Cleef, for example, it would have made the film even stronger.

It’s still a top tenner, though.

(Starblack) #83

Watched my SPO DVD of the film last night.

I’m no more convinced by Wyler, but more appreciative of the way Milian gives his character an aura of unpredictability.

The DVD, incidentally, is fine. The non-anamorphic image looked perfectly presentable when zoomed in (on a 32in TV; it might look weaker on a larger set), with good detail, strong colour and minimal print damage. The English track is rather muffled, but not too bad.

(p.pereira) #84

This is the only flick directed by Eugenio Martín that I didn’t fell asleep.
I’ll have to watch this one again, but I actually liked Wyler’s role on this.

(scherpschutter) #85

[quote=“p.pereira, post:84, topic:474”]This is the only flick directed by Eugenio Martín that I didn’t fell asleep.
I’ll have to watch this one again, but I actually liked Wyler’s role on this. [/quote]

I have the same feelings. Hard to understand this was made by the man who also made Pancho Villa (yek)

(Spaghetti Monkey) #86

Hmmm, i’ll grant you, PANCHO VILLA is sleep inducing. But i like REQUIEM FOR A GRINGO and BAD MAN’S RIVER (though i certainly understand this one isn’t to everyones taste).

(Stanton) #87

His contribution to Requiem for a Gringo is maybe only a rumour. It’s usually credited to Jose Luis Merino

(scherpschutter) #88

It certainly doesn’t feel like a Eugene movie. Not one silly joke in it!

(Spaghetti Monkey) #89

My bad, what i get for just doin’ a quick IMDB check.

(Stanton) #90

Yeah, maybe IMDB is the only source for this.

(korano) #91

It seems the wide assumption that Martin as involved soley was another error of Weisser. For people like me whose first crediting knowledge of SW’s came from Weisser, it’s a little hard at first to accept your initial knowledge is wrong.

(ENNIOO) #92

Just re viewed this one as was reading this thread the other day like you do. Alot of love here for this one. One that gets better after each viewing for me. Japanese disc was viewed this time round and cannot grumble re picture quality.

(Dillinger) #93

I only have seen thos one once and I pretty much liked it then. According to your statement it should climb up to a high top20 position after a second viewing.

My problem with this one was Milians counterpart, Richard Wyler. His presence should prevent this flick from climbing to a top posotion even after a seventh viewing.

(ENNIOO) #94

Would never make my top twenty aswell.

(The Stranger) #95

I was very surprised. I did not expect much, and yet saw a good movie with interesting characters.
A lonely bounty hunter with no friends. He is hated by most because of his work.
A bandit, who is very popular.
Good soundtrack.
My rating 8 / 10.

(Dillinger) #96

I expected quite a lot when I watched it for I have read the article on the flick in Bruckner’s book in advance.

(TheBigSmokedown) #97

Such a simple little film, but extremely watchable. Three stars, because there’s a lot which is not very good really.

SPOILERS

What makes The Bounty Killer for me is Milian’s performance. Without him, this would be a nothing film, I think. His death at the end is absolutely the best moment in the entire film, but it’s fair to say that all his scenes leading up to that moment have a gathering intensity. He really gives his character a lot of complexity that isn’t there in the script. So, yes, an acting tour de force from him.

(sartana1968) #98

4/5
deserve a better dvd re-release
i have the ocean shores dvd, ok it has good picture but not so good audio
and the voice from the girl it’s hard to understand what she say all the time

(El Topo) #99

Like I said it was back into spaghetti hell last night.

And went down there with this one, I normally tend to sympathized with Eugenio Martin’s work, an old school director with a very different array of films depending on what was fashionable at the moment their were made (the guy did everything, from historical adventure films the to sex comedies or destape films).
This SW works more like a psychological thriller and not as much as an action adventure flick, and even with its shortcomings is not a bad viewing. It seems well produced and must have been thought if not to compete with the Leone films, at least with Sollima’s superior work but it doesn’t reach that level.
Millian is more restrain than usual, but still Millian, I confess that I didn’t know the other two main actors Richard Wyler and the lovely Halina Zalewska, Wyler didn’t seem like a bad actor, but lacked the extra spark that makes the difference, Zalewska on the other hand apart from being a lovely bird, really got screen presence it was a true surprise to me.
The story works more on building the tension than in action, and I think that it’s the point the film fails, the all think it’s too predictable.

Possible Improvements

Yap I know everyone’s a critic, but Millian character really is underdeveloped, also the morality of the story is too straightforward some more ambiguity would have been welcome to the story. Like I said Wyler was OK, but a more charismatic actor for his part would have been an improvement, but the main thing to take this effort into a superior stage, was if the director were able to make the film less predictable and more thrilling, with the tension build in a different way.
Liked the scored at least the trumpet parts, didn’t like some of the organ and guitar chords just too modern I guess.

But by no means a bad spaghetti by the contrary, in parts different from the more usual revenge stories, without needing the hippies or religion stuff, with good production values and interesting to follow to the end, better than Bad Man’s river. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars

(tomas) #100

i have to rewatch it, remember i didn´t like it very much, what is weird, because i´m big milian fan - i just remember i was looking forward to the milian death scene, as i read good things here and there about it - the best eat the dust scene and so on, and when it came, my reaction was just :"that´s it? naaaaah"
well, a nice rewatch is needed