Whoa ! I must have been mistaken (maybe meant Vengeance with R Harrison ?) since I definitely watched Vengeance For Vengeance/Revenge For Revenge for the first time this evening, i.e. 2 years later…
Having read this thread another time today my expectations were set higher than before yesterday’s Cjamango, but with opposite result. At least this my first impression is more mixed than expected.
The negative side is another perceived rather thin story and due to the uneven audio quality I probably missed some important story details this first watching.
I didn’t exactly understand the ending or if there was an underlying meaning with some logic.
Also too long boring whipping, fist fights and some too long random shooting. Such scenes make the SW look cheap, meaning of rather low artistic quality overall, at least IMO.
Chaliko the antihero himself reminded me slightly of an European version of Peter Lorre regarding how he looked, but he was still acceptable. John Ireland is a bit stiff in his face expressions but generally looks OK.
The Italian locations were rather well known, as in Cjamango the Cinecitta Mexican pueblo.
But my second to Morricone SW favorite composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino created a very nice mood with music that a few times resembled his own little masterpiece moody themes from Kill The Wicked (8/10) the year before (1967). It is also impressing that he obviously has composed the fine mexican/spanish style guitar music in the dance scene (as he also must have done in Requiem For A Gringo (8/10) since the melody was similar).
So before rewatching Vengeance For Vengeance/Revenge for Revenge I now just rate it as a weak 6/10, preliminary only reaching place 60 on my SW Top 65. Maybe I will be more positive later on when I will get a better feeling and understanding of the story details/dialogue.