dsheinem wrote:For a Fistful of Dollars (1964) – Ok – confession time. I spoke with authority about the famous Dollars Trilogy in some previous posts, but later realized I had only seen bits and pieces of the third film (I was confusing some later Eastwood films with these mid-60s classics). Anyway, I took this realization as an opportunity to watch them all in their entirety. This is the first film in the trilogy, and it is indeed a stylistic departure from most Westerns that came before and completely deserving of its reputation. Though the plot is full of intrigue and well paced, two other things - the sparse score and Eastwood's embodiment of machismo – really drive the film. An impressive supporting cast, dry wit, and several great action scenes flesh out this engaging movie. Grade: 4/5 For a Few Dollars More (1965) – Though stylistically very similar to the first film, I found the sum of parts here to be a little less substantive. Perhaps it was the fact that Eastwood is partnered up for the second half of the film, or the fact that the bank robbery/El Paso setting seemed more cliché than the environments of the first film...it just wasn't as interesting or captivating. That's not to say it's not a strong film for all the reasons the first one was, but I just didn't enjoy it quite as much. Grade: 3.5/5
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) – This is the last of the Dollars trilogy and it is in many ways a culmination of the first two, with an added war film element. Though I really enjoyed the film, I think that it is a bit too long – there’s too much going on here and the film suffers some pacing and plot coherence problems as a result. I still prefer it over For a Few Dollars More, but the first film in this set is still the best. It’s obvious that the budget is bigger for this film, and I think that what really drew me in to the first film – the sense of isolation, desperation, and suspense – is not as strong here. Grade: 4/5
CRTGAMER wrote:I'll try to round up your reviews. Pardon my writing.
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Sergio Leone's greatest of the Spaghetti Three, paired with Ennio Morricone's grand musical score. Unforgettable characters. Clint Eastwood as the Good and of course Lee Van Cleef as the Bad. New actor to this story is Tuco the Ugly, brilliantly played by Eli Wallach. The huge cast of other familiar characters are all here. Joe "Blondie" (Eastwood) pairs up with Tuco in a search of a lost gold cache at a cemetery. Tuco knows the cemetery and Joe knows the grave forming an uneasy trust between the two gunfighters. Meanwhile In the background, Setenza "Angel Eyes" (Van Cleef) another gunfighter, has also been in a search of the gold. The three eventually meet in the midst of an Epic Civil War setting showing the cruelty of war not to be missed. At the final confrontation in the graveyard, Sergio's classic approach of closeups of the eyes shows the emotional desperation inside each man. Look for the shot off finger of one of the Gunfighters hands. The graveyard scene is one that really demands widescreen to capture the effect. It has been lost for years when originally broadcast on TV. It is not the actually final shootout, but the tension that builds, an enjoyable ride. The Italian western of westerns.
Little Trivia, the first film A Fistful of Dollars was based on the Kurosawa movie Yojimbo played by the great Toshiro Mifune. Kurosawa/Mifune movies are legendary, the best of Japanese black and white cinematography.
"Who the Hell is that? One Bastard goes in and another comes out!"
To this day, this movie still looks amazing. The cinematography and music are some of the best in the genre. I also love Magnificent Seven.
I couldn't agree with you two more. Typically hardcore Western fans default to the the Dollars Trilogy (which are all greats), but Once Upon a Time in the West is superb. Great performances by Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda. I actually listen to the soundtrack frequently.
A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS followed by SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF.
If you haven't seen Support your Local... do yourself a favor and add it to your queue. It's a Western/Comedy from the early 60's (I think) that contains jokes that are still hilarious.
I just finished the dollars trilogy and dayumn its better than I remembered.
As for other titles no one mentioned so far: The Wild Bunch(Peckinpah) Outlaw Josee Wales Duck, You Sucker! aka Fistful of Dynamite aka Once Upon a Time... a Revolution Red Sun(Indians vs Samurai... need I say more?)
Why Eli Wallach is phenominal as Tuco
