Genre:
Western
Theatrical Release: 12/23/1966(Italy)
Release Date: 01/01/2001
Sound: DD
Run Time:
Flags: Adult Situations, Not For Children, Western Violence
Distributor/Studio: MGM
In the last and the best installment of his so-called "Dollars" trilogy of
Sergio Leone-directed "spaghetti westerns,"
Clint Eastwood reprised the role of a taciturn, enigmatic loner. Here he searches for a cache of stolen gold against rivals the Bad (
Lee Van Cleef), a ruthless bounty hunter, and the Ugly (
Eli Wallach), a Mexican bandit. Though dubbed "the Good,"
Eastwood's character is not much better than his opponents -- he is just smarter and shoots faster. The film's title reveals its ironic attitude toward the canonized heroes of the classical western. "The real West was the world of violence, fear, and brutal instincts," claimed
Leone. "In pursuit of profit there is no such thing as good and evil, generosity or deviousness; everything depends on chance, and not the best wins but the luckiest." Immensely entertaining and beautifully shot in Techniscope by
Tonino Delli Colli, the movie is a virtually definitive "spaghetti western," rivaled only by
Leone's own
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). The main musical theme by
Ennio Morricone hit #1 on the British pop charts. Originally released in Italy at 177 minutes, the movie was later cut for its international release. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
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