There have been many unsuccessful attempts to enjoy a classic western. I have seen the beginning of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly several times. I've started A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon a Time in the West and The Wild Bunch, all with high expectations but I just couldn't get into them. Not that these are not most excellent films to be sure, just my own mental block.
So when we put on For A Few Dollars More the other night, exhausted, I assumed it was just going to be something to fall asleep to. Oh contraire. I guess this is the Sergio Leone film that finally got through to me, because I loved it.
There is probably less than fifty lines of dialog in the entire film and it boasts an iconic and rousing score by Ennio Morricone. The first segment proves, in cool, calm, and detached manner, that bounty hunter Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by this week's mega hunk Lee Van Cleef is a bad ass. The next segment displays the more brash but still calm and cool bad assness of Clint Eastwood's bounty hunter, who remains unnamed but is referred to as “boy”. This character gives it's (no)name to the “Man with No Name Trilogy” that includes this film, Fistful of Dollars, and The Good The Bad and The Ugly.
After the bounty hunter's introductions, we meet the outlaw Indio, a man more dangerous and drugged out crazy than either of them. He's so dangerous that Klaus Kinski is merely a henchman in his gang of thieves. It will take the both of them to bring Indio to justice, but they'll have to join forces first, and Eastwood prefers working alone. Perhaps a hat shooting stand off will make them set aside their differences, pour some tequila, and learn from one another?br/>
More and more smart and thrilling manly action ensues. And trust me, though I am a huge fan of machismo going the way of the Dinosaurs TV show, it is exciting to witness so much brute manliness. Fortunately none of it gets bogged down with long winded speeches or slow scenes. There is one tedious moment with a screeching crazy old man which nearly drove me out of the mood, but with patience (and by focusing on Eastwood's chiseled face in that fabulous poncho) I got through it.
If you're also not a usual fan of Westerns, maybe give this one a try. It worked for me. If you are a fan of bold testosterone driven scenes of marksmanship and men with guns outwitting and out shooting one another, you're bound to have a ball.
But what do you think?