The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Directed Sergio Leone
US/ITALY 1966
During the Civil War, Angel Eyes (LEE VAN CLEEF) learns of a shipment of Confederate Army gold that has vanished and sets about locating it. The one man who can identify the gold's whereabouts is a cavalryman named Bill Carson.
Meanwhile a bounty hunter named Blondy (Eastwood) has teamed up with small time bandit Tuco (ELI WALLACH) in a bounty scan. Eastwood's character hands Wallach into the authorities, collects the bounty and then rescues the bandit at the last
moment. They then travel from town to town carrying out the same lucrative scam.However Blondy double crosses Tuco and then Tuco double crosses Blondy and eventually the pair come across a dying Bill Carson who tells Blondy about the gold. Now at this point Blondy is close to death after being forced by Tuco to walk across the desert and now the two must once again become partners to find the gold, but it's pretty obvious that each would double cross the other at the first chance. Van Cleef's character is here brought into the mix and the film ends with one of the most famous shoot outs in celluloid history.
Although there are many who claim Once Upon a Time in the West was Leon's best work, I would go against that and state that this is in fact Leone's best movie bar none. The movie, made by a brilliant director at the height of his powers and starring a superstar in the making, does not waste a single frame. There are many fine moments but for the sheer poetic nature of it the scene where Eastwood and Tuco look down on a Civil War battle takes some beating.
One of the most astonishing things is the way the director changes the tempo throughout - long, near silent scenes are followed by brutal fast paced action and the film never loses its momentum for a single second. Eastwood has never been involved in a better film and even if the star disputed that fact, which he probably would, he would be wrong. This is without a doubt his finest moment - although there were many fine moments to come.
Tonino Delli Colli's camera work is absolutely pitch perfect and the landscapes are breathtaking. And all of the actors, especially the three leads, put in perfect performances. Van Cleef has never been more satanic and Wallach here gives the performance of a lifetime.
In short an excellent movie and, to my mind, the best of both Eastwood and Leone. Both would be involved with bigger and maybe more finacially successful projects but this film is a true work of art rendered in the medium of film.
There are two kinds of people in this world, those who love The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and those that should watch it again.
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16 comments:
Count me as one who loves The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly and it is on my personal list of best westerns. so is Once Upon a Time in the West, a terrific western as well. Henry Fonda's cold blooded, ice blue, killer stare is a wonder, particularly in the opening scenes.
Hey, wait, I'm in a 3rd category! I've never watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I guess I better...
There is not a lot to choose between GBU and OUATITW. Different stories and different actors - only Sergio Leone to link the two.
With 'Once Upon A Time...' the script was written to Ennio Moriconne's score. Also the opening sequence is a short story/film in it's own right.
The short story theme is there as well in the opening to Good, Bad 'n' Ugly as it sets the scene of the three main characters.
So each has it's own merits - but neither is better then the other except for a personal preference.
I love the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns (spaghetti and western in the same breath - yum!). Anyway, Ennio Morricone has always been a favourite composer and Lee van Cleef and Eli Wallach - brilliant! I've also got the GB&U paperback, which is a good read (as far as I remember, it's been years). Oh, and I have the soundtrack to this one or A few dollars more, I can't remember, on vinyl. Okay, that about sums it up. :-)
Jo
And ahh what a soundtrack - is the GBU theme the most famous of all western themes?
Gould be the most famous of movie western themes but Elmer Bernstein's Magnificent Seven has got to be up there.
I used to have the harmonica from Once Upon a time in the West as a ring tone but it scared people.
If pressed to make a decision this would be first but THE SEARCHERS would be a close second. I'd hate to live on the difference of which one I liked better.
I used to have GB&U as a ringtone on my mobile. People used to tell me they expected Clint Eastwood to walk in. :o)
Jo
Yes, it's number one for me. I remember my older brother coming home from the flix and telling me about it.We had the Geoff Love Big Western themes when i was a kid. I saw Morricone at the Barbican in London about 9 years ago and the Spag. western sequence was a treat.
It's truly a classic but so everyone knows - I've not placed my top ten in order of preference. The Searchers is my all time fave. No this list is just my top ten westerns but not in any particular order.
This is a great movie, but I'd have to rate it second myself behind "once Upon a Time in the West."
I have seen this movie so many times, a classic to me even if it was filmed overseas.
Barbara - yeah there was a period when the Italians were making better westerns than the Americans. Eastwood's first US western, HANG EM HIGH shares much of the Italian, uber violent style.
This is one of my favorite films of all time. I've watched it so many times. I was introduced to it by my dad. I also watched with one of my granddads as well as plenty of my uncles when I was a kid. I still love it to this day. It doesn't get much better than this western.
This is my favorite movie of all time and as an independant director (hobby), I am writing and shooting my homage to this great movie, beginning in April 09. First shoot is going to be very similar to the final shoot out and I've studied every single frame of it. If you are true fans, I welcome your look so if you care to, just good Kirk Productions and I will have a sample up soon enough. Eric (email direct if you like at kirkproductions@gmail.com)
Well, that was odd, I meant, just "google" Kirk Productions.
Thanks!
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