Rated: R - unspecified
Genre: Spaghetti Western -- This term began to appear during the 1960's when a great number of Italian directors and producers began to try their hand at Westerns.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef
Director: Sergio Leone
RATING:
4 Clint Eastwoods (out of a possible 5)
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And while on the topic of rating, I should probably give you some idea of what my rating system is based on. First, expect some sort of random measuring unit (ie: Sad Jack Nicholson faces) because I feel that stars are just getting boring. However, there may come a time when I am just not feeling creative that day, or just plain lazy. Do not be alarmed.
Secondly, my rating system is broken down like this :
With half stars (or whatever) falling somewhere in between the categories.
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If you were to ask me a few months ago what I thought about Westerns, I would have probably looked you in the face and asked you flat out - "Are you high?"
Looking like this, it wouldn't be too hard for me to figure out.
I have never been one for Westerns. The archaic idea of a bunch of nobody's wandering around deserted southwest on top of horses, carrying guns in their holster's and dip in their lower jaws was enough to make me cringe. They've never done anything for me, and I never wanted to give them a chance.
No, thank you.
However, whilst I was reconfiguring my DVD collection into a new DVD rack I got for Christmas, I noticed that I actually owned a Western. How, after my years of hatred, could I have ever done such a thing?
It was probably one of my impulse buys, aka - "I heard this movie was pretty good, so therefore, I must purchase it." So, one day, I sat down and put in the dvd.
Pretty much my reaction.
Never...NEVER did I ever think I could actually sit down and enjoy a Western.
...and then I was introduce to Sergio Leone, the undisputed master of the spaghetti western...and my life was changed. It was so much more than a bunch of cowboys running around shooting each other, going to honky tonk bars, and line dancing to "Achy Breaky Heart." These cowboys had depth.
Leone is probably most famous for his "Dollars Trilogy," The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly being the last installment. Expect a review of both that, and the first film, A Fistful of Dollars, at some point in the future. However, For a Few Dollars More recently popped up in my mailbox from my Netflix queue, so I suppose I will start here while it is still fresh in my brain. Now, let us turn to the Jan Brady of the "Dollars Trilogy" - For a Few Dollars More.
Marsha, Marsha, Mar--- BOOM! HEADSHOT.
From the brutal animated title's, to the films opening title card quote, Leone sets you up for more than just a movie; it's an experience:
"Where life had no value, death, sometimes, had its price. That is why the bounty killers appeared."Eastwood and Van Cleef play bounty hunters, wandering around the barren land that is the south west, hunting for those who have wronged society around them. They are both well known in their own right in the universe of For a Few Dollars More, but their paths have never crossed. Generally working jobs hunting men with only $1,000 on their heads, the two are both surprised to see a wanted ad taken out with $10,000 on the head of El Indio, played by Gian Maria Volonte. When the two get separate word that El Indio is making his way to El Paso, their paths finally cross. Eastwood, playing his signature "Man With No Name" role, and Van Cleef, as the former Colonel Douglas Mortimer, decide to join their incredible forces together to collect on El Indio and his men.
From the beginning, Leone smacks you in the face with some sensational cinematography. The gritty, earthen, sun burnt look of his old west is literally a character within itself in these films. It is very effective in getting you into the mindset of the characters you are watching onscreen. You really feel the destitute nature of the world around them. An example of what I am ranting about can be found below:
"I wanted them to feel the heat..." - Corky St. Claire, Waiting for Guffman
Leone is also the master of maybe some of the most intricate and scientific camera work I have ever seen in film. From his incredibly close close-ups, to the jaw-dropping giant pans of landscapes - he seems to know just how to balance it out. And, I always get giddy when I see two guys standing about 20 feet away from each other in these movies because, generally, SHIT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN. But, what makes these scenes so incredible to watch isn't even the final shot (because the good guy generally wins in these situations anyway) -- it's the buildup. Intercutting between close-up's of each man's face, quickly switching to a far away view of each man, and then a giant pull away of both of them standing, facing each other -- it's one of the most intense sequences you will ever see in a movie. An example of this awesomeness can be seen below:
...Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd IT'S ON!
As the opening title card said, death has a price when life has no value. In every one of the films of the "Dollar Trilogy," we are presented with arid havens laden with delinquency all around. Bandits run wild, theft and violence are the norm here. The people cannot rely on their local law enforcement either. Eastwood's first introduction in the film involves him cashing in on one of these delinquent groups infesting a small western town. The dialogue is as follows:
Man with No Name: Tell me, isn't sheriff supposed to be courageous, loyal, and above all, honest?
Sheriff: Yeah, that he is.Eastwood then proceeds to take the badge off of the sheriff's vest, and passing a local outside of the department remarks:
Man with No Name: Think you people need a new sheriff.
Yes. Clint Eastwood IS that badass.
What I think this, and the whole film, shows is that there are times in the world when you cannot rely on those you normally would. The bounty hunters, however, are not just glorifiers of violence. They realize the only way to get rid of a problem that is destroying the lives of the people around is to destroy it. And that is what they set out to do. Pretty deep stuff for a Western.
Maybe not as deep as some things.
Another highlighting factor of For a Few Dollars More is the OUTSTANDING score done by the incomparable Ennio Morricone. This, and the rest of the "Dollar's Trilogy" wouldn't be half the movies they are without his incredible score. This man is truly a talent. From the whistling, to the plucked mouth comb, to the strange, almost tribalistic chanting - he really created a feel for these movies that ended up becoming a defining characteristic of the entire Western genre. Morricone was finally awarded an honorary Oscar a few years back for a truly incredible lifetime of work. No matter what he does though, the "Dollars Trilogy" will always be what defines this man.
That and some AWESOME glasses.
If you were like me, and even the thought of cowboy's running around makes you want to vomit, you might reevaluate your stance after seeing any one of the films from the "Dollars Trilogy." For a Few Dollars More, specifically, is one of the best written and somewhat more easier to follow than Fistful... or The Good, The Bad.... So, if ever you are so inclined, give these movies a shot. And don't worry if you watch them out of order. There isn't a linear story line connecting them all, so you can watch one without having seen the other and not be incredibly thrown off with confusion.
Unlike some other film series'....
Netflix availability: DVD only.
Who to watch with?: I'd suggest with a friend, specifically a friend who hates Westerns as much as you probably do so you can both experience how great they really can be.
Film Fun Fact: Clint Eastwood wore his famous "Man with No Name" poncho in all three films of the "Dollar's Trilogy," never replacing of cleaning it.
He's a great actor, so I'll forgive him.
