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Absolutely Brilliant!

A Masterpiece!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

I don't have a very great history with Westerns, I even have a worse history with Spaghetti Westerns (granted I have only seen two prior to this one so it isn't much of a history). Compared to the other two I've seen (both from Sergio Leone), this seemed more what I would expect from a normal western thus making it an easier watch for me.The story was simple and easy to follow but had the acting style (I believe anyway) of what you would expect of a Spaghetti Western. While I would still take an American Western over this one I would have to admit it has made me want to seek out more Italian Westerns just to prove those first couple I saw (both heralded as major ones) were not the norm and that the genre is not just inherently bad.

An Italian production full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and lots of violence . For money, for pleasure, for revenge, he doesn't care why he kills or how ¡ ... A soldier named Brewster (Thomas Hunter) is taken prisoner in Fort Wilson . 5 years later he's freed and sees the atrocity over his family and executes a single-handedly revenge, as he slashes, ravages and murders each person involved in the killing . He is relentless in his vendetta , deadly in his violence. The conflict is a simple one between avenger Brewster , now named Houston, and oppressors, nasties bandits commanded by cruel foreman (Henry Silva) and his chief Milton (Gazzolo), owner of the ranch Mayflower where lives his sister Mary Ann(Nicoletta Machiavelli). Houston/Brewster is only helped by a mysterious vet gunslinger named Getz (Dan Duryea) and May Ann . Meanwhile Houston aids an unappreciated although terrorized town called Austin (Texas) in the process and suddenly finds his little son Tim (Loris Loddi). The town is inhabited by important people as Horner. Then Brewster is submitted a tempestuous trap by a saloon-girl and is caught and he faces the vicious bandits.It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Thomas Hunter against the heartless Henry Silva and his hoodlums. Thomas Hunter is fine, he cries, ravages the screen, shoots, hit and run and kills but also receives violent knocks, punches, kicks and wounds . In the film premiere attained bit success , nowadays is best valued and I think it turns out to be a good Spaghetti Western. Henry Silva as a cruelly baddie role is terrific, he bears a hysterical and mocking smile, subsequently the would play similar characters . The film packs violence,gun-play, explosion, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shootouts or stunts every few minutes. There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Goffredo Unger, also secondary , habitual master of arms in numerous Spaghetti Western. Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors, dirty and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the Austin town . The musician Ennio Morricone, Lee Nichols, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted by usual Bruno Nicolai; it's full of guttural sounds, sensible songs and a haunting musical leitmotif. Striking cinematography by Toni Secchi in Technicolor, Techniscope with negative well processed and perfect remastering . Interior filmed at Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica, Studios Rome and outdoor sequences filmed at Spanish outdoors located on Colmenar Viejo, and La Pedriza, Manzanares , Madrid.Carlo Lizzani's direction -under a pseudonym named Beaver- is well crafted, here he's less thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward violence and too much action, because he's a expert on serious cinema. Lizzani directed good films as ¨Last days of Mussolini¨, ¨Bandits in Milan¨, co-directed ¨Dirty game¨, ¨The Verona trial¨, ¨chronicle of poor lovers¨ and filmed another S.W. titled ¨Requiescant¨ with Lou Castel, Mark Damon and Pier Paolo Pasolini and today he goes on directing movies. Rating : 6,5, acceptable and passable. The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western fans.

First of all,I'd have to say:That this is one of the most under rated Spaghetti Westerns of all times.It is a revenge story with incredible performances from Actors,Screenplay,and Stunt performances.Even the dubbing is superb.Thomas Hunter is great,and of course Henry Silva.It has all the good ingredients a good Western should have,yet it does not have the typical violence,and what we got from Leone and Corbucci,in general.Lizzani shows us a typical revenge story,with wonderful dialog and great music from Morricone.It's a real paradox that the Italians made better Westerns than the Americans did,after The Wild Bunch etc.(just an example).Just take a look at the Horror Master Mario Bava and what he did for the Horror genre! Long live Carlo Lizzani,and for being a fan of a genre that sadly died out during the 70's.Long live Italian Cinema!

I'm catching up on old westerns lately. And I must admit I haven't seen many good ones. The John Wayne-"classic" THE SEARCHERS was a real disappointment for example. But this movie is by far the worst I have ever seen in the western-genre. The story is set against the background of the Civil War. Two "buddies" return home with a large amount of stolen money, when they are being caught. One of them(Gazzolo) escapes from the "yankees"(with the money). The other one(Hunter) gets locked away for 5 years. When he is released, he finds out that his "friend" is now the richest and most feared/hated man around. He is also to blame for the death of Hunter's wife. Our hero seeks for revenge, but he stands alone...The movie is very very bad: the first half might work as a parody, but this is denied by a boring and predictable second half. The acting is really bad, especially by the leads: Hunter is awful as the hero(look out for the scene in which he screams for revenge)and Gazzolo doesn't get much to do either. The only actor I knew in this "film" was Henry Silva and his role(leader of Gazzolo's men) is, to say the least, dynamic, but pointless at the same time. Silva gives an awkward, but often amusing performance. The other performances range (surprisingly) from mediocre to rather good, with Machiavelli as a Catherine Zeta-Jones-lookalike from years ago. Most of the dialogue is dubbed too which can easily be noticed. The music however has some nice moments, but all in all it's by far not enough to cover up for the rest.If you want a really bad comic(?) western, you might want to see this. Just don't pay any dollari for it. 3/10