R: Giulio Petroni; B: Franco Solina, Ivan della Mea; K: Francisco
Marin; M: Ennio Morricone; D: Tomas Milian, John Steiner, Orson Welles, Luciano Casamonica
Mexico, around 1912: President Francisco Madero doesn’t wanna cut the privileges of the
rich landowners. He lets pursue his former comrades-in-arms and peones, who resist against this policy. Same happens to Jesus
Maria Morán, called Tepepa, who is sentenced to death by Madero. With the help of british doctor Henry Price (John Steiner)
he escapes the firing-squad of Colonel Cascorro (Orson Welles), the regional police commander. As Tepepa recognizes, that
Madero has betrayed their former aims, he starts to fight again. But the enemy is not only Madero/Cascorro: Doc Price wants
to kill Tepepa too, because this once has raped and humiliated Price’s fiancee, who later on commited suicide.
I/E 1968
The Gunslinger says:
Strong revolution epic made by Giulio Petroni, who adheres
closely to the historical facts. Coherent atmosphere, great camera work and good actors guarantee upscaled spaghetti fun,
if you know, what I mean. No prob, that Morricone obviously wasn’t in topform, writing the score: Even this one is much
better as many others. Tomas Milian once again is the mexican tramp, but has the opportunity to integrate an additional layer
of somewhat like integrity. Orson Welles rips his great performance of “Touch of Evil”, around ten years before.
His Colonel is a real bastard, but charming and with principles. Like Tepepa he really loves his homecountry, but fights on
the opposite side. Brit actor John Steiner plays the medecin as a man, who doesn’t feel anything, who only lives for
his revenge: a man, who has died long ago. So Henry Price is the successor of the nameless and silent gunmen of countless
SW, although he doesn’t use his gun at all and he finally fails riding into the sunset.
Not good is the central action scene, in which the Tepepa
gang fights Cascorros police troops: It’s too slow and static.
Unfortunately the german VHS-version is heavily cutted.
Rating: $$$$-
Bodycount: ca 30 Mexians plus 30-50 policemen, 5 women
Explicit Brutalities:
- Whipping of peones
- After he has tried to kill Tepepa for the first time, Henry Price is beaten up by whose men
Specials:
- Tepepa’s „army“ uses goats as dynamite-carrier
- A strange corral-scene: Colonel Cascorro sits in his defect car, firing at Tepepa, who rides
around
Luv’: 0/10; Splatter 1/10
