R: Sergio Leone; B: S.L., Age-Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, K: Tonino Delli Colli; M: Ennio Morricone; D: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef

Confederate Corporal Bill Carson (Antonio Casale) has stolen 200.000 dollars of the confederate army and has hided the money on a large cemetary. But the money doesn’t bring luck to him: He dies after a raid of his stagecoach. Before he bites the dust in the desert, he tells the mexican bandit Tuco (Eli Wallach) of the hideaway, but only the name of the cemetary. As Tuco wents to bring some water to the dying man, this passes away, not without tellling the name on the tombstone to Blondie (Clint Eastwood): The latter is more dead than alive too, because Tuco has taken him into the desert to kill him slowly. From now on Tuco has to care intensively for the hated blonde. In the guise of confederate soldiers they reach an army hospital, where Blondie is cockered again. Shortly after leaving the hospital, they are captured by a Yankee patrol. In the POW-camp they meet an old “friend”: Sentenza (Lee Van Cleef), a killer for hire, who is also anxious for the 200.000 dollars and now serves as a Sergeant in the northern army. He forces Tuco by torture to tell him the name of the cemetary: “Sad Fields”. Whereas the mexican is brought away, getting executed, Blondie and the Sentenza gang are heading for the hideaway. But Tuco suceeds to escape and is back in the game: Together with Blondie he bumps of Sentenza’s boys. On the cemetary the three adventurers meet for the last showdown.

I 1966

The Gunslinger says:

Yep, folx, this is it: The absolute favourite SW of the Gunslinger. The third film of Leone’s Dollar-trilogy, beats even its strong predecessors. In spite of its epic length of roundabout three hours, the chase for the hidden money keeps exciting ‘til the last minute. Thanx to the actors, which do a great job up to the supporting roles. First of all Eli Wallach, who steals the show from his collegues: His “Tuco” is the blueprint for most of the following mexican bandits, played by Fernando Sancho, Tomas Milian or José Bodalo. Eastwood and Van Cleef play their characters similary to their roles in the other Dollar-movies, even though the Eastwood-character has developed an obvious thoughtful trait. The action scenes are realised good and costly, the camerawork is stylish, and Morricone’s score has become a classic.

Beyond the chase for the money, Leone uses his film to express himself against militarism and war. Therefore he implements “typical” characters: the oportunistic businessman (Jesús Guzmán), who supports those, who can pay him; the crippled and desillusioned camp-commander (Antonio Molino Rojo) or the broken Yankee captain (Aldo Giuffrè), who has to force his men every day to attack a completely useless, but well guarded bridge, what he stands only heavenly drunk. As Tuco and Blondie destroy the bridge to fulfill the Captain’s last wish, the war parties leave the following day.

Rating: $$$$$

Bodycount: ca. 23 Gringos, 3 Mexicanos plus countless soldiers

Explicit Brutalities:

- Sentenza beats up Carson’s girlfriend Maria (Rada Rassimov), to get some news over her baby’s whereabout

- Blondie kills an injured mexican bandit

- Tuco drives the blonde through the desert for revenge: without water and hat

- Corporal Wallace (Mario Brega) beats up Tuco, who has to answer some questions by Sentenza about the money’s hideaway. Out of the barrack the camp orchester has to play to drown out Tuco’s yelling.

- Blondie leaves Tuco on the cemetary: bound, neck in a halter, balancing on a cranky grave cross. His part of the booty lies in front of the cross.

Splatter: 3/10