Duello Nel Texas

(Gunfight at Red Sands)

Dir: Ricardo Blasco

1963

One of the very earliest (if not the earliest) films which can be described as a Spaghetti Western Duello Nel Texas is a very good example of how the european western was about to develop. The style is primarily influenced by the american westerns of the 1950s but this is no slavish carbon copy by any means. Rather, it is a mixture of source influences which vary from the american traditions of the genre to the southern european stylistics of its creators, all mixed up with a healthy dollop of comic book imagery for good measure.

Ricardo Martinez, also known as Gringo, returns home to Texas from fighting in the Mexican civil war and finds his adopted father murdered and family gold stash stolen. Gringo sets out to hunt down the killers and, as a result, crosses paths with Corbett, the local sheriff, Steadman, the saloon owner and two general no goods, Zeke and Kincaid Wilson. He also rekindles an old connection with Maria, the saloon owners partner which serves to complicate the proceedings even further. Eventually, with the help of his adopted brother and sister Manuel and Elisa, Gringo eliminates the parties responsible for the old man's death and faces off with the gang's leader in a textbook main street duel.

Ricardo Blasco (not even a household name in his own household) does a creditable job in the director's chair on this film although reports that Mario Caiano took responsibility for some of the direction makes it a little difficult to say how much each man should take credit for. The presence of Leone's cinematographer, Massimo Dallamano, behind the camera would also have added depth to the skill base and clouds the credit waters even further. Either way the film moves along at a good pace and there is a nice balance between action, drama and light relief with some effective framing at key moments. The final showdown between Gringo and Corbett is particularly well constructed and would fit easily into any post Leone western's format. Dramatically framed and drawn out to maximum effect with Giacomo Rossi Stuart performing almost grotesque death throws this is classic Spaghetti stuff.

Richard Harrison also performs to the top of his game and brings just the right level of presence and charisma to the role of Gringo. Harrison put in some good performances over the span of his considerable western career (Vengeance in particular springs to mind) but he is sadly remembered more for his poor films than his better ones. He is also, of course, remembered for turning down the lead in Fistful of Dollars and suggesting Clint Eastwood for a role which changed the whole face of westerns, not just in europe, but around the world. But forget all that, he brings something genuinely positive to Duello Nel Texas and he carries the film with real assurance.

That is not to say that Harrison is a one man band in the acting department here. Far from it. Giacomo Rossi Stuart plays the corrupt sherrif with some skill and Mikaela is almost Rosalba Neri like in her portrayal of Gringo's old squeeze, Maria. Her internal anguish and wrangling with the part she played in the events surrounding old man Martinez's death are handled with passion and complexity. It is also nice to see an early bit part for Aldo Sambrell as gang member, Garolo. A short lived part that ends in a violent death of course but then Aldo made such parts his stock in trade as the next few years unfurled.

Duello Nel Texas also boasts the first western score for musical maestro Ennio Morricone. Not one of his greatest by any means but it works well enough and the theme song, "A Gringo Like Me" reaches such high levels of cliched kitsch that it has become a veritable classic of its type. So corny that you can't help but love it.

This is by no means one of the great spaghettis of all time. But when compared to other films of the genre made prior to the explosive success of Fistful of Dollars it is a film of genuine quality and stands out as an example of what was just around the corner for european westerns. On the surface it appears to be constructed along traditional american western lines but with a little closer analysis it can be seen as very much a film with its heart in the mediterranean. Apart from the lead character all the good guys on show here are of latin descent. And even Gringo was raised by mexicans and defends their honour when insulted. The look and feel of the piece is also clearly a much closer cousin to that of the westerns all'italiana made in the next few years than anything created in the USA. There is a surprisingly large body count for such an early western too and some of the twitchy villainy of the Wilson brothers is reminiscant of Kinski at his nastiest.

Duello Nel Texas then, is worthy of a viewing for any fan of the genre but I will add a caveat of warning. I first saw this film as a fullscreen, public domain release under the U.S title of Gunfight at Red Sands and was generally underwhelmed by it. Seeing it more recently in a clear, widescreen version has made all the difference to my appreciation of the film. That is why I have reviewed it here under the italian title of Duello Nel Texas. The italian DVD release from RHV is well worth seeking out and rewards the viewer with a much better experience than that to be had from the cheaper U.S versions available.

The Implacable Three

Dir: Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent

1963

One of the very first european westerns which could be included under the umbrella term 'Spaghetti', The Implacable Three was a Spanish-Italian co-production which featured a cavalcade of names which would become very familiar. From Fernando Sancho and Aldo Sambrell to Lorenzo Robledo and Robert Hundar this film is littered with faces and names synonomous with the genre. However, none of the above artists are italian and despite the musical contribution of Francesco de Masi and the co-writing of Mario Caiano, I would argue that this is far more of a Paella Western than a Spaghetti one.

Of course, being a film from 1963, a full year before the release of Leone's genre defining Fistful of Dollars, it would be unfair to judge The Implacable Three by its similarity or difference to the bulk of italian westerns made in the following decade. Very few 'pre Leone' eurowesterns bear much relation to their 'post Leone' cousins in style or content as the genre was so heavily influenced by the success, both international and domestic, of the great man's works. But I do feel it is fair to say that even the early films of this type show elements of their national origin and it is relatively easy to recognise these elements. Bullets Don't Argue shows definite signs of what is about to come in the italian western, while Pirates of the Mississippi is clearly a dominantly german film despite its italian co-production status. In the same way, The Implacable Three is, for me, a predominantly spanish western reflecting spanish traditions far more evidently than italian, or for that matter, american ones.

The story is a straightforward 'revenge for a slaughtered family' tale. Cesar Guzman (Geoffrey Horne) returns home to find his pregnant wife murdered and his house robbed. He sets out immediately to track down the men responsible and exact his revenge and is quickly joined by wandering gunman, Silveira (Paul Piaget) who takes up the quest because "without risk, life isn't worth living". The two are later joined by Silveira's great rival and 'best enemy' Abriles (Fernando Sancho) and together they gradually eliminate all of the gang and close in on the man who actually killed Guzman's wife. This journey eventually takes them back to Guzman's home town and a confrontation with evil town mayor Hopkins (Antonio Gradoli) and his chief henchman McCoy (Robert Hundar) before the mystery villain is finally revealed.

This plotline could fit any number of Spaghettis so why do I identify it particularly as a predominantly Spanish rather than Italian tale?

The key reason is that the main characters here fit very closely with the classic male personae of Spanish theatrical tradition. They are 'galanes'; hidalgos, whose motivating force is honour above all else, whether that be by way of revenge for familial damage or merely by confrontation in defense of their reputation and self image. Such characters populate a myriad of 'comedias' or plays from the spanish Golden Age and their speech and modus operandi became as much of a genre stereotype in the 17th century as the laconic cowboy's did in the 20th. They are a familiar and popular convention in spanish fiction and, I believe, an iberian audience would have recognised Guzman, Silveira and Abriles as such immediately.

In particular, Sancho's character Abriles, embodies this character type . Quick to anger, and rabid in the defense of his own honour Abriles divides his time equally between fighting and courting the target of his romantic affections, Lola, the saloon girl. It is true that Abriles is not a man of high social status as most galanes would be but his personal code and attitude towards life and honour are the same.

Of course, I am not suggesting that The Implacable Three is purely a spanish comedia in western clothes. It is clearly not. There are plenty of western genre conventions here beyond the costumes and setting. But it is equally clear that this is not a simple attempt to mimic an american western in the traditional Hollywood style either. For example, none of the three heroes are american. Even Silveira, despite his fair hair and obvious parallels to Owen Wister's Virginian ("Smile when you say that"), is introduced as a Portuguese. In this story only the villains have english names.

The source of this spanish dominant feeling is not difficult to locate. Despite the italian contributions to this film's production it's chief creative personel are all spanish in origin. The director, Joaquin Romero Marchent, his cinematographer Raphael Pacheco and two of the three screenwriters, Jose Mallorqui and Marchent again, were all spanish. As was the other musical contributer, Manuel Parada.

The film also appears to be of a completely different era. The style is not just old fashioned, it verges on the antiquated; resembling more a western from the 30s or 40s than one from the 1960s. And it is this outdated quality which is ultimately the film's undoing. The italian dominated films of the 1960s were and still are popular because of their modern and innovative style. They were films which, despite their adoption of a traditional genre, were all about the modern day and its ambiguous moralities. They injected a sense of 'cool' into a popular artform which was losing touch with its contemporary audience. The Implacable Three embodies everything that Leone and his contempories ultimately moved away from and as such it is one of the last of the dinosaurs; living long enough to see the new breed that would replace it.

Marchent's film does have its qualities, and for those of us who remember fondly the simpler western of old it can still entertain. But it is probably best seen as a sign of why change was about to happen than as a signpost of what form it would take.

The Bounty Killer

Dir: Eugenio martin

1966

I have written before about good actors and directors whose work doesn't always maintain the same high standards that you expect from them. But with artists that are less well thought of you don't normally face this problem. As a rule of thumb, if someone is a bit second rate you can usually count on them to always be a bit second rate. The Bounty Killer directed by Eugenio Martin blows this theory out of the water.

My previous experience with Martin's work had been through Bad Man's River and Pancho Villa, two films from 1972 that did nothing for his reputation with me. On the contrary, they had set my mind firmly in the opinion that this was a lesser director churning out second rate films despite good casts. Bad Man's River in particular has the benefits of Lee Van Cleef, Gina Lollabrigida and James Mason and still manages to be a turkey while Pancho Villa, although better, is hardly a classic. Imagine my surprise then when The Bounty Killer not only showed signs of genuine quality but proved itself to be a tight, psychological oater of the highest calibre. In one swoop Eugenio Martin has transformed his reputation in my estimation.

The Plot is a relatively simple one. Bounty Hunter Luke Chilson (Richard Wyler) is trailing convicted bandit Jose Gomez (Tomas Milian) who has been assisted in his escape by a childhood friend (Ella Karin) from his village. Chilson's attempt to take Gomez back into custody is thwarted by the loyalty of the local people, all of whom remember Gomez fondly and believe he has been driven to banditry through injustice and persecution. However, as Gomez's friends descend on the settlement old friendships are tested and loyalties begin to unravel. Is Gomez really the man they think he is?

At the heart of this film is the central performance of Milian as the enigmatic bandit. Amazingly, this is the actor's first appearance in a western and it is a genuine tour de force. I couldn't help but be reminded of Brando in his quiet dominance of each scene. Subdued and understated, Milian's portrayal of Gomez suggests a tortured soul struggling with conflicting instincts. His face offers glimpses of inner monolgues and conversations going on that we never hear; only see the results of. But the overall impression is of a man committed to a path of self destruction; at once defiant and resigned to his fate. This is Milian at his very best and is a role which allows him to really flex his talent. When this happens you know you are in for a treat as he is without doubt the most gifted actor to regularly appear in the Spaghetti genre. There are a number of actors who look the part and who can handle the strong ,silent, hero type of role without breaking too much of a sweat but, for my money, Milian stands alone as a truly gifted actor who brings a completely different quality to the parts he plays. How he never became a major international star outside of europe is truly beyond me.

But, despite this clearly being a film dominated by Milian's performance it would be unfair to ignore the significant contributions by the rest of the cast and crew. Actors can't work without a script and this one is well constructed by Jose Gutierrez Maesso, James Donald Pringle and the directr, Eugenio Martin. Martin also handles the direction with real skill. His visual style may not be as flamboyant as some of his contemporaries but this film is always captivating to look at and his use of close ups, if more economic, never lacks impact. Milian's death scene, complete with dribbling, dirt encrusted mouth is a perfect example of this. Martin also keeps the story restricted to a few locations, in particular the tiny settlement, and this helps add a constant sense of claustrophobic tension to the entire piece. This is all assisted by the expert cinematography of future director Enzo Barboni and the fine musical score of Stelvio Cipriani.

The rest of the cast also bring solid work to the project. Richard Wyler carries the titular role effectively if without the level of ambiguity I would have liked, Ella Karin (or Helina Zalewska if you prefer) is convincing as the loyal girlfriend faced with a moral dilemma and Mario Brega gives possibly his career best performance as the town blacksmith whose actions in defense of Gomez come back to haunt him as time goes on. There is also, for the purest, a couple of very satisfying appearances from 'genre faces' Tito Garcia and Jose Canalejas as Gomez's gang members with suitably gritty and menacing visages. What more could you ask for except maybe Rosalba Neri smouldering in the background somewhere?

This then, is a first class spaghetti in anyone's book and well worth seeking out if you are able. It goes, of course, under a variety of titles depending on what part of the world you are in. The Ugly Ones, El Precio de un Hombre, even La Morte ti Seque...Ma non ha Fretta. But the easiest way to see it is to get the german Marketing Film release entitled Ohne Dollar Keinen Sarg which is pretty cheaply priced, has an english audio option and is available at amazon.de among other places. Highly recommended to anyone, but essential viewing for any spaghetti fan.

Bullets Don't Argue

(Le Pistole Non Discutono)

Dir: Mario Caiano

1964

If you ever need an example of how much influence Sergio Leone had on the italian western a viewing of Bullets Don't Argue will tell you all you need to know. It's a competantly enough directed oater with a decent Morricone score and good central performances by all concerned, filmed in the same Almerian locations and at around the same time as A Fistful of Dollars. Leone was even involved in the pre production work. But this film is as different an animal to Leone's first western as a Bengal Tiger is to a badger. Why? Well, let me count the ways.

To begin with the lead character in Caiano's film is an old school western hero of 1940s B movie proportions. In fact Rod Cameron, the star of the picture, was a B movie actor of the 1940s and, as such, couldn't have cut a more different figure to Clint Eastwood in 1964 if he had painted himself blue. In his mid fifties and thick set, Cameron appears more like a kindly uncle than anything else and although he is clearly at home on a horse and carries out his fight scenes with a confidence born of long experience he never really inspires excitement at any point. If Eastwood's cheroot smoking Joe epitomised a new era of cool, Cameron remained the vanguard of the luke warm.

As you would expect with such an old school central character the story line of Bullets Don't Argue follows a similarly traditional line. Sheriff Pat Garrett (Cameron) pursues two bank robbing bandits across the border into Mexico intent on bringing them back to face justice for the killing of the two staff members unlucky enough to have recognised them during the raid. Identified as local brothers Billy and George Clayton (Angel Aranda and Horst Frank) the bandits are easy to locate but prove harder for Garrett to transport back, especially once the existence of the $30,000 swag comes to the attention of mexican gang leader Santero (Mimmo Palmara) and he and his men pursue the lawman and his prisoners across the desert. After a few twists and turns Garrett finally is forced to hold up at the ranch of a friendly young woman and the younger bandit brother gets the opportunity to redeem himself in the face of Santero's superior numbered forces. No signs of any pragmatic morals here. Garrett is a straight shooting upholder of truth, justice and the american way while key bad guys Santero and Billy Clayton are rotten to the core.

If this wasn't enough, the friendly young woman ranch owner (Vivi Bach) has a syrupy nice little brother called Mike who wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Leave it to Beaver and who gets rescued from the flaming ranch house by our hero when the rest of us are all baying for him to be left in there to burn!

No, make no mistake, this film is based so heavily on the traditional style U.S western that it even appears out of date compared to american oaters of the pre spaghetti period. And Caiano admits this openly himself. He set out to make a traditional western and used plot threads and ideas from a host of famous U.S westerns of the 1950s as he went along. The examples of this poaching are seemingly endless, from the Sheriff's ruined wedding day (High Noon) to his transportation of the bandit to justice (3.10 to Yuma). It even has the Cavalry charging in to save the day for Pete's sake and you won't see that too often in an italian western.

And it is this open mimicing of it's american counterparts that really sets this film apart from the eurowesterns that followed the success of Leone's films. Caiano is not trying to set any new styles here. He is openly attempting to make a western, in europe, that looks as much like an american film as possible. And, in that, he was pretty successful. I was brought up on american westerns just like this and I still love them. Bullets Don't Argue, in that context, is a success and it's 'saturday morning pictures' qualities afford it a certain nostalgic warmth. Indeed, this film could have been shown at the Leyton Odeon (my childhood local cinema) on any given saturday morning in the 1960s and been received with foot stamping enthusiasm by an army of scruffy, lolly stick throwing urchins just like me whose prefered cinematic diet was satisfied by just this kind of straightforward horse and gun fest. It is fun and formulaic. What it isn't is innovative. It is a film which looks squarely into the past and that is why its comparison with Leone's effort of the same year is so stark.

But for all its differences (and they really can't be overstated) Bullets Don't Argue still shows hints of a european style about to emerge. It is almost as if, despite all its best efforts to mask its european origins, they just can't help peeking through. Part of this is almost certainly due to the Almerian landscape and locations. Rod Cameron may be a middle aged vanguard of virtue with an expanded waistline but he still walks down the same streets in Los Albaricoques that Eastwood and Van Cleef would immortalise soon after. There is also the contributions of Carlo Simi (set design) and Morricone (musical score) which add more resonances of spaghettis to come and, lastly, there are one or two faces in the cast who would go on to become familiar favourites and stalwarts of the italian style westerns. First among these, undoubtedly, is Horst Frank. Although younger, thinner and with shorter hair than when he became more familiar to us in later films his icy stare and calous wickedness is proudly on show here and his performance as Billy, the terminally mean Clayton brother, is the strongest in the film. He swaggers around killing, slapping and stealing without a moment's hesitation and his glowering presence adds a real edge to this otherwise wholesome canvas. The only disappointment is that we are denied the pleasure of a final showdown between him and the hero. A real missed opportunity in my view but probably symptomatic of the film's more mainstream goals.

Fundamentally then, Bullets Don't Argue was proof that the italians could make an american western with acceptable skill and genre understanding if they chose to. This film ticks a whole lot of general boxes and is entertaining in its traditional style. Thankfully, however, this style was not to be the dominant influence on eurowesterns in the coming years. It would be the more innovative style of Leone and its more morally ambiguous characters that became the dominant and defining image of the western all'italiana. And we can all be grateful for that.

Days of Violence

Dir: Alfonso Brescia

1967

Writing a review of a film which is really good or really bad is a pretty easy process. The film offers plenty of scope to discuss its strengths or weaknesses as they are clear to see and give obvious strands to follow. You start typing and the next thing you know you are the other side of a thousand words and the thing is done. The biggest challenge is knowing when to shut up and bring the thing to a close. But what do you do when the film you are discussing doesn't offer any obvious highs or lows for you to focus on? How do you write an interesting review of a film which is just OK? Nothing more or less?

Days of Violence offered me just such a challenge. It is neither brilliant nor rubbish. It is just alright in almost every way. And that makes for tough reviewing. But, on consideration, I have come to think that maybe it is its very middle of the roadness which is its most interesting quality. Here is a film which epitomises the average Spaghetti. It never reaches the heights of the classic films of Leone, Sollima or Corbucci. But it equally never sinks to the depths of the worst slapstick comedy or Ed Wood hilarity sometimes reached by genre hacks such as Demofilo Fidani. It's just a bog standard revenge flick with a decent cast, ably directed which offers the Spaghetti fan an hour and a half fix of escapist fun. When viewed in that way, Days of Violence is a pretty good film.

Josh (Johs?) Lee lives and works with his brother and sister in law on the Evans ranch and is in love with the owner's daughter Christine. It is the time of the civil war and Missouri, where this story takes place, is being occupied by Union soldiers. The local commanding officer, Captain Clifford, is a corrupt opportunist who is using the situation and his position of power to grab wealth and influence for himself in the region and with the help of his murderous henchman Hank he targets the Evans ranch as a likely source of personal gain. On the pretense of searching for Rebel soldiers he searches the ranch and in the ensuing argument Josh's brother and sister in law are killed. Josh then joins the local renegades and soon becomes a wanted man. During this time Christine has been sent away to Jackson for safety but on her return after the war's end she finds Josh gone and Clifford set up as a local bigwig. Josh returns to find Christine and Clifford betrothed and all hell breaks loose.

This story, based around the 'revenge for a murdered family' plot has a few extra strands to keep it interesting and is embellished by the roles of Mr Evans, a wheelchair bound obsessive who is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of his beloved ranch, and Butch, the renegade leader who turns out to be more a bandit than a patriot. It also has a pretty strong romantic element between Josh and Christine that runs throughout the film and this is quite unusual in a Spaghetti: Traditionally a genre high on violence and low on love. And it works well here. Peter Lee Lawrence is believable in the romantic lead and he carries off the grittier side reasonably well too while Beba Loncar gives Christine the right level of innocence mixed with intelligence.

Indeed the cast as a whole carry off their parts in just the fashion you would hope for and it is good to see an ensemble of genre regulars like this given decent sized roles to work with. Luigi Vannucchi makes a welcome appearance after his sound work in Johnny Yuma and Andrea Bosic is just as unpleasant as Old Man Evans as he was as Murray in Day of Anger. The only disappointment is that the wonderful Rosalba Neri gets so underutilised as Lizzy the doomed sister in law. We could have done with a lot more from her here as she always adds a hint of gothic melodrama to everything she appears in and if there is a criticism I feel is warranted in this film it is that it sometimes appears a little flat and could do with some spice added to the mix.

That is not to say that Brescia does a poor job with direction here. On the contrary, it is solid work from a director not ranked as anything like the best in the field. Rather that it could have been done with a bit more inventiveness or flair. Which is a pity, as there are moments that show real promise but they are rarely followed though. A good example is the very first shot in the film where we see Neri coming out of the ranch house in the background, framed in the foreground by an extreme close up of Hank's boot on a tree stump. A moment later a knife drops into shot and sticks, upright in the stump. The sense of menace and tension is immediate and sets up the ensuing attack on Lizzy perfectly. But this is an idea in isolation. As the film progresses we rarely get close to such economic and effective composition again. A pity, as it is shots like this that make these films so distinctive and memorable. Equally, the score fails to really deliver any impact. Bruno Nicolai has a fine pedigree and has produced some excellent scores but this one, while adequate, fails to excite.

But, as I said at the very beginning, there is nothing in this film that you could label as bad. Even its poorer elements are not without merit. And it does have some pretty solid pluses. Its problem is that it doesn't do anything exceptional, which, in reality, is not such a big crime. If it weren't for middle of the road films like this the truly great ones would have nothing to stand out from. And it does enough things well enough to keep this viewer engaged sufficiently throughout. And as such, it is a perfect example of its type. There were hundreds of italian westerns made in a ten or so year period between 1964 and 1974 and the vast majority were happy to settle for being just OK. There was a market for such things which these films catered for admirably. And they still do.

As a result, I enjoyed this run of the mill italian oater. Not enough to gush about it, but enough to put it back on the shelf with the conviction that I will be watching it again before too long. It ain't great, but it's good enough.

Day of Anger

Dir: Tonino Valerii

1967

Watching a movie on the strength of the name of the lead actor can be a problematic decision. There are some actors who are relatively safe bets and others who are distinctly more eratic in their choices and performances. Lee Van Cleef falls squarely into the latter camp. As much as I am a lifelong fan of his it has to be admitted that for every classic like The Big Gundown or For a Few Dollars More there are an equal number of turkeys like Bad Man's River and Captain Apache. Thankfully, Day of Anger is no turkey. It features the real deal Van Cleef, complete with gunsight eyes and without any dodgy hair pieces. It also features Giuliana Gemma in fine form and one of the best theme tunes you'll ever hear. All in all, this one is a winner.

The story is a straight forward one. Downtrodden town outcast Scott Mary, (Gemma) pushed around and belittled by the mean spirited elders of Clifton, dreams of getting a pistol and commanding respect from his persecutors. When charismatic gunman Frank Talby (Van Cleef) rides into town he shows some kindness to the youngster and soon takes him on as a pupil/partner as he strives to obtain his own revenge on the same town elders. It transpires that these pillars of the community are not quite as honest and upstanding as they would appear and Talby sets about demanding the $50,000 from them which he is owed by their criminal associate, Wild Jack. Talby soon commands a position of wealth and power in the town but the elders are not ready to give up so easy. What unfolds is a morality tale, of mixed loyalties, two mentors and a poisoned chalice; where Scott finds his revenge but loses his innocence.

Van Cleef is at his very best in this film where both sides of his screen persona are allowed to cohabit the same character. Talby is at once the wise father figure a la Colonel Mortimer from For a Few Dollars More and the self serving villain of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. He exhibits kindness and ruthlessness in equal portions and the viewer is left guessing to the end which way his instincts will lead him.

Gemma's wide eyed youthfulness is also used to its best advantage here and his performance is second only to his one in Return of Ringo for me; taking us on a journey from innocence to anger to disillusionment during the course of the film.

Comparisons have been made in the past between the storyline of Day of Anger and that of Star Wars and it is easy to see why. The age old themes of pupil and mentor, of a young hero learning to use his natural skills in order to step into manhood, are similar to those at the heart of Lucas' film. The similarities are even more striking when the added dimension of young hero being tempted by a dark path and the power it promises is added; along with the ultimate showdown when he needs to defeat his father figure in order to free himself from the shackles of that temptation. It is possible that Lucas was influenced by Day of Anger when constructing Star Wars (he has stated he was a spaghetti western fan) but it is more likely that both films share a common origin; that of classic mythology where stories of this sort have been told for generations.

And it may well be this universal theme element that makes Day of Anger such a satisfying movie. It is not overly complicated. It is not especially innovative. In fact, it is not outstanding in most areas. But it does work on just about every level you could ask for to a sufficient degree to make its repeated viewing a real pleasure and a regular favourite among fans of the genre.

One area where it is undoubtedly outstanding however, is in its musical score. Or more specifically in its theme tune. This theme, composed by the great Riz Ortolani, is a once heard never forgotten masterpiece of screaming brass, twanging stratocaster and driving rhythm and is used to great effect throughout the film but is particularly memorable during the rotoscope opening credits. I confess I often pop my DVD of this film into the player just to relive the opening when I need a lift. In my opinion it should be available on prescription.

But the music is not it's only treasure. There is a great duel scene where Van Cleef faces his opponent while charging hell for leather at each other on horseback with muzzle loading rifles. There is an excellent cameo from Al Muloch as Wild Jack, Talby's grubby and surly former partner. And there is a well played finale where all the lessons Scott has learned from Talby are retold and used as the young man faces up to his old mentor.

Any way you cut it, this is a Spaghetti with enough to keep anyone happy. Valerii's direction is sound if not inspired, the cast is solid and in good form, the story is satisfying and the music is top drawer. The only down side is that despite it being a regular favourite of most fans it still hasn't had a proper DVD release in europe and the only U.S edition (an excellent widescreen version from Wild East) is now out of print. If you are lucky you may still be able to pick up a copy from an online distributor or maybe a second hand copy on ebay but this film should undoubtedly be more readily available than that. Here's hoping whoever owns the rights to this classic decide to get their arse into gear and give it an official release soon. It certainly deserves it.

Cemetery Without Crosses

Dir: Robert Hossein

1968

I enjoy genre films. I enjoy entering the mythological world they inhabit and watching familiar characters playing out familiar stories with familiar themes. These familiarities are central to my enjoyment and it is essential for me that the creator of any genre film understands the conventions and icons which feed this sense of familiarity. Playing within the rules, but doing it well, and with a little flair, is what I demand from a genre film maker. And if they can deliver that they will invariably get a thumbs up from me and a repeat viewing. (Maybe even a good review) But familiarity, as we all know, can breed contempt and so it is equally important that the familiar is spiced on occasion with a hint of the unexpected or the exceptional. Something which will add to my pleasure without deviating too far from the path I like to follow. Now, there are many films which satisfy the former of these requirements but fulfilling the latter is not so common. It is a relatively easy matter to mimic the successful work of others and serve up a dish which is enjoyable without being memorable. But it is only every now and again a film comes along which ticks all the boxes expected of it but which offers itself in such a distinctively different way and asks such distinctively different questions of its audience that it stands apart from its genre cousins like a frog does from a tadpole. Cemetery Without Crosses is just such a film.

Consider the familiarities. There is a bullying, patriarchal family forcing neighbours from their land and building a mammoth empire for themselves while ruthlessly eliminating anyone in their way. There is a second family, victimised and downtrodden by the former, who want revenge for the brutal killing of one of their own. There is a town, policed by a corrupt lawman, and populated by people filled with fear who are unwilling to stand up to the patriarch boss. And finally, there is a taciturn lone gunman, called upon to exact the revenge the victimised family cannot manage on their own. Here’s a storyline we’ve seen countless times in westerns, both American and European, over the years and which can provide an entertaining, if somewhat predictable narrative. But, if you have popped Cemetery Without Crosses into the old machine and are settling down to witness another conventional revenge flick, you will be mightily, and pleasantly, surprised.

To begin with this film takes the minimalist dialogue of the average eurowestern to its ultimate extreme. There is so little talking that when I watched it recently it was fully ten minutes before I realised I had the DVD on the wrong language setting. Long swathes of it are played as a silent movie, with only music and skilful direction used to move the story forward and communicate drama and emotion. This ‘silent film’ approach is far from parody however. Rather, Hossein uses subtle visual techniques and the skills of his actors to maintain a level of emotional intensity rarely seen in a film from this genre. The lead character, Manuel the gunfighter (played by Hossein himself), is shown to be a man of complex motivations, acting against his better judgement, wracked with doubts and regrets. No cardboard cut out hero here despite his exaggerated gun skills. This is a real man with real emotions facing a looming disaster with resignation and pain.

Maria (Michele Mercier), widow of the slaughtered Ben Caine and ex lover of Manuel, is equally three dimensional. Exhibiting equal quantities of despair and determination, she fills the screen with her stoic suffering. What is more, in a welcome break from spaghetti tradition, she is not here merely to pretty the place up. So often female characters in the genre are relegated to vamp or victim; rarely being allowed to exert more than a superfluous influence on the heart of the proceedings. But here she is the driving force behind the narrative and a character of central importance.

Lastly, the theme of revenge, while at the heart of the story, is questioned and approached from a very different angle to the average western. Manuel states early in the piece that ‘Vengeance never ends’ and his words prove to be prophetic as each action causes an escalated reaction and the brutality from all sides spirals out of control.

Cemetery Without Crosses then is not your average spaghetti. This could be largely due to its being as much a French film as an Italian one. Despite its co production status and bevy of genre regulars amongst the bit players and supporting cast, the primary personnel on this feature are predominantly French from director to actors to musical composer. This undoubtedly has an effect on the feel and style of the film and, despite my deep love of the Italian way in such things, I have to say it is refreshing to see this variation. Hossein does an outstanding job as actor /director and the music score, penned by his brother Andre, helps at every turn; first with a driving theme, then with poignant solo guitar. On top of all this, the sets are inspired; juxtaposing the ranch house full of plenty at the Rogers family estate with the meagre cabin of the Caines and the isolated, almost surreal ghost town home of Manuel.

All these facets make this film stand out from most of its contemporaries but that is not to say it doesn’t contain all the attributes you would expect from a western of this period. It is gritty, sombre and violent, with fist fights and plenty of gunplay. There are bad guys and good guys, although the lines are a little blurred and there is enough pace and action on the whole to keep the most impatient action fan happy. There is even, I’m delighted to say, a role (if fleeting) for Lorenzo Robledo; a face that always makes a true spaghetti fan feel right at home. What's more, it's a role where he avoids getting killed or tortured too. And you don't see that very often.

The real difference here, and the reason this film sits among some of the genre’s best, is the level of subtlety it allows itself and the questions it asks us. The characters are allowed to express real emotions (albeit silently) and the themes at play in the seemingly familiar storyline are given just enough of a twist to make us think. It is still a western and an action film. But it is a thoughtful action film; with genuine drama. And that’s a pretty good and welcome combination.