A fistful of Dollars (1964)

[Neville]

You can say what you want, but I have little appreciation for this particular film. As I see it, Sergio Leone would only earn the halo that distinguishes genius from mediocrity with his following piece, For a few dollars more, and I consider this one his worst film ever.

Not that it hasn't good points. Eastwood, in a career-making role, is very good, and the plot, stolen right from Kurosawa's Yojimbo is (or was) unusual enough for a western, as it confines the action between the limits of a small village, where tow different gangs coexist. Until the hero arrives, that is.

On Leone's behalf, I'll also acknowledge that his good eye for unusual scope compositions is there, and despite its age and low budget this films looks a Hell better than many other films, not only westerns, of the time.

Why the negative remarks, then? Easy. The script trusts too much on the mysterious stranger as an agent of actions, and the characters are VERY sketchy. Leone would learn later toi create unique characters with only a few traits, but this talent is nowhere to be seen, and I refuse to blame the actors here, as they are spot-on, and Gian Maria Volonté himself would make a great villain in For a few dollars more. Another problem is the pace. No matter how many shootouts and double-crosses the film has, it still feels badly paced and sketchy. It doesn't drag, as it's only 95', but it is very close to.

Anyway, probably I'm being too hard on this one, as Leone would prove to be one of the most unique and talented filmmakers of the second half of the XXth century, but this film is just above average.



Do you make group discounts?

[Jim H]

"and the plot, stolen right from Kurosawa's Yojimbo is (or was) unusual enough for a western,"

Which itself steals from Hammet's Red Harvest.  I just love pointing that out for some reason.

I recently rewatched A Fistful of Dollars (I've seen it many times).  I have to agree it is quite a bit worse than its sequel and prequel, but I'm not quite as down on it as you.  I can't really disagree with anything you said, though, I just enjoyed what it did have to offer more.  It does come close to being boring, especially in the middle part of the storyline, however.

Probably the only aspect of the first film which nearly equals the others in the Man With No Name films is Morricone's music, which is used to great effect throughout.  I especially like the eery high pitched whine right before the main character draws - it almost suggests something is supernatural about him.

[Scott]

Watched A FEW DOLLARS MORE again recently when it came on TV and still enjoy it. Leone and Morricone were great together. Was reading a book on Leone and it said the Morricone played the music from ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST at Leone's funeral.

[peter johnson]

Eh, as I just said in my last post, you gotta take all 3 of these films together as some sort of Surrealist Grand Opera --
Even if you're right, Neville, there's a huge part of me that's still 10 years old & watching this on the big screen for the first time and being totally & completely enthralled --
Whatever its faults, this is one set of pictures where I simply don't care & just love them unequivocally and uncritically just as they are --
peter johnson/denny crane

[RCMerchant]

I think ALL Clint's spaghetti westerns are some of the most enjoyable movies ever.And my 2 kids(12 and 14) think so as well.Thats recomendation enuff for me.

[Neville]

RCMerchant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think ALL Clint's spaghetti westerns are some of
> the most enjoyable movies ever.And my 2 kids(12
> and 14) think so as well.Thats recomendation enuff
> for me.

I would agree with that if "Hang 'em high" was any good, which it isn't. And I don't care if it's an american movie, it's style screams spaghetti from miles away.

[Gerry]

What no mention yet of David Carradine's version of the story??? -- THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS?  The only saving grace of that one is the nekkid women!

[RCMerchant]

Opps! I fergot about that one. Yer right,Hang 'em High was a huge bore.But of course,that did'nt have Leone at the helm.And NO western can compare with Good,the Bad and the Ugly.Once Upon a Time in the West is a very close second.

[Yaddo 42]

In his book (which I should have bought),  Carradine said he pointed out that TWatS was a Yojimbo/Dollars retread, but he was also just fulfilling the end of a contract with Corman.

Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis was an acknowledged remake of Yojimbo, but it owes lots to Dollars as well.

Kurosawa himself used to point out his borrowing of the plot of "Red Harvest" when people suggested he take legal action against Leone or that Leone stole his thunder.

Agree it drags in the middle, but it is a film that had such an influence, that its faults are excused by most people, since they remember the highlights more. I'd still take it over "Hang 'Em High", "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (which I've never been a huge fan of), or "Joe Kidd" (which starts well but doesn't hold up the whole way through, plus it borrows from lesser known real spaghetti westerns)

[Scott]

Another one that was good was MY NAME WAS NOBODY. Leone assisted in the production of this film.

[Neville]

Yeah, I just learned of that one. I got a very good book on Leone from the local library (no "Something to do with death", but something far more short and pedantic) and it listed it as one of the titles that finally killed the Spaguetti Werstern genre.

I'm not a fan of Terence Hill, but the plot seems interesting enough, and having Leone and Henry Fonda on the credits is one of those things that catch your eye at once.

[Scott]

"Something to do with Death" was the title of the book I read and it's also one of the lines Jason  Robards has towards the end of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

The story and action are very good in MY NAME IS NOBODY. Henry Fonda is very good in his aging gunslinger role as he takes on a 100 outlaws all by himself at the end. The whole film is wonderful.

[Yaddo 42]

I'd still like to seen the sequel "Nobody's a Genius" (also goes by various other titles).

Finally bought the DVD of MNIN. A favorite of mine al the way back to when I first saw the Fonda vs. the Wild Bunch scene on TV as a small child, completely out of context, but was amazed that way it turned out, completely unexpected for the one vs. 150 to actually win, to me anyway.

[Scott]

I also saw this in the 70's on TV and MY NAME IS NOBODY made quite an impression on me as well. Possibly more than any film that comes to mind.

[Scott]

My Name is Nobody	Small | Large

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