CEMETARY WITHOUT CROSSES (1969)

[The Burgomaster]

This is another quality widescreen DVD-R I got from Cinema de Bizarre.

I had never heard of this movie before (it also goes by the name THE ROPE AND THE COLT and the cover art on the DVD-R box uses the Italian title CIMITERO SENZA CROCI), but it's one of the best European-produced westerns from the 1960s.

The plot is nothing special: after watching a sadistic gang murder her husband, a woman seeks assistance from her former lover, an expert gunfighter, to get revenge.

What makes this movie so memorable is the solid performances (which are often built around facial expressions and body language rather than relying heavily on dialogue), nice camera work, and the desolate ghost town set where some of the key scenes take place.  And it's interesting to note that Dario Argento was one of the screenwriters. 

Robert Hossein (who also directed this) turns in a smooth performance as Manuel, the reluctant hero who would rather live a quiet life than get involved in his ex-lover's revenge plot.  Also very good is attractive French actress Michelle Mercier, who does a nice job carrying her character through a range of emotional swings throughout the movie.

The end credits include a caption dedicating this movie to Hossein's friend Sergio Leone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTFnc50ZR1E