An incredible adventure, and a true classic.
This Italian spaghetti western film made over twenty-times its $1.2 million dollar budget
when it was released in December of 1966.
The carefully paced plot sees three criminals in America's old west race to find a fortune
of gold buried in a remote cemetery.
The final chapter in the so-called "Dollars Trilogy", legendary western icon Clint Eastwood
once again teams up with director Sergio Leone for one last grand epic.
Eastwood's no-nonsense, bad-ass sharp shooting "Man With No Name" persona returns as well,
this time as a somewhat sympathetic drifter known only as "Blondie" - a dubious distinction
considering his gorgeous mane of brown hair.
Although the film labels him as "the good", Eastwood is no less evil than the other two
- sharing loyalty or concern to no man.
But still, the audience implicitly roots for him, if only because he's the coolest and
best looking of the lot.
With his menacing narrow eyes and pointed nose, Lee Van Cleef is excellent as "the bad";
a ruthless killer who still abides by a gentlemanly code of combat.
And rounding out the titular trio is Eli Wallach as "the ugly" - an unfortunately cruel moniker
I'm not sure he actually deserves.
Not only does he receive the lion's share of screen time, but his performance is easily
the best as well; bouncing from cowardice to confidence with a very believable delivery.
Him and Eastwood begin the picture as uneasy allies in a bounty-collecting scheme, whereby
Eastwood saves Wallach from the hangman's noose with a last-minute sniper-shot.
Later, when Eli attempts to re-negotiate this tenuous partnership, Clint slyly threatens
that "If we cut down my percentages...
[it's] liable to interfere with my aim."
Rife with symbolic imagery and beautiful scenery, "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" is both a
love letter to classic westerns as well one of the genre's crowning achievements.
And while the sprawling mountains of the Spanish countryside are a generally poor substitute
for the old west - the locations here are still impressive and majestic.
The composition and framing all look decidedly modern too, making excellent use of the wide
anamorphic frame, and frequently punching in for fierce close-ups.
Which all go great with the quick and inventive editing.
Ashamedly, I had never seen this picture before this week - so when Italian composer Ennio
Morricone finally won an Academy Award for his score to 2015's "The Hateful Eight" earlier
this year, I didn't agree with the selection.
But now I understand.
It's an obvious 'make-up' award for his incredible work of decades' past - because despite some
extremely memorable anthems in this picture, "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" wasn't nominated
for a single Oscar.
In fact, rated 9th all-time, it's the highest rated movie on IMDb without one.
And talk about being robbed, because - holy shit, the score here is something else.
Powerful, goosebump-inducing music that figuratively knocked my socks off.
The instantly recognizable title theme, as well as the climatic track, "The Ecstasy Of
Gold" are more than befitting this legendary period in American history - bombastic orchestration
that loudly swells during the picture's most intense moments and stand-offs.
As floored as I was by this cinematic adventure, it was not without its faults; at two hours
and forty-one minutes, it's definitely much longer than the thin story can support.
A lengthy detour into a big-scale Civil War battle is undeniably impressive (a huge set-piece
involving an imploded bridge even had to be shot twice) - but it completely stalls the
momentum of the picture.
And while I appreciate how influential and accomplished Leone was - especially in reinvigorating
the western-genre, the mix of spoken-English and dubbed Italian dialogue is definitely
distracting.
With plenty of twists, turns, and action - this is a unique journey through the American Civil
War, the best spaghetti western ever made, and a captivating experience.
And here's what you had to say about it.
Referring to it as a masterpiece, you loved this film - especially its score, rating it
a TEN out of ten.
For me, "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" is a truly AWESOME film.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!