Dir.: Sergio Leone
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach
Sprawling views of a dead yet living landscape, extreme close up of desperate, savage eyes, pregnant pauses before moments of terrible violence and an unflinching majesty in a symphony of death, I just could not be as verbose as others who have also seen this classic and love it. Relentless, heartless and without remorse, Leones’ tale of greed combining with the regality of the wild west against the backdrop of the New Mexico Campaign during the American Civil War is contrasted by the deadly gorgeousness of Leones’ lenses. In an essence, this film remains the crown of the film makers’ respectably rich resume because of it’s seeming simplicity. Themes of greed, decency vs. indecency, morality vs. immortality and the trivial vs. the consequential echo through the films in the actions Blondie/Joe/The Man With No Name, Angel Eyes Setenza and Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramírez. None of these men are paragons of the better side of human nature and that is what makes them so compelling. Are they relatable? Not terribly, but it is all subjective and every time I watch this movie, I continually get swept up in the pageantry of Leones’ savagery. What else is there left for me to say? Not a damn thing. Masterfully shot, inimitably scored, astutely acted and endlessly quotable, this film has earned its place in history and continues to endure the test of time.
Something About Death…
The Super Network 