The Good, the Bad and the Ugly / Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo

Dir: Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon A Time in the West)
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
Italy/Spain, 1966

Seen: April 28, 2007 thanks to the Toronto Public Library

Reason to see: It’s on my 101 list of films I can't believe I haven't seen for being #4 on imdb's top 250

I was floored by this film, from the first moment the strikingly familiar music came on to the very end. In all the films I've come across on my 101 list, this along with Rashômon are two of the best films I have seen in my entire life. I watched it twice in 2 days, and it's over 3 hours long, that is how good it is. The acting is stellar, the cinematography is beyond words and it is rich with tension throughout. It explores a common theme for westerns (and many contemporary films) which is what people will do and how far they will go for money. There is a fair amount of violence which usually makes me less interest but somehow with this film it works. Everything works, it was sheer maddening joy to watch it unfold.

Warnings – Violence, torture

Shannon's Overall View:
I thought it excellent
I'll buy it
I’d recommend it

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2007