Cristi_Ciopron As a western tale of menace and atmosphere, Giulio Petroni's epic reminded me of Hammett (for the plot of clever, cold revenge, a 'Yojimbo' flavor coming back to the Occident, but this tendency is soon dropped for good, as the two gunmen meet fiercer gangsters in Lyndon City, and the storyline is episodic, from one town to another, then across the border amid the frightened Mexicans), Bogart (by Van Cleef's endearingly careful role, but this is a limited resemblance or suggestion, since 'Ryan' hasn't the vulnerable and down to earth side of the silver screen Marlowe or Spade, though he is quite soon stripped of his seeming omnipotence and, in the scene after Bill rescues him, he appears as a vulnerable person indeed, still trying to patronize the cub with wisecracks; so just a hint of a resemblance, within different and dissimilar scripts), and the action starts with spurs, it has wholesome humor (the son's first entrance into Cavanaugh's saloon, there is a sense that this youngster has humor and a sense of fun, as in Nero doing an Eastwood role), there are satisfying twists (Cavanaugh's early demise), a less plausible idea (Walcott shows at the bank robbery). The movie is suspenseful, and, if couldn't term it stylish, it's eerie, grim and intensely dramatic; Van Cleef's role isn't the one he had in the Leone movies, and if, for some, those seemed really his movies, as opposed to the blander Eastwood's, this becomes Bill's movie. Which means Ryan isn't magically better than Bill. He's not that entitled to patronize the youngster.Ryan has the advantage of mysteriousness, so Bill has to be resourceful, which he is. And where Leone was playful, Giulio Petroni is dryly humorous. There's no spoof, I suppose, but a bit of comedy.

Bob_Zerunkel Two Italian guys who once made some good movies about a guy who stands around and sometimes shoots people decide that they are going to do another movie about a guy who stands around and sometimes shoots people.For the guy who stands around and sometimes shoots people they selected John Law. My understanding of this decision is that they saved money by hiring a model since he wasn't going to be acting anyway.So the guy who stands around and sometimes shoots people decides that the next people he shoots are going to be other guys who shoot people.To help him out he finds another guy who stands around and sometimes shoots people. The Italian guys cast Van Cleef in that role, because he built a career out of standing around and sometimes shooting people. Plus he's bald, which makes it a lot easier to tell which guy standing around and sometimes shooting people is which.The Italian guys decide that the plot is going to be the same basic plot as their big hit -- but they put a big twist in it. Oh, my.The twist is that Van Cleef isn't the Bad. This time, he is the Ugly.He lives up to it.Oh, and the guns sound just like the guns in the Italian guys hit movie. You know, the one with the plot and the good actor.

tcaramela This movie started off with a great opening scene with a bad storm and a family who gets slaughtered this is typical for SW movies a revenge for a slaughtered family theme. I liked how it showed four men masked and each man shows the boy some distinguishing feature to help him later in life identify each of the culprits with the exception of one who loses the bandanna around his face and is an easy spot. Another man comes in and saves the boy from the fire. Its a great western of two men who both have a score to settle with the same men. It is director Guilio Petroni's best western by most critics, I have yet to see his Night of the Serpent which is told to be a great second of his work. Lee Van Cleef gives a great performance in this one and the famous Ennio Morricone gives another brilliant score. I actually always have enjoyed the villain roles of Anthony Dawson and he is good in this one as well.

winterbear-157-474225 To me, not one of the better spaghetti westerns. Maybe something is lost in translation, but the scripted lines in English are embarrassing and spoken as such. There are some evocative scenes but some completely unbelievable ones that even the actors seem to find embarrassing. I've tried to like this film but there are far better in the spaghetti western genre to appreciate. It just all seems befuddled and forced to me. Still, its worth watching for Lee Van Cleef, but not a film I would revisit for the acting, plot, storyline etc. It's only real saving grace is a distinctly darker score by Ennio Morricone, but then that is available on various CDs. In short, emotionless and drab.