ironhorse_iv It's doesn't stand out as much as the other Spaghetti Westerns movies, I have watch. Its story doesn't seem that interesting at first glance, but it is, once you get into it. It's just would be better told in a more enhanced writer's hands. Remind me of 1957's 3:10 to Yuma or Anthony Mann's 1953's The Naked Spur with its story. Though based on the western pulp novel by American Marvin Albert call 'Bounty Hunter', this movie follows the same basic patterns as other Italian flicks with the whole resurrection & insurrection plot line. That's if you can find this rare movie. It's badly damaged or cut by the years. Some versions are missing dialogue or violence key scenes. Some of the voice dubbing sound is missing, so that at these points the English audio with subtitles was used. There is also muffling and few background hiss. There are hints of very minor cropping at the sides of the print but seems to be original aspect ratio. It depends on what version, you end up getting. It doesn't help that 'The Ugly Ones' has many internationally re-released titles such as The Bounty Killer, The Days of the Guns, The Price of a Man, No Money equal no coffin, and etc. etc. It might get confusing, but all of those titles are the same movie. Directed by Eugenio Martín, the film marked the debut of Tomás Milián in the western genre playing the bad guy Jose Gomez, an outlaw treated and protected by his hometown from the law because they believe he is a local hero. Only one man, can be brave enough to risk the odds, and capture him; Bounty hunter, Luke Chilson (Richard Wyler). The pacing in the film is really slow, and stretch to near yawning point. The opening sequences of Luke Chilson catching another escapee, and Jose Gomez escaping could be cut out, and it wouldn't make any different in the end. The second half of the movie, more than makes up for it. The action scenes are pretty good. I do like the diner escape scene. The violence is not over the top, it's has some realistic looking dangerous stunt work. There's a scene where a guy gets shot off of his horse, and after he falls, that horse rolls right over him. That couldn't have felt very good. Also scenes of blood, bruising, and one shot kills that isn't fake looking. The acting is great. I'm overall impression of Milian committed to portrayal a man on a path of self-destruction. The film is loaded with interesting complex analysis of Jose's criminality ranging from his parent's violence death and land stolen by American raiders to racism by law enforcement. In the movie, violence and corruption traps Gomez, who led by his own good intentions, in the end become more corrupted and violent as those that brutalized him. By making Gomez more likable and romantic in nature. The audience is almost likely get sucker punched into rooting for him, until the evil fabric of his character becomes apparent. The film really hits the heights as the locals see the transformation of Gomez's dark side peeking out, more and more. Milian plays this villain role great, but in some scenes it seem like he is just murmuring nonsense. Wyler's bounty hunter is far more restrained subdued stoic good guy, yet apt for the character he portrays. Thank goodness, Chilson does not succumb to becoming a romantic lead in this. He is a well-drawn character rather than a stock heroic figure that you expect in a western. Surprising even the female role play by Halina Zelewska as Eden is never degrades her into a sex object due to her character's complex duality between Gomez and Chilson that causes her character conflict. Her decision play the biggest part of the ending in the film. It has weight with the black hat/white hat scenario. Some people see it as a right wing message that says the poor should look deeper into what they call these Robin Hood type heroes. I have to somewhat agree. Altogether, this creates an interesting story that is very sophisticated for what is, basically, a B-List movie. The camera work is pretty good, and captured both the wide open spaces and the claustrophobic confines of the buildings where much of the action in takes place. Once again, watch the diner scene again. There is a very abnormal implementation of zoom shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax use as a dreamlike intoxicated, surreal fragmentation of Gomez's mind. Rather than the usual sustained, intensity-building close-ups that Sergio Leone was so fond of, the filmmaker here uses a rapidly zooming in and out camera for a more unsettling effect. It's somewhat annoying and headache to watch. The soundtrack is exceptional with a score by Stelvio Cipriani that exemplifies the unique qualities of the Euro western score. Overall: it's worth the watch if a Spaghetti Western's fan, but a bit forgettable compare to the other flashy Spaghetti Westerns, I'm used to.

zardoz-13 The dusty looking Spaghetti western "The Bounty Killer," known also as "The Ugly Ones," ranks as an above-average, Italian-made oater with the prolific Tomas Milian as a charismatic outlaw and Richard Wyler as a bounty hunter. "Bad Man's River" director Eugenio Martín, along with genre pioneers José Gutiérrez Maesso of "Minnesota Clay" and James Donald Prindle of "Gunfight at Red Sands," did something entirely different from most Spaghetti westerns. They used an American western novel written by Marvin Albert as their source material. In fact, Albert wrote several other westerns that Hollywood turned into westerns. "Rough Night in Jericho," "Duel at Diablo," "Bullet for a Badman," and "The Law and Jake Wade" were the others. Despite the atriocus dubbing on the Echo Bridge version, "The Bounty Killer" is a fast-paced horse opera lensed on western sets left over from other westerns around Alme. and against mountains terrain that the best of the early Spaghetti westerns were made. The arid Spanish scenery substitutes splendidly for the parched American southwest, with future "Trinity" helmer Enzo Barboni creating striking pictorial compositions that are complemented by "A Stranger in Town" composer Stelvio Cipriani's catchy, atmospheric music. "The Bounty Killer" appeared during the first phase of the Spaghetti western, when the Europeans made them with noisy gunfights, screaming horses, and thoroughly despicable villains. Nothing is really distinctive about Richard Wyler's heroic bounty hunter. He looks like he could have ridden out of a 1950s' Hollywood sagebrusher.

Witchfinder General 666 Eugenio Martin's "El Precio De Un Hombre" aka. "The Bounty Killer"/"The Ugly Ones" seems to enjoy a particular appreciation of many of my fellow Spaghetti Western fans, but, personally I do not regard the film as being above average. I have utmost respect for director Eugenio Martin for his fantastic Horror film "Horror Express" (1972, starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Salavas), and leading man Tomas Milian is one of my favorite actors, but, as far as I am concerned, this one is nothing beyond enjoyably entertaining, as the story is rather unoriginal and predictable. "The Ugly Ones" is only the second Western Milian ever did, the first being Sergio Sollima's masterpiece "La Resa Dei Conti" ("The Big Gundown", 1966) which is doubtlessly one of the greatest (Spaghetti) Westerns ever to be made. Milian is doubtlessly one of the greatest actors in Italian genre/cult-cinema. Starting with Westerns (most notably Sollima's trilogy), he would later become the most charismatic villain/hero in the Poliziotteschi of the 70s (most notably in Umberto Lenzi's fantastic "Milano Odia" and "Roma A Mano Armata"), and his oeuvre also includes a variety of other great films, such as Lucio Fulci's brilliant Giallo "Non Si Sevizia Un Paperino" ("Don't Torture A Duckling", 1972). No matter whether he is the hero or the villain, Milian is always fantastic and completely owns the screen with his unique presence. This film is mainly recommendable for Milian, who appears as the cunning, manipulative and somewhat charming villain he would often play in later crime flicks. Otherwise, it profits from a genre-typical nice score and cinematography, cult-regular Mario Brega in a supporting role, and the greatest possible setting for a European Western: the Spanish Almeria desert. Milian plays José Gómez, an outlaw who escapes with the help of the innocent Eden (Halina Zalewska). Eden and a bunch of other good people who have known Gómez since his childhood, help him hide from Luke Chilson (Richard Wyler), a bounty hunter who is very successful in his profession. After a while, however, it becomes more and more obvious that Gómez is nothing like the poor orphan they once liked anymore...The plot has strong resemblances to Anthony Mann's American Western "The Naked Spur" of 1953 (the Spanish Version of which was also called "El Precio De Un Hombre" in some countries), but while the premise fits the morale of the American Western quite well, it does not quite fit the antihero premise of this Italian Western. Even though portrayed as the villain, Milian's Gómez is the only interesting character in the film. The hero played by Richard Wyler (who sadly passed away this month - RIP), is your typical tough guy but good guy. Halina Zalewska's character is the typical innocent and naive but kind-hearted female - no surprises here. Miss Zalewska didn't appear in too many well-known films, but might be familiar to Italian Horror/Cult-Cinema fans for appearing twice aside the wonderful Barbara Steele, in Antonio Margheriti's "I Lunghi Capelli Della Morte" (The Long Hair of Death", 1964) and Camillo Mastrocinque's "Un Angelo Per Satana" ("An Angel For Satan", 1966). Spaghetti Western regular Mario Brega is the most notable member of the supporting cast; Brega, who appeared in masterpieces such as Sergio Leone's Dollar-Trilogy and Sergio Corbucci's "The Great Silence" (1968), is once again good, though his role here doesn't call for particular acting skills. Overall, "El Precio De Un Hombre", is a decent enough but not particularly praiseworthy film, which is mainly recommendable for Tomas Milian.

bensonmum2 As far as Euro-Westerns go, The Bounty Killer has about as straight forward a plot as you'll find. Jose Gomez (Tomas Milian) is a prisoner being moved by coach to a new facility to await his death. The citizens of his hometown see him as something of a hero and want to help him out. Gomez's would-be love interest Eden (Halina Zalewska) slips him a gun at one of the stage's stops. But is Gomez the same man the townsfolk remember? Or, as bounty hunter Luke Chilson (Richard Wyler) warns, has Gomez changed and no longer deserving of their admiration? The locals are about to find out as Gomez and his gang with the bounty hunter hot on his heels are headed straight for their sleepy little town.It's not perfect by any means, but for fans of Euro-Westerns, there's a lot in The Bounty Killer to enjoy. First, and most obvious, is Tomas Milian. I don't know how many of these Westerns he made, but this was his first. And quite honestly, it may represent his best acting performance. The multi-dimensions and facets he's able to give his character, Jose Gomez, is nothing short of brilliant. Even though he's an escaped prisoner, Gomez is a character we initially root for. But slowly, he changes. Toward the end of the film, Milian has transformed Gomez into the kind of ruthless killer that a hangman's noose is too good for. And his final moments on screen, all I can say is "Wow!" It's an incredible performance. As for the rest of the cast, they're all more than adequate with the familiar face of Mario Brega, the beautiful face of Halina Zalewska, and the steady, unflinching face Richard Wyler as anti-hero Luke Chilson. It takes a while for Chilson to grow on you, but once he does it's easy to appreciate the character. In fact, it takes a while for all of The Bounty Killer to grow on you. The film starts out slow (very slow in fact), but be patient – the payoff is worth the wait. Looking back at the film, the pacing director Eugenio Martin gives to The Bounty Killer is one of the movie's assets – culminating with a final act that features plenty of fight scenes, shoot outs, and various other killings. Not as graphic as some of the later Euro-Westerns, there's enough violence to keep most everyone happy. The Spanish country side is beautifully filmed and provides just the gorgeous dusty setting I've come to look forward to in these films. Finally, Stelvio Cipriani's score, though often repetitive, is rousing and memorable. Overall, it's a job well done.