The Best Western This film is, and it looks like it will remain, my favorite Western for the rest of my life. And the point here is for many reasons why I, for example, can not consider my favorite Western “Once Upon a Time in the Wild West” or the same “Unforgiven”, and first of all for me the Western should not be too serious.
This film has everything you need for a perfect Western: a great actor, a cool shootout and a very cool duel. Well, the script should be appropriate, because without an interesting plot there is no interesting film, although for this genre it is not the most important thing.
The film tells us two parallel stories that gradually merge into one. The first tells us about the complex relationship between two companions in one very dangerous business, a man without a name (but for some reason everyone calls him Blonde, although I do not find anything in common with this color) and Tuco. The second tells us how the brutal commander Angela is looking for gold and spares no one. Naturally, these two stories are intertwined in gold, in another and could not be, because for people of that time it was the most important. There are three main characters in the film. Everyone has his own purpose in life, his own principles, his own character, which is described in three words: good, bad, evil. Although by and large there is no difference in them in the course of the film, everyone is ready to commit meanness for profit, betray, but everything manifests itself in the end. Although, it is immediately clear that Angela is no good, but what is worse than Tuco than Blonde, for me a question.
In this part, Leone perfected all the components that I, for one reason or another, did not like in the previous parts of the trilogy “A Fistful of Dollars” and “A Few Dollars More”. First of all, I didn’t really like the story. If in the second part it was more than not bad, then the first part I liked only because of its stylistics, Clint Eastwood’s excellent play, soundtrack and great shootouts.
There's nothing wrong with that. Several plot moves are intertwined at once, which nevertheless do not interfere with monitoring the central branch. A large number of characters who, by the way, all played well.
The film turned out to be very eventful. There's so much going on here, but most importantly, it doesn't tire. But a western is not a western without a good shootout. And here she's great. The march of Tuco and the Blonde against the team of Angela to the music of Ennio Morricone... It's gorgeous, there's no other way to say it. One of my favorite shootouts in cinema. But again, a Western is not a Western, without a duel. Well, I can't have any doubts about that. The final duel is the most chic duel of cinema, although there are three people involved, and there should be two people in a duel according to the rules, but this does not spoil the picture, so even better. A quick change of faces during a duel creates a special effect of tension, a great reception. And in general, the last twenty minutes of the film, one of the best in the history of cinema, a duel, a duel, a scene after a duel. It's done really well. I will not say that the film should be seen only for the sake of the ending, the film should be seen for the sake of the film itself, because it is a real masterpiece.
Clint Eastwood is going to be the perfect Western actor for me now. Every Western actor I watch will always be compared to this outstanding role. Well, he did a great job, without conditionally playing his best role. It is also impossible not to mention Eli Wallach as Tuco and the eternal villain of Westerns Lee Van Cliff. All in all, the trio played great, but of course Eastwood beats everyone.
I don’t know how reliable this film is, I don’t know how much Western is a reliable genre. But, in my opinion, the film very reliably described all the horrors of that civil war. Both the military operation to blow up the bridge and the front line are all hospitals. In general, the film is not only about three men who only do that pears are beating, along the way, doing all sorts of meanness (by the way, Leone could be reproached that all the characters turned out to be immoral and there is no good person (who, it seems, was supposed to be Clint Eastwood in the film). The film turned out to be very deep, which raises many topics, but which no longer touch modern society, so you can relax and enjoy the film.
But again, if I wasn’t myself, I wouldn’t have talked about Ennio Morricone’s wonderful soundtrack. I keep thinking, what a dumb soundtrack in cinema is my favorite: the soundtrack for the movie “A Few Dollars More” or the soundtrack for the movie “Good, Bad, Evil”. I haven’t decided yet, but they are both geniuses. With minimal instruments, no sound effects, it immediately sets the tone for the whole film from the opening credits, and its constant inclusion in the film only makes it better, and if not for this soundtrack, the film would lose half of its atmosphere.
Again, the most important thing for me in the Western is that it does not strain much. I remember the movie “Once Upon a Time in the Wild West.” There is so much to it, too much drama. This is already superfluous in this genre. And this one is light, calm. It is clear that all this is created with the help of music, but even on the face of the same Tuco or Blonde. Well, it can not be said that Leone tried to create some epic drama, although, something definite still he succeeded, but after the last shots all this feeling immediately disappears, and as a result of the film remains a very strong impression.
From what I said, it follows that for me this is the perfect film in all respects. In terms of script, directing, acting, soundtrack, everything that should be in a western, everything is perfect. This film is rightfully included in the top ten of my favorite films, and probably will be included in it for a very, very long time, judging by the trend of development of today's cinema. And a western better than this definitely will not be removed, so it remains only to remember from those wonderful times when Leone decided to shoot his Legendary trilogy for a penny.
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