Directed by:
Sergio LeoneCinematography:
Tonino Delli ColliComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Enzo Petito, Claudio Scarchilli, John Bartha, Livio Lorenzon (more)VOD (1)
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By far the most ambitious, unflinchingly graphic and stylistically influential wester ever mounted. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is an engrossing actioner shot through with a volatile mix of myth and realism. Clint Eastwood returns as the "Man With No Name", this time teaming with two gunslingers (Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef) to pursue a cache of $200,000 - and letting no one, not even warring factions in a civil war, stand in their way. From sun-drenched panoramas to bold hard closeups, exceptional camera work captures the beauty and cruelty of the barren landscape and the hardened characters who stride unwaveringly through it. Forging a vibrant and yet detached style of action that had not been seen before, and has never been matched since, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly shatters the western mould in true Clint Eastwood style. (20th Century Fox AU)
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Reviews (13)
An interesting story, straightforward and perfectly resolved. Morricene's catchy melody got under my skin again, Clint had charisma to spare in his younger days and Eli Wallach as the bad guy you actually root for is great. But it lacked something, something very little, to be perfect and I couldn't help comparing it to the brilliant Once Upon a Time in the West. The latter is a flawless five-star affair, this one has a few lapses in logic and especially a strange plot insert with armies fighting over a bridge, where Eastwood and Wallach went about as if they could not die. Otherwise, no complaints.
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Admittedly, in those nearly three hours, there were moments when my concentration wavered, but the music by the genius Ennio Morricone always quickly reeled me back in. Sergio Leone didn't hold back, adding something extra compared to the previous film. Alongside Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, I also got to see that notorious Calvera (at least that's who Eli Wallach will always be to me), but the movie also had a significantly better-crafted script. Despite the harsh realities of the Wild West, it included several unexpectedly touching scenes without pushing too hard. I've immensely enjoyed the film many times, and I'm certain I'll return to it again (unless failure of vital organs prevents me from doing so). / There are two lessons here, the first of which I shamelessly stole directly from the movie: "There are two kinds of people in this world, those with loaded guns and those who dig." And the second one: The film is another proof that smoking kills.
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Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach... Add Van Cleef's villain, a first-rate bastard, and you've almost got everything. Which scene from this western of all westerns to pick as the best? For me it is definitely Tuco's running between the graves accompanied by the song “The Ecstasy of Gold".... Something like this could not be made (and composed) by man, but rather by God. The best western of all time and perhaps the second best film of all time after Lawrence of Arabia.__P.S. "Comedy" is noticeably missing from the genres here.
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An absolute pinnacle of filmmaking. And probably one of the works that had the biggest influence on me early on in my film development. I remember back then being hypnotized by the overlong images, the minimalist dialogue, the stylistic mannerisms on the small TV at my parents' cottage. I for the most part didn't know much about what any scene was about until now, and it didn't matter at all. Even a few minutes after watching it, the film feels a bit like a dream. Leone wasn't just rewriting western canons, he was writing general formal laws of the genre that are still in use to this day. And not just in film, but in comics and video games as well. The work with character attributes (Eastwood's casual attitude compared to Wallach's neurotic approach, Tuco's signature custom gun), the purely superficial building of iconic shots (the gunslingers slowly disappearing into the dust after the explosion), the naturalistic cynicism ("Sorry Shorty. "), or, for example, the seemingly pointless battle sequence, which in its perfectionist handling of extras and set pieces faithfully recalls wartime illustrations of the American Civil War. Superficial Mannerist cinematography at its finest. Coppola's attention to detail, Tarkovsky's patience, a pulp story. Plus some purely music video passages, of which this is the leader, quite understandably.
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I don't feel competent to claim that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the best film of its genre. I haven't seen that many westerns and, to be honest, modern anti-westerns like Dead Man or Dances with Wolves resonate with me more. Nevertheless, it is definitely a very entertaining and high-quality film. I don't really care for the western genre, and I have given five stars only to the absolute minimum of these films. The reason for the popularity of this film lies in the fact that Leone managed to make a film that appeals to everyone, which is rather rare in cinema. It is adventurous, thrilling, and very clever, as well as conveying an obvious anti-war message. It combines classic genre conventions with modern filmmaking elements, a traditionally excellent soundtrack, camera tricks, and occasional ventures into purely artistic waters. In certain moments, the film forgets itself and succumbs to genre clichés, such as the shootout with the Tuco's gang, where we see a traditional scene from B-movie westerns, where the hidden rifle shooter misses the gunslinger who shoots him from an unfavorable position with a quick draw. However, due to the overall lighthearted atmosphere, these few minor missteps easily fade away. Leone adeptly alternates the pace, combining genuinely humorous scenes with tragic ones, and, above all, relies on top-notch casting. The director always managed to choose actors who perfectly suited their roles, whether it was Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, or Eli Wallach. Overall impression: 90%.
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![The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/168/725/168725631_3j5ahs.jpg)
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