A Fistful of Dollars

My next review is on the Spaghetti western film starring Clint Eastwood called “A Fistful of Dollars”. Clint Eastwood plays an outlaw who smokes a short cigar, carries a large gun and has no name who comes to a hellhole town to play two rival families the Rojo's (lead by Ramon) and the Baxters against each other. You may remember his character from the famous western film “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly”; well believe it or not, that movie “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly” is actually a sequel and is part of a trilogy called “The Dollars Trilogy”. Not only that, but this film was the first spaghetti western film that famous director Sergio Leone (who is best known for the close ups in western films) ever did.

Clint Eastwood’s performance in the film is really badass. He has the right facial expressions, he acts tough, he always plays it cool, and he has some really badass dialogue. Not only is his character one of his best performances, but it was also his big film debut. I can go on and talk about every cool and badass moment that leads to so much awesomeness, but then I'd be giving away the film. Trust me, you just have to see him in this film.

 Another great performance in the film is Gian Maria Volonte performance as the bad guy Ramon. He's mad, he's crazy, he's psychopathic, and unpredictable. He's probably one of the craziest western villains that I've ever seen. Much like Eastwood, he has way too many awesome moments, so again I won't spoil it for you. The other characters such as Eastwood's friend Silvanito the Inn keeper; the old undertaker Piripero; Marisol the innocent woman who Ramon loves; Ramon's brothers and gang; and  Town Sheriff Baxter are all good and interesting characters, but they're not as memorable as Eastwood and Volonte.

One of the many things that makes the movie great is the score by Enrico Morricone. The guitar playing, the whistling and that choir are all what give the film it's western feel and atmosphere. It's actually one of thee best Western scores that I've ever heard. The action is directed and done so well that again, I won't spoil it for you. As for the story, it's well written and well thought out, even though it's not all that original. It's really an unofficial western style remake of "Yojimbo" which this film itself has also been spun off for a gangster film called "The Last Man Standing". By the way, is it just me or do you feel like that Leone put a little bit of James Bond in this movie? I guess the only noticeable flaw in the film is the English dubbing because sometimes their voices go out of sync or sound recorded by an American actor. However, that's not enough to kill the film, because I've seen worse.

Anyway, this film is one of the best Western films I've ever seen and for you Eastwood fans, Leone fans, Western fans or people who just love action, this is the perfect movie for you.

My rating for this movie is a 5/5