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Re: The Wing Kong Exchange
A gunslinger who poses as a bounty hunter joins forces with his former “victim”, a no nonsense lunatic to recover a fortune in buried gold. The problem is that there is a third looking for the money, one of the most evil men of the old west. Now their paths are about to cross, right in the middle of the American Civil War, and not all of them will get out alive.
The final chapter in the “Dollars Trilogy”, 1966’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” may just be the greatest Western film ever made. The fact that it was made by an Italian is even more incredible, as one would instantly think of America when the Western genre is brought up. However, Sergio Leone was never a normal guy, so it’s only fitting that the crown jewel of the Western film genre was directed by him. With an incredible script, wonderful performances, beautiful cinematography and an absolutely epic score, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is nothing short of a masterpiece of cinema. It completely goes beyond the realm of one genre, transcending all of them to create a near perfect film. A truly remarkable experience, there was never anything quite like this film before and there has never been anything like it since.
Sergio Leone returns to write and direct, along with his partner from the last film, “For a Few Dollars More”, Luciano Vincenzoni. They worked in tandem with Age & Scarpelli (the stage name of writers Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli) a duo best known for satirical comedy. In fact, their particular brand of wit served this film well, as they injected the final piece of the puzzle into Leone and Vincenzoni’s script. With the epic script in place they again turned to Ennio Morricone to score the film and also secured the services of Tonino Delli Colli to photograph the film. After putting all these pieces in place, Leone turned to the two stars of his last film, Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef and asked them to play the roles of the Good character, Blondie (Eastwood) and the Bad character, Angel Eyes (Van Cleef). After they agreed he needed someone to play his Ugly character, and to that end he sought out noted method actor Eli Wallach, who had previously played the main bad guy, Calvera, in the classic John Sturgess film “The Magnificent Seven”, itself an inspiration for Leone. He also cast good supporting actors Luigi Pistilli and Aldo Giuffre to fill out the meatier support roles in the film.
To begin with, the three main characters are all incredibly well thought out and written. Eastwood’s Blondie is his typical “man with no name” all business and quiet in delivery. Obviously Eastwood was very familiar with this character by now, having played him twice in the past two years, and of course was also comfortable working with Leone. It certainly shows, as he gives his best performance to date and handles each of his scenes well, particularly when interacting with Wallach at the beginning. He carries a calm and quiet demeanour throughout the film, something that serves his character very well. Blondie has a remarkable intelligence to him, and seems to be a man who is able to see three or four steps ahead of his foes, particularly Wallach. While he is the hero of this film and the prototypical good guy, he never seems to be clichéd, which is remarkable considering the ease with which this could have happened. It helped to be working with such a great director and supporting cast, but Eastwood was already showing the flashes of brilliance that he would carry with him into his later career as both an actor and a director. His classic line, “such ingratitude after all the times I’ve saved your life” when abandoning Wallach is wonderful in its delivery and really sums up his character well here.
Of course you can’t have the Good without the Bad, and man is the Bad here as bad as can be. Lee Van Cleef had already made a name for himself playing villains (again I’d like to point out that it’s the eyes) and it came as something of a shock to see him playing a hero in the previous year’s “For a Few Dollars More”. Of course that all changed when Leone cast him as Angel Eyes (SEE, I told you it was the eyes) and the performance he gives in this film is easily his best. Van Cleef plays Angel Eyes as the ultimate opportunistic bad guy, always willing to profit off of the misfortunes of others. Again he, like Eastwood, doesn’t feel the need to speak loudly, preferring to be very quiet in his delivery. This is particularly effective in his introductory scene, where he shakes information out of a man simply by mentioning that he has a nice family. He doesn’t have to tell the man that he intends to kill his family if he doesn’t tell him what he wants to know, it is simply implied. That is real power, and Van Cleef pulls it off perfectly. His rule about always following his job through to the letter is another thing that is really awesome about this bad guy. He will stop at nothing to succeed, because that is what he is being paid for. His defining moment comes early when he executes his former employer simply because his previous victim paid him to do so. His line about it being a pity is an all-time classic, as is his incredibly evil laugh after doing so and before blowing out a candle. Van Cleef as Angel Eyes could quite possibly be the greatest villain of all time and certainly is the best one in any Western film ever.
Finally, the Ugly, the character that really helps to keep the entire film together, is played with gusto by Eli Wallach, who clearly was having a great time with the part. His character, full name Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez (no, I did not make that up!) is obviously inserted into the film for comic relief, yet Wallach plays the part so well that he transcends that typical sidekick role and becomes a completely memorable character in his own right. From his opening moments, crashing through a window while still eating a turkey leg to his incredible display of fake emotions when attempting to get some information out of a sick Eastwood, Wallach absolutely steals every scene he is in. It’s not always comedy with him either, he does bear an emotion about him that gives us a lot of insight into his character, particularly in a challenging scene where he confronts his brother, a priest (played by Pistilli) about their past history. Of course he also gets a lot of comedic time and pretty much has the majority of the great lines in the script, including the brilliant line “if you have to shoot, shoot don’t talk” after gunning down a man who had been telling him the story of his ordeal in finding him. He also frequently makes mention of the two different kinds of people that there are in the world, basically him and the rest of society. The “ugly” definition attached to him has nothing to do with his looks, more his style and the way that he carries himself. He cannot be defined by such simple terms as good and bad, he simply is himself, and that makes him one of the all-time great characters in any film.
As far as the film itself goes, it is a sweeping and majestic spectacle in every sense of the word. From the opening title credits featuring a cannon firing the names of the cast and crew onto the screen and the first notes of perhaps Morricone’s most famous soundtrack, it is clear that we are in for a real treat. That is just the beginning, as we are instantly drawn into the film with some wonderfully inventive cinematography right from the start. The pacing here is brilliant and Leone easily could have lost control of the film, considering all that is going on. He deftly handles the adventures of the three characters with the ease of a professional and also manages to throw the Civil War into the mix perfectly. The sub-plot about the destruction of the bridge (which is sometimes edited out of television releases) is extremely well done and just another great moment in a film full of them. In fact, the entire Civil War atmosphere also provides us with another great comedic moment involving Blondie and Tuco thinking they have come across allies simply because of the colour of their clothing. I cannot say any more because if you haven’t seen it you really haven’t lived, and I just don’t want to disappoint you by giving away all the great things in this film. I do want to mention that the final showdown scene, set to Morricone’s classic “The Ecstasy of Gold” *(which if I am not mistaken still opens every Metallica show) is the single best scene in any Western ever and I am not exaggerating when I say that it alone should be required viewing for film students everywhere.
The film was initially released to critical indifference, and many called it out for being too violent (though it is really not) though it did well at the box office, earning over $19 million on a small $1.2 million budget. It wasn’t until years later that the film became widely regarded as perhaps one of the best ever made, and many critics have re-assessed their original opinions of it over the years. None other than Quentin Tarantino himself stated in a 2002 issue of Sight & Sound magazine that it was the best-directed film of all time. As I said before it is simply a masterpiece that deserves to be seen by anyone who even remotely considers themselves a film fan. I am not overstating the importance of this film enough; it is that good and that inspiring. Never before have 161 minutes seemed so perfect and I doubt they ever will. For this, and all of the things mentioned above, I can do nothing more than give this film my highest possible score, as it is so richly deserved. 10/10.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
A gunslinger who poses as a bounty hunter joins forces with his former “victim”, a no nonsense lunatic to recover a fortune in buried gold. The problem is that there is a third looking for the money, one of the most evil men of the old west. Now their paths are about to cross, right in the middle of the American Civil War, and not all of them will get out alive.
The final chapter in the “Dollars Trilogy”, 1966’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” may just be the greatest Western film ever made. The fact that it was made by an Italian is even more incredible, as one would instantly think of America when the Western genre is brought up. However, Sergio Leone was never a normal guy, so it’s only fitting that the crown jewel of the Western film genre was directed by him. With an incredible script, wonderful performances, beautiful cinematography and an absolutely epic score, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is nothing short of a masterpiece of cinema. It completely goes beyond the realm of one genre, transcending all of them to create a near perfect film. A truly remarkable experience, there was never anything quite like this film before and there has never been anything like it since.
"There are two kinds of people my friend, me and everyone else."
Sergio Leone returns to write and direct, along with his partner from the last film, “For a Few Dollars More”, Luciano Vincenzoni. They worked in tandem with Age & Scarpelli (the stage name of writers Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli) a duo best known for satirical comedy. In fact, their particular brand of wit served this film well, as they injected the final piece of the puzzle into Leone and Vincenzoni’s script. With the epic script in place they again turned to Ennio Morricone to score the film and also secured the services of Tonino Delli Colli to photograph the film. After putting all these pieces in place, Leone turned to the two stars of his last film, Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef and asked them to play the roles of the Good character, Blondie (Eastwood) and the Bad character, Angel Eyes (Van Cleef). After they agreed he needed someone to play his Ugly character, and to that end he sought out noted method actor Eli Wallach, who had previously played the main bad guy, Calvera, in the classic John Sturgess film “The Magnificent Seven”, itself an inspiration for Leone. He also cast good supporting actors Luigi Pistilli and Aldo Giuffre to fill out the meatier support roles in the film.
"The Good...."
To begin with, the three main characters are all incredibly well thought out and written. Eastwood’s Blondie is his typical “man with no name” all business and quiet in delivery. Obviously Eastwood was very familiar with this character by now, having played him twice in the past two years, and of course was also comfortable working with Leone. It certainly shows, as he gives his best performance to date and handles each of his scenes well, particularly when interacting with Wallach at the beginning. He carries a calm and quiet demeanour throughout the film, something that serves his character very well. Blondie has a remarkable intelligence to him, and seems to be a man who is able to see three or four steps ahead of his foes, particularly Wallach. While he is the hero of this film and the prototypical good guy, he never seems to be clichéd, which is remarkable considering the ease with which this could have happened. It helped to be working with such a great director and supporting cast, but Eastwood was already showing the flashes of brilliance that he would carry with him into his later career as both an actor and a director. His classic line, “such ingratitude after all the times I’ve saved your life” when abandoning Wallach is wonderful in its delivery and really sums up his character well here.
"The Bad...."
Of course you can’t have the Good without the Bad, and man is the Bad here as bad as can be. Lee Van Cleef had already made a name for himself playing villains (again I’d like to point out that it’s the eyes) and it came as something of a shock to see him playing a hero in the previous year’s “For a Few Dollars More”. Of course that all changed when Leone cast him as Angel Eyes (SEE, I told you it was the eyes) and the performance he gives in this film is easily his best. Van Cleef plays Angel Eyes as the ultimate opportunistic bad guy, always willing to profit off of the misfortunes of others. Again he, like Eastwood, doesn’t feel the need to speak loudly, preferring to be very quiet in his delivery. This is particularly effective in his introductory scene, where he shakes information out of a man simply by mentioning that he has a nice family. He doesn’t have to tell the man that he intends to kill his family if he doesn’t tell him what he wants to know, it is simply implied. That is real power, and Van Cleef pulls it off perfectly. His rule about always following his job through to the letter is another thing that is really awesome about this bad guy. He will stop at nothing to succeed, because that is what he is being paid for. His defining moment comes early when he executes his former employer simply because his previous victim paid him to do so. His line about it being a pity is an all-time classic, as is his incredibly evil laugh after doing so and before blowing out a candle. Van Cleef as Angel Eyes could quite possibly be the greatest villain of all time and certainly is the best one in any Western film ever.
"and the Ugly...."
Finally, the Ugly, the character that really helps to keep the entire film together, is played with gusto by Eli Wallach, who clearly was having a great time with the part. His character, full name Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez (no, I did not make that up!) is obviously inserted into the film for comic relief, yet Wallach plays the part so well that he transcends that typical sidekick role and becomes a completely memorable character in his own right. From his opening moments, crashing through a window while still eating a turkey leg to his incredible display of fake emotions when attempting to get some information out of a sick Eastwood, Wallach absolutely steals every scene he is in. It’s not always comedy with him either, he does bear an emotion about him that gives us a lot of insight into his character, particularly in a challenging scene where he confronts his brother, a priest (played by Pistilli) about their past history. Of course he also gets a lot of comedic time and pretty much has the majority of the great lines in the script, including the brilliant line “if you have to shoot, shoot don’t talk” after gunning down a man who had been telling him the story of his ordeal in finding him. He also frequently makes mention of the two different kinds of people that there are in the world, basically him and the rest of society. The “ugly” definition attached to him has nothing to do with his looks, more his style and the way that he carries himself. He cannot be defined by such simple terms as good and bad, he simply is himself, and that makes him one of the all-time great characters in any film.
"The ultimate showdown."
As far as the film itself goes, it is a sweeping and majestic spectacle in every sense of the word. From the opening title credits featuring a cannon firing the names of the cast and crew onto the screen and the first notes of perhaps Morricone’s most famous soundtrack, it is clear that we are in for a real treat. That is just the beginning, as we are instantly drawn into the film with some wonderfully inventive cinematography right from the start. The pacing here is brilliant and Leone easily could have lost control of the film, considering all that is going on. He deftly handles the adventures of the three characters with the ease of a professional and also manages to throw the Civil War into the mix perfectly. The sub-plot about the destruction of the bridge (which is sometimes edited out of television releases) is extremely well done and just another great moment in a film full of them. In fact, the entire Civil War atmosphere also provides us with another great comedic moment involving Blondie and Tuco thinking they have come across allies simply because of the colour of their clothing. I cannot say any more because if you haven’t seen it you really haven’t lived, and I just don’t want to disappoint you by giving away all the great things in this film. I do want to mention that the final showdown scene, set to Morricone’s classic “The Ecstasy of Gold” *(which if I am not mistaken still opens every Metallica show) is the single best scene in any Western ever and I am not exaggerating when I say that it alone should be required viewing for film students everywhere.
"Oh no, not THIS again!"
The film was initially released to critical indifference, and many called it out for being too violent (though it is really not) though it did well at the box office, earning over $19 million on a small $1.2 million budget. It wasn’t until years later that the film became widely regarded as perhaps one of the best ever made, and many critics have re-assessed their original opinions of it over the years. None other than Quentin Tarantino himself stated in a 2002 issue of Sight & Sound magazine that it was the best-directed film of all time. As I said before it is simply a masterpiece that deserves to be seen by anyone who even remotely considers themselves a film fan. I am not overstating the importance of this film enough; it is that good and that inspiring. Never before have 161 minutes seemed so perfect and I doubt they ever will. For this, and all of the things mentioned above, I can do nothing more than give this film my highest possible score, as it is so richly deserved. 10/10.
