NoFace for Film

Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Year: 1966
Director: Sergio Leone
Starring Cast: Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood, and Lee Van Cleef
Rated: R
Review by Mark N. of Movie Masterworks

NoFace for Film rating: 6.5 out of 7

You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.

Isn’t it ironic that one of the greatest Westerns ever made was directed by an Italian, filmed mostly in Spain with an international cast, and dubbed? Usually, I regard watching a foreign language film dubbed rather than with subtitles as a sin, but this is the only exception. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is not just a Spaghetti Western, it’s THE spaghetti western. It’s the film that made Clint Eastwood a star and turned the Western genre upside down. Before it was a simple formula, white hats vs. black hats, everything was clear cut and there is usually a happy ending. Now in GB&U, we have anti-heroes, morally ambiguous characters, likable because of their flare, wandering through a story with many twists and turns. The sensational opening credits indicate The Good, the Bad and the Ugly will not be typical Western fare. Bright reds, greens and blues are splashed across the characters faces to the sound of gunfire while trumpets blare. When the director’s name, Sergio Leone appears, everything gets blown away by cannon fire.

In the opening scenes we are introduced to the main players. First the Ugly, a bandit played by Eli Wallach, who has all the cunning avarice of a hungry predator or a Richard Hatch. Tuco “the rat” has lived a hard life which has hardened him in turn. His sole motivation is money. Then we meet the Bad, who wears a black hat and rides a black horse, played by Lee Van Cleef. Sentenza, the bad, is a cold blooded murderer with piercing dispassionate eyes. We can almost smell the malice he emanates off the screen. He is just as greedy as Tuco but totally amoral. Lastly the man with no name, the Good is introduced. Only known as “Blondie,” the Good is a laconic gunman played by Clint Eastwood. The film’s title is a bit of a stretch because all three men are bad; it’s just a matter of degree. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, are all preternaturally good with a gun and they all have a unique style. They roam the vast barren landscapes fearlessly, until chance and greed bring them together, and set them on a quest for $200,000 in gold.

I won’t divulge any more of the plot on the off chance you are one of the few who have not seen this great flick. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, debuted in Rome with about a 3 hour run time. It was felt this was too long for American audiences so the runtime was reduced to about 161 minutes. A new DVD version was recently released that restores the American version to match the original Italian version. One of my favorite things about the new release is the 5.1 surround sound. It really makes Ennio Morricone’s score, one of the most original in movie history, come to life. I still get chills when Tuco searches for the grave in the “ecstasy of gold” sequence. The restored footage needed to be re-dubbed since it was originally spoken in Italian. Ironically, the voice actor for the late Lee Van Cleef sounds more authentic than Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach. Eastwood’s and Wallach’s voices have changed from 40 years ago but the restored scenes play well. The new transfer is first rate. The cinematography ranges from wide panoramas showing the vastness of “Texas” to extreme close-ups of the actors. I also like the little details Leone includes in GB&U. You see the steam rise from the food eaten by Sentenza and a wayward mongrel scared off by Tuco when he enters the cemetery. The ending of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is one of the best I’ve seen. Only Sergio Leone could draw out the tension for so long. Quentin Tarantino called The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the “best directed movie of all time.” As far as “Westerns” go, only Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid comes close in terms of entertainment value.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly gets 6.5 out of 7 reels only because of its run time.

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