Giù la testa/Opinions

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This page lists a few opinions about the film


Sergio Leone was not able to make more movies in his lifetime than he could have. His impressive career marks milestones in Western and Gangster films, his movies have drawn actors that were either stars at the time or are almost gods, today. His visual style is famous, his collaboration with the maestro Ennio Morricone is legendary and his epics are so in the truest sense of the word. Duck, You Sucker marks a weaker directorial effort on Leone's part, but although I think the script lacks vitality and the music is a bit off, it is still a remarkably crafted picture, technically seen, it boasts the best acting effort by Rod Steiger that I am aware of, and the film is chock full of meaning. A great revolution epic, with lots of explosions, massacres, political allusions, flashbacks and comradery. An underrated classic? Maybe in another 30 years. B+ --Sebastian 01:07, 8 July 2006 (CEST)

  • A Fistful Of Dynamite PAL Region 2 UK MGM DVD - While watching this film on UK TV years ago, even though it was the savagely cut version, for the first time I began to think of film as more than simple entertainment. Leone's work of cinematic art takes us on a journey, an emotional, visually spectacular one, filled with shocks and surprises along the way. A buddy movie like no other, which will have you laughing, crying and more importantly thinking, this is a very thought provoking film. Wonderful casting, James Coburn is outstanding as John Mallory (Firecracker) the ex IRA member and explosives expert. But it is Rod Steiger who gives an utterly magnificent performance as Juan, the bandit peasant with a dream of making himself and his family rich. Juan has some memorable lines of dialogue throughout, but it is his last words of the film, from a man who literally has lost everything that are particularly haunting, "What about me?" MGM have really gone to town with this special edition DVD and included fascinating commentaries, interviews and documentaries. The movie itself has been painstakingly restored and includes over 20 minutes of additional footage present in the Italian original that was cut for the UK and US releases. Speaking of cuts, the film would benefit if a couple of scenes originally shot by Leone but omitted from his finished version could have made it into the film. After Firecracker blows up the caravan and Juan says "Mexico is big, but for you, it is going to be very big". There is a missing scene where Juan and his gang force Firecracker to walk across a desert without letting him drink water, teasing and taunting him along the way. In the following scene Firecracker wakes up and takes a few painful swigs of water, dazed and confused he sets explosive charges around a church. Juan approaches and says, "What's this? You crazy? You talk to yourself now? Oh, my friend, didn't I tell you Mexico was big?" The missing scene is not necessary for the overall story, but it always was a mystery to me why Firecracker was so feverish and dehydrated outside the church, until I heard about it on the second disc of this two DVD set. Also, there is a missing scene after the bridge is blown up by Firecracker and Juan, in which the Mexican Commander captures Doctor Villega and subsequently tortures him to reveal the bandits hideout. Including it and reshuffling scenes around would have made Villega's treachery and eventual self-sacrifice more believable. If you are yet to add this masterpiece to your Spaghetti Western DVD collection, try and get hold of the German MGM release "Todesmelodie" which contains six seconds of horse falls cut from the UK and US discs. --The Halitosis Kid 12:42, 16 June 2007 (CEST)
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