Requiescant Review
From The Spaghetti Western Database
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- Year: 1967
- Director: Carlo Lizzani
- Music: Riz Ortolani
- Starring: Lou Castel, Mark Damon, Pier Pasolini
A girl runs away from her religious family to become a prostitute. The family dispatches there foster son (Castel) to return her to her rightful home. But the son gets caught up in a class struggle between Mexican peons, and an aristocratic mad man (Damon).
This film is a very obvious political allegory about Communism. Lizzani himself was a Communist. This actually may not be too obvious to people who do not have extensive knowledge in the field of political allegory. I myself am still fresh on the subject but this film's messageis clear. It is a Communist western. Possibly the only one not made by East Germans or Soviet film companies.
The representations are clear. The film opens with the slaughter of a mob of Mexican peons by Damon and his aristocratic allies. Damon and his entouage represent the high class. The main target in most of these political spaghettis. They represent the dreaded high class seen in both the Russian and Mexican Revolutions and of course are presented as the villains. While of course the peons represent the low class. Standing in for Russian peasents massacred by the Czarist army and just regular Mexican peons often seen here. The hero, is a survivor of this and he himslef is stricken with poverty. He cannot be an American because the Americans portrayed here are vile and sadistic. It is easier to sympathies with a lowly Mexican. And lastly, there is the revolutionaries led by a priest played by director Pier Pasolini who did not direct any parts of this film despite popular suspicion. He leads a band of lowly peons against the opressors. Here, the allegorical message is clear. In the Russian Revolution, the peasents were reluctant to revolt but revolution did come. It is hard to go into to much detail without straying off topic.
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The characters presented here are totally unrealistic and unbelievable. But this does not detract from the film film's quality. The hero here is Lou Castel. He is somewhat contradictory to his strong religious beliefs because during the course of the film, he kills several people. The bible preaches against violence and although this didn't stop the Crusaders, it is still unrealistic to believe a man raised as a devout Catholic would kill at a whim. But the character is likeable. He is an every mans hero. He is poor and gets beat a lot. The fact he cannot afford a proper gunbelt is the main evidence to his poverty which makes him another representation of the peons and low class. Damon's character is equally unbeliveable as he looks like Dracula. He is the quintessential evil aristocrat. Sadistic and vile. A good villain.
The film it self is very well made. Not very high production values but Lizzani dos good with what he has. He wasn't given a high budget. Spain was cheap but they chose instead to film outside Rome most likely because of budget reasons. He directs the film with several well staged set pieces. ne has an extended shooting match between Castel and Damon in Damon's mansions basement. The two take drinks of alcohol and shot out the candles of a candelebra held by a servent ordered to move farther and farther away. A good scene with hints of comedy. The ther famous scene is a duel between Castel and a henchman whom Damon has homosexual connections with. They stand on bar stools with nooses around their necks and when the clock next strikes, the draw. These two scenes have made the film somewhat famous amongst spaghetti fans. They are well filmed and tense. Beyond this, it is just a well strucured film. Well made overall.
The acting is OK. Castel is likeable and quiet but he seems a little too careless. Damon, however, delivers a great over the top performance. He is just so crazy and unbelieveable. Very entertaining yet very evil. Pasolini gives the film a human touch. On a whole, this film seems very human with death taken a lot more sriously. A little laid back in his performance as well but his face is so noble looking, you only seem to focus on the preaching of his character than his performance.
The directing is great. Lizzani was, as I said, a Communist and he makes his message clear but his film seems to avoid being preachy in my book because he makes the message so clear. He doesn't give the "wink wink" as a truely preachy film does. Directs scenes with great eye for atmospehere and stages every scene with skill.
The music by Riz Ortolani isn't too memorable. In fact, I cannot recall the music that well but he does use several great sections of electric guitar maintaining the true spaghetti feel.
A good western. Very political but not preachy. Well made by a skilled director. Even though there is a Communistic message, you can't disagree because Communism does work on paper. In that case, this film is the paper that makes it all work. Requiescant (Eternal rest grant unto them, oh lord, and and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of god, rest in peace, Amen) .
by korano
