Collina degli stivali, La/Bad Lieutenant Review

From The Spaghetti Western Database
Jump to: navigation, search
God forgives...I don't! (1967) | Ace High (1968) | Boot Hill (1969)
Bth21.jpg
Cast:

Director:


Because of the circus theme a rather peculiar spaghetti western, that in places is truly horrendous. There is no coherent screenplay to speak of. It is thus largely unclear what the film is about and to be honest, I couldn't really care. What it comes down to is that Terence Hill plays pistolero Cat Stevens, who is wanted by bad guys. He gets shot and then patched up by a band of travelling circus artists. When said bad guys (in their search for Cat Stevens) kill one of the circus people, it's time for revenge. A 'friend' of Cat Stevens (Bud Spencer of course) is persuaded to join this quest. Through a confronting circus act the scared towns people are also mobilized to revolt against the terror. This in its turn has something to do with an unlawfully obtained mine...

The biggest problem of Boot Hill is the fact that there is no main character. The cast itself is not bad at all, but due to the absence of a central figure and the fact all characters are poorly written, no actor is able to leave his mark. As a result of this Boot Hill is definitely not the average Bud & Terence vehicle. Be this as it may, this film is in parts unwatchable in its inferiority. Most remarkable in this light are the sloppy camera work and the bizarre editing choices. Besides these given factors this comedy western is rarely funny. It is especially the middle part that made me frown with its surreal badness and out of place homo erotic subtext. However, all this does give the film a certain flair when it comes to originality.

It is only in the end that it is clear the director Giuseppe Colizzi was really trying to make a comedy. Bud Spencer then starts fighting like Donkey Kong, which significantly increases the entertainment level. The funniest fight however is delivered by a trio of circus midgets. In ridiculous fashion the three beat up a bad guy. That scene alone makes Boot Hill worth a watch. Just don't expect too much when you decide to give this western the benefit of the doubt. Though this this cheap production is far more original than the average film, it is not any better.

--Bad Lieutenant 10:35, 26 November 2009 (UTC)

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.