Specialisti, Gli/Opinions

The Specialist is one of Sergio Corbucci's better films but not among the very best. Basically it's standard western story about gunslinger seeking revenge and gold but Corbucci adds some very weird elements which makes it stand out. Hero played by Rock star Johnny Halliday wears chain mail armour and fights against the band of pot smoking hippies. Mario Adorf and Gastone Moschin provide good supporting cast. Along with the weird elements it also has the familiar bleak mood of Corbucci films and very beautiful landscapes. My rating 4/5. --Bill san Antonio 14:07, 26 July 2007 (CEST)

Thanks Kinowelt that I could watch this extremely special SW. As a fan of the strange Blindman and Django Kill I actually liked this movie as well. It is a little slow in the first half but gets better with every minute to its end. Outstanding supporting actors - first of all Mario Adorf. His character was so great and actually would be worth getting more moments. Finally Halliday fits perfect. Although the music istn't typical spaghetti western like, but nevertheless definetely fits into the entire situation. It isn't Corbucci's best, but again shows the great ideas in his mind. --Lode 11:42, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

Translation of (the second part of the) film review on the Italian Spaghetti Western Database:

<< The umpteenth masterpiece of Sergio Corbucci, who hardly ever seems to fail when making westerns. While in Navajo Joe and Django the director brought up the themes of genocide and racism, here the ideas are tackled of social oppression exercised by the rich and their attachment to money. Even the title The specialists refers to to the citizens of Blackstone, experts in lynching. The film is helped immensely by Mario Adorf's interpretation of the bandit El Diablo, a concentrated performance by Gastone Moshin as the town's sherif and the presence of the legendary french singer Johnny Halliday, who's perfect in his part. There are rumours that Corbucci wrote the part of the film's protagonist with Halliday in mind. One of the other curiosities, is the band of young adventurers, who take the city under siege during the finale, but run away cowardly when confronted with Hud. Some say they are a reference to the hippie movement, proposed by Halliday himself, who hated them enormously (actually he wrote a song called Long hair, short ideas); others think their presence is a historical reference to the historical 'molasses gang'; personally I believe Corbucci offers us a mix of these two elements. Noteworthy also is a brief presence of Toto, Mario Castellani, in the role of Blackstone's judge. All in all it's a beautiful film, engaging and well-acted, with an inspired score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. Actually a wonderful western >>

Translation: Scherpschutter