Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's 25th film as a director, Million Dollar Baby stands proudly with Unforgiven and Mystic River as the masterwork of a great American filmmaker. In an age of bloated spectacle and computer-generated effects extravaganzas, Eastwood turns an elegant screenplay by Paul Haggis (adapted from the book Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner by F.X. Toole, a pseudonym for veteran boxing manager Jerry Boyd) into a simple, humanitarian example of classical filmmaking, as deeply felt in its heart-wrenching emotions as it is streamlined in its character-driven storytelling. In the course of developing powerful bonds between "white-trash" Missouri waitress and aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), her grizzled, reluctant trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), and Frankie's best friend and training-gym partner Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), 74-year-old Eastwood mines gold from each and every character, resulting in stellar work from his well-chosen cast. Containing deep reserves of love, loss, and the universal desire for something better in hard-scrabble lives, Million Dollar Baby emerged, quietly and gracefully, as one of the most acclaimed films of 2004, released just in time to earn an abundance of year-end accolades, all of them well-deserved. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (186)

Everyone's already taken the compliments this movie can get
I can't believe how much I liked this movie. I'm not really one for Boxing or Dramas (Unless their really good) but I was was pleasantly surprised.

Good performances on all sides (Hilary really deserved that Oscar), and the film also has you caring for the characters...maybe not all of them, but definately Hilary Swank.

- - -SPOILERS AHEAD- - -
I hate using words like "heartbreaking," but that's just what the ending to this story was. It will wreck you for a week. My Dad, who I viewed the movie with, hated the ending. He wanted one of those fairy tale finishes but, in reality, the world doesn't have too many of those. I, on the other hand (While I was fighting like Mike Tyson to hold back tears), admire Clint Eastwood for not being afraid to take a story (no matter how "good" or "inspiring" it is) and do a complete 180 from the cliche ending it seemed it was heading. It takes big grapes to do that.

Boxing Hilary?
This movie uses its extremely strong characters and a decent storyline to create what could literally be called a modern day classic. It shows a softer side to Clint Eastwood that I am not sure we have ever seen before. Hilary Swank is outstanding - I wish I had a better word for her performance - but I am not sure there is one. They key to this film is her ability to pull off the boxing segments in a convincing manner - and she does that in spades. Her right hook appears to be truly devastating. Morgan Freeman also turns in an awesome performance - both he and Swank are worthy of the Oscar. Million Dollar Baby is a film that should not be missed. See it.

A Great Movie With An Unbelievable Scene!!!
This movie stars Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank who seems to get another Academy Award every time she appears in a movie.This movie seems to be a female version of Rocky at the start but then becomes a touching human drama. The only thing that spoiled this movie for me was the usual sanitized Hollywood Death Scene. The last time I checked if your oxygen supply is cut off then you turn red, then blue then purple.Not so in this movie. I am sure that Doctor Kevorkian would have loved this movie for this reason alone.

Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are fantastic and Hillary Swank absolutey stunning and beautiful even while dawning shorts and sweating like the proverbial pig.This is easily the best movie I've seen in years, it is a must see for not only boxing fans, but anyone who enjoys a movie that has it all.Did I mention Hillary Swank:)

Should be about 17 stars
Let's face it Clint Eastwood's head should be up on Mt. Rushmore.While critics are going bananas over garbage like Kill Bill & Shanghai Noon & Pulp Fiction & nonsense like Star Wars..Clint not only consistently delivers the goodsHeck,,even his lesser pictures like Every Which Way But Loose and Space Cowboys are hugely entertaining. this is along with Unforgiven his crowning achievement. In other words it's as good as it gets...& to think it's about a female boxer of all things...just see it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's 25th film as a director, Million Dollar Baby stands proudly with Unforgiven and Mystic River as the masterwork of a great American filmmaker. In an age of bloated spectacle and computer-generated effects extravaganzas, Eastwood turns an elegant screenplay by Paul Haggis (adapted from the book Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner by F.X. Toole, a pseudonym for veteran boxing manager Jerry Boyd) into a simple, humanitarian example of classical filmmaking, as deeply felt in its heart-wrenching emotions as it is streamlined in its character-driven storytelling. In the course of developing powerful bonds between "white-trash" Missouri waitress and aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), her grizzled, reluctant trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), and Frankie's best friend and training-gym partner Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), 74-year-old Eastwood mines gold from each and every character, resulting in stellar work from his well-chosen cast. Containing deep reserves of love, loss, and the universal desire for something better in hard-scrabble lives, Million Dollar Baby emerged, quietly and gracefully, as one of the most acclaimed films of 2004, released just in time to earn an abundance of year-end accolades, all of them well-deserved. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (186)

Everyone's already taken the compliments this movie can get
I can't believe how much I liked this movie. I'm not really one for Boxing or Dramas (Unless their really good) but I was was pleasantly surprised.

Good performances on all sides (Hilary really deserved that Oscar), and the film also has you caring for the characters...maybe not all of them, but definately Hilary Swank.

- - -SPOILERS AHEAD- - -
I hate using words like "heartbreaking," but that's just what the ending to this story was. It will wreck you for a week. My Dad, who I viewed the movie with, hated the ending. He wanted one of those fairy tale finishes but, in reality, the world doesn't have too many of those. I, on the other hand (While I was fighting like Mike Tyson to hold back tears), admire Clint Eastwood for not being afraid to take a story (no matter how "good" or "inspiring" it is) and do a complete 180 from the cliche ending it seemed it was heading. It takes big grapes to do that.

Boxing Hilary?
This movie uses its extremely strong characters and a decent storyline to create what could literally be called a modern day classic. It shows a softer side to Clint Eastwood that I am not sure we have ever seen before. Hilary Swank is outstanding - I wish I had a better word for her performance - but I am not sure there is one. They key to this film is her ability to pull off the boxing segments in a convincing manner - and she does that in spades. Her right hook appears to be truly devastating. Morgan Freeman also turns in an awesome performance - both he and Swank are worthy of the Oscar. Million Dollar Baby is a film that should not be missed. See it.

A Great Movie With An Unbelievable Scene!!!
This movie stars Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank who seems to get another Academy Award every time she appears in a movie.This movie seems to be a female version of Rocky at the start but then becomes a touching human drama. The only thing that spoiled this movie for me was the usual sanitized Hollywood Death Scene. The last time I checked if your oxygen supply is cut off then you turn red, then blue then purple.Not so in this movie. I am sure that Doctor Kevorkian would have loved this movie for this reason alone.

Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are fantastic and Hillary Swank absolutey stunning and beautiful even while dawning shorts and sweating like the proverbial pig.This is easily the best movie I've seen in years, it is a must see for not only boxing fans, but anyone who enjoys a movie that has it all.Did I mention Hillary Swank:)

Should be about 17 stars
Let's face it Clint Eastwood's head should be up on Mt. Rushmore.While critics are going bananas over garbage like Kill Bill & Shanghai Noon & Pulp Fiction & nonsense like Star Wars..Clint not only consistently delivers the goodsHeck,,even his lesser pictures like Every Which Way But Loose and Space Cowboys are hugely entertaining. this is along with Unforgiven his crowning achievement. In other words it's as good as it gets...& to think it's about a female boxer of all things...just see it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sergio Leone's trilogy of operatic spaghetti Westerns with Clint Eastwoodmade the former TV star into an international sensation as the scraggly, silent Man withNo Name, a wandering rogue with a scheming mind and a sense of humor drier than thedusty, wind-scoured desert. With A Fistful of Dollars, a blatant rip-off ofKurosawa's cynical samurai hit Yojimbo, Leone transforms the Western hero intoa crafty mercenary. The follow-up, For a Few Dollars More, teams Eastwood upin an uneasy alliance with Lee Van Cleef in a tale of revenge, but the masterpiece of theset is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, an epic scramble for buried gold setagainst the violence of the Civil War. In this film good is a relative term as threecriminals make a series of tenuous partnerships broken in double-crosses and betrayals in Leone's epicvision of the American southwest as endless deserts and clapboard towns infested withgunmen. This was a new kind of Western: cynical, violent, stylish, and austere.Eastwood's rough face and squinting eyes fill the widescreen frame in massive close-upswhile Leone stages action in bold compositions on empty streets and stark landscapes.The guns ring out in cartoonish exaggeration, and the music, an eclectic, electric mix ofbuzzing guitar, human voice, and harmonica by Ennio Morricone, sets the whole thing ina world pitched between myth and modernity. Leone's shot-in-Spain trilogy ushered in aflood of Italian spaghetti Westerns, but none hold a candle to Leone's stylish classics.--Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Simply Amazing
These three movies bring a completely new spin to the American west. No longer can you think of westerns as movies with the John Wayne like hero who always does what is right. In these movies, Clint Eastwood is nearly as bad as the men he fights. The camera work of Sergio Garcia provide for some tense moments and classic shots that you can't forget. Added with the music of composer Ennio Morricone, these movies began their own genre, the "spaghetti western" and launched Clint Eastwood's career. The shots of Clint squinting into the sunlight, the cut shots combined with the loud and unusual music of Morricone create some of the most memorable moments in film. For anyone that likes Clint Eastwood or just good, intelligent, and captivating action movies this box set is for you.

Clint Eastwood: The Man With No Name - A Trilogy
Clint Eastwood is the "man with no name." Italian director Sergio Leone directed what many believe are to be the Top 3 films of all time! Beginning with "A Fistful of Dollars" (copied from the Japanese samurai film "Yo Jimbo") Clint Eastwood rides into a town with two bosses. "For A Few Dollars More" betters on the first. Includes Lee Van Cleef as supporting actor. Two Bounty Killers team up to kill a common foe: One wronged by Indio, the head bank robber. "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" is the best of the lot, complete with a haunting musical score by Ennio Morricone. Who could forget the shrilling cry in the opening credits? "Ahh-ee-ahh-ee-iii! Wa...Wa...Wa..." The collaboration of Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone is what makes these films work. "Spaghetti Westerns" don't waste time with the conventional "cowboys and indians." They focus more on the loners, the gunslingers, the bandits. This DVD Trilogy is the DEFINITIVE COLLECTION. Includes original theatrical trailers, bonus footage, behind the scenes, and much, much more! For more film/music greats look for Leone and Morricone collaborating on "Once Upon A Time in the West" (starring Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda), "A Fistful of Dynamite" aka "Duck You Sucker" (James Coburn, and "Once Upon A Time In America" (Robert DeNiro, James Woods). These films are the best, the peak in Western Cinemas.

Make Sure You Buy It.
These 3 films were the first 3 westerns I ever watched and boy was I impressed. I never even liked westerns before I watched the famous "Spaghetti Westerns". The acting is great, cinematography spectacular and the music is well-crafted. My only complaint is the clean-up on the pictures during the transfer to DVD but it has little impact on the overall quality and enjoyability of the movies themselves. After watching these 3 excellent and well-written films I watched Hang Em High which was also another excellent western with Eastwood. So buy these 3 films in an affordable 3-pack. Well worth your time and money.

The greatest westerns ever made - all in one box set
Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" trilogy is classic. It made both Leone and composer Ennio Morricone famous, elevated Clint Eastwood into stardom, and invented the "spaghetti western". Now western fans can own the entire series in one DVD set.

The series begins with A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, the classic western that introduced us to Morricone's rolling, whistling score that is now associated with the genre; Clint Eastwood's cool performance of the lone stranger who takes down two feuding small town gangs; and Leone's masterful direction. Then we move on to FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, in which Eastwood teams up with an old army colonel (Lee Van Cleef) to capture the bounty on an escaped prisoner. The series ends with THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, undoubtedly the greatest western film ever made. Eastwood is flawless, Morricone's score classic, the action terrific, and Leone's direction extraodinary; you are absolutely glued to the TV screen throughout the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes. Cinema lovers everywhere and anywhere will not want to miss out on this excellent collection of the greatest western masterpieces of all-time.

Clint Eastwood at his Best
Three of the greatest westerns of all time. A+++ ... Read more

Description

The Dirty Harry giftset includes all 5 hit titles of one of the most famous cops ever to hit the big screen. They include: Dirty Harry, Dead Pool, The Enforcer, Magnum Force, and Sudden Impact. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Clint Has Yet Another One Liner. This Time In A Documentary.
"Sometimes It's Best To Leave A Good Thing Alone" says Eastwood, one of the most popular actors to walk the Earth, When asked if another sequel should be made to this series. He's as wise as he is gifted. Everyone is dying for another Dirty Harry but I've seen so many poor sequels in my life. Yes, They could probably make a good one, But Eastwood has a point. He is Dirty Harry and knows that character better than anyone (Excluding whoever invented the most popular film detective). He's lived a long life and has all those experiences to reflect upon. In other words, He's Smart. That documentary is found right here on this DVD set. There are a moderate amount of bonus features which make this worth buying as well as the five movies. If you are reading this you probably know how good the movies found here are, All worthwhile, But some are better than others. You be the judge on that. Cheers.

Great Film Series! Poor DVD Extra Features.
Dirty Harry is without a doubt one the most famous characters ever to be portrayed by Clint Eastwood. It was almost like seeing the man with no name being given a badge in modern times. The first film is arguably the best, for a great deal of reasons. First you have a great villain: Scorpio..completely off his rocker, who's vile and deadly..somebody you want Harry to show no mercy to. Plus this is the only film that ever gives any real insight to who Harry is and why he's become this sort of rogue cop with a vengeance. One of my favorite scenes is when he's talking to his dead partner's wife as he reveals a bit of himself to her. It's a poignant moment we never really ever see again in the Harry character. But the movie succeeds in keeping our eyes glued to the picture because we want Harry to track down Scorpio and save the girl he's kidnapped just as much as Harry does! The final scenerio on a bus is very good. A modern day classic at its best!

The other Dirty Harry movies are not as clever as the first film, and by saying that I mean that they're still good movies, but the 1st film is more superior. "Magnum Force" deals with the story of cops who take the law into their own hands (including a young Robert Urich), going a step beyond what even Harry does, thinking he'll join them. "The Enforcer" give a unique twist of pairing Harry with a female partner, played well by Tyne Daly (which is why I think she later ended up on the TV series "Cagney & Lacey"). My personal favorite of the Harry films next to the original has got to be "Sudden Impact", which was also directed by Clint Eastwood. It includes his all time best Dirty Harry line and has a great finale at an amusement park. "The Dead Pool" ends the series with some great wit and action, including a unique car chase with a little remote control car. Add Jim Carrey as a doped up out of his mind rock muscician (using Guns 'N' Roses Welcome To The Jungle as his own song) and what more could you ask for?

As great as the movies are I was very disappointed in the slim pickens as far as extra features on the DVDs are concerned. "Dirty Harry" contains a new retrospective documentary, that is pretty good. But why didn't Warner Brothers opt to include the documentary that was included on the Laserdisc Box Set, entitled: "Eastwood: The Man From Malpaso"? Magnum Force & The Enforcer also contain short "Making Of" featurettes that aren't bad. All the other films only contain a trailer. Which means, perhaps some time down the road another box set will be released, filled to the teeth with extras (anybody remember the Die Hard trilogy?). But for people like me who have been waiting and waiting and waiting for all 5 Harry films to become available, as well as to be put together in a nice Box Set, the time to buy is now. I've never even seen any of the films in the Widescreen format (2.35:1), so now I finally can. So make your day or somebody's day and pick up the Dirty Harry Collection DVD Box Set! You'll be glad you did.

"Go ahead...make my day" - Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

Every one a gem
I understand many people dislike sequels and that most people put too high of expectations on sequels but I am quite sick of all of the 'wannabe' critics that say, Oh, the first was the best, the rest sucked...that is "the thing to say" I guess if you THINK youre a film fan and follow blindly behind the other sheep bleating just because the other sheep are. Now, everyone has the right to like or dislike a film but if you liked the first film you generally like the sequels. Each film to me is a continuation. If you don't like em, fine, move on. However I find EVERY film presented here a gem. Each film presented here did fairly well at the box office. The point is, these were supposed to be like the bond films but Eastwood decided enough was enough. Some say, awwww, its his worst after the westerns....cmon, hes not gonna do westerns forever!!! ridiculous! The films here are gritty and VERY 70s/80s so newcomers won't find much to relate to here but anyone who is a 70s or 80s child will enjoy these films. Its NOT NYPD Blue, Nor is it Lethal Weapon or any other cop drama. These are films that were VERY revolutionary back in their day and made Eastwood a star, it wasnt his "Man with no name" trilogy that did it, even though they were amazing and got the ball rolling for him. It was these films right here that gave him his trademark saying "go ahead, make my day!". If your a fan of Harry you must own this set, otherwise move off to the pasture and bleat and chew grass like all of the other sheep.

Clint Eastwood at his worst
Now that Eastwood has disowned his "Dirty Harry" years, I guess Warner Studios thought they could make a quick buck by packaging the movies into a box set. While the first movie packed a punch, the latter ones were little more than retreds of the original, much like Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" movies. Personally, I think Dirty Harry was Eastwood at his worst, transforming him from a High Plains Drifter into a tough cop tracking down the lawless elements in society. But, the movies made the Magnum the most popular handgun in America.

Be Like Clint . Do Not Over-Analyze. His Best Movie
Clint has had a long career starting off as a lifeguard and then getting his first break in TV as Rowdy, then moving to Italy where he made his early signature westerns, i.e.: the strong silent type know for violence. Next came a series of - I am being nice - disjointed movies. Then he broke out with the Dirty Harry series in 1971 - making his permanent mark in cinema history.

Clint Eastwood has now made a lot of movies, been married a twice, has fathered many children, made a lot of money, directed many movies, and has had a lot of box office success - by any measure.

His trademark in the movies was to move quickly and efficiently, brevity in making movies being a basic tenant. The movies are big theater draws and cost efficient. He is not known for a lot of self analysis and retrospection. This comes through loud and clear in Dirty Harry. I have seen almost every one of Clint's movies - I have lost track but it is over 50 - and I think this movie - the first in this series was his high water mark.

If you happen to be a person living in isolation and have never seen the movie, sure run out and see it or buy the DVD. For the rest of us this DVD is a must for every collection.

Jack in Toronto ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's 25th film as a director, Million Dollar Baby stands proudly with Unforgiven and Mystic River as the masterwork of a great American filmmaker. In an age of bloated spectacle and computer-generated effects extravaganzas, Eastwood turns an elegant screenplay by Paul Haggis (adapted from the book Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner by F.X. Toole, a pseudonym for veteran boxing manager Jerry Boyd) into a simple, humanitarian example of classical filmmaking, as deeply felt in its heart-wrenching emotions as it is streamlined in its character-driven storytelling. In the course of developing powerful bonds between "white-trash" Missouri waitress and aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), her grizzled, reluctant trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), and Frankie's best friend and training-gym partner Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), 74-year-old Eastwood mines gold from each and every character, resulting in stellar work from his well-chosen cast. Containing deep reserves of love, loss, and the universal desire for something better in hard-scrabble lives, Million Dollar Baby emerged, quietly and gracefully, as one of the most acclaimed films of 2004, released just in time to earn an abundance of year-end accolades, all of them well-deserved. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (186)

Everyone's already taken the compliments this movie can get
I can't believe how much I liked this movie. I'm not really one for Boxing or Dramas (Unless their really good) but I was was pleasantly surprised.

Good performances on all sides (Hilary really deserved that Oscar), and the film also has you caring for the characters...maybe not all of them, but definately Hilary Swank.

- - -SPOILERS AHEAD- - -
I hate using words like "heartbreaking," but that's just what the ending to this story was. It will wreck you for a week. My Dad, who I viewed the movie with, hated the ending. He wanted one of those fairy tale finishes but, in reality, the world doesn't have too many of those. I, on the other hand (While I was fighting like Mike Tyson to hold back tears), admire Clint Eastwood for not being afraid to take a story (no matter how "good" or "inspiring" it is) and do a complete 180 from the cliche ending it seemed it was heading. It takes big grapes to do that.

Boxing Hilary?
This movie uses its extremely strong characters and a decent storyline to create what could literally be called a modern day classic. It shows a softer side to Clint Eastwood that I am not sure we have ever seen before. Hilary Swank is outstanding - I wish I had a better word for her performance - but I am not sure there is one. They key to this film is her ability to pull off the boxing segments in a convincing manner - and she does that in spades. Her right hook appears to be truly devastating. Morgan Freeman also turns in an awesome performance - both he and Swank are worthy of the Oscar. Million Dollar Baby is a film that should not be missed. See it.

A Great Movie With An Unbelievable Scene!!!
This movie stars Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank who seems to get another Academy Award every time she appears in a movie.This movie seems to be a female version of Rocky at the start but then becomes a touching human drama. The only thing that spoiled this movie for me was the usual sanitized Hollywood Death Scene. The last time I checked if your oxygen supply is cut off then you turn red, then blue then purple.Not so in this movie. I am sure that Doctor Kevorkian would have loved this movie for this reason alone.

Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are fantastic and Hillary Swank absolutey stunning and beautiful even while dawning shorts and sweating like the proverbial pig.This is easily the best movie I've seen in years, it is a must see for not only boxing fans, but anyone who enjoys a movie that has it all.Did I mention Hillary Swank:)

Should be about 17 stars
Let's face it Clint Eastwood's head should be up on Mt. Rushmore.While critics are going bananas over garbage like Kill Bill & Shanghai Noon & Pulp Fiction & nonsense like Star Wars..Clint not only consistently delivers the goodsHeck,,even his lesser pictures like Every Which Way But Loose and Space Cowboys are hugely entertaining. this is along with Unforgiven his crowning achievement. In other words it's as good as it gets...& to think it's about a female boxer of all things...just see it. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Bawdy Good Fun!
Totally irreverent and unabashed Paint Your Wagon is bawdy good fun for the whole family! In spite of the critics' remarks about its morals or lack of them, I found the story to be true to life in the old west. In watching the documentary "Ken Burn's presents The West," one learns that many decent law abiding folk abandoned all sense of morality and manners once out on the American Frontier.

The music as with all Lerner and Loewe films is excellent, especially the unforgettable song, "They Call The Wind Maria." Clint Eastwood sings beautifully and most probably could have had a nice singing career had he not gone to tough guy films and spahgetti Westerns. Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg compliment a fine cast of actors that make this musical very enjoyable and a believable picture of life in the Old West.

Adapted by Paddy Chayefsky (remember "Marty?") the musical is filmed on location in a beautiful wilderness (supposedly) in California which is about to become a state. Reckless, raucous and full of good fun it makes Rogers and Hamerstein's "Oklahoma" look dull and tame by comparison. Like the song "With A Little Bit Of Luck" in the musical, My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe tend to celebrate the lesser (and more real) qualities of humanity with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Thus so I dare say I enjoy Lerner and Loewe much more than Rogers and Hammerstein.

Bawdy Good Fun!
Totally irreverent and unabashed Paint Your Wagon is bawdy good fun for the whole family! In spite of the critics' remarks about its morals or lack of them, I found the story to be true to life in the old west. In watching the documentary "Ken Burn's presents The West," one learns that many decent law abiding folk abandoned all sense of morality and manners once out on the American Frontier.

The music as with all Lerner and Loewe films is excellent, especially the unforgettable song, "They Call The Wind Maria." Clint Eastwood sings beautifully and most probably could have had a nice singing career had he not gone to tough guy films and spahgetti Westerns. Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg compliment a fine cast of actors that make this musical very enjoyable and a believable picture of life in the Old West.

Adapted by Paddy Chayefsky (remember "Marty?") the musical is filmed on location in a beautiful wilderness (supposedly) in California which is about to become a state. Reckless, raucous and full of good fun it makes Rogers and Hamerstein's "Oklahoma" look dull and tame by comparison. Like the song "With A Little Bit Of Luck" in the musical, My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe tend to celebrate the lesser (and more real) qualities of humanity with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Thus so I dare say I enjoy Lerner and Loewe much more than Rogers and Hammerstein.

The movie they tried to ruin
"Paint Your Wagon" is almost a textbook case in how to ruin a film version of halfway decent musical. Take a minor Lerner & Lowe hit, blow it up all out of proportion, cast three non-singers for the main leads, and remove most traces of the whimsy and irony that made this moderately popular in the first place. That the result is STILL somewhat entertaining is almost a miracle. A lot of the credit has to go Lee Marvin, who plays his trademark drunken Westerner to the hilt. But Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg are bland to the point of nonexistence. A standout (he's hard to miss) is Harve Presnell, an actual singer who belts out the movie's big hit, "They Call the Wind Maria" then promptly disappears. There's a lot of "what-in-the-world-were-they-thinking?" in this one. But it's still worth a couple hours of your time.

Good Old Fun
Wow, how can you not love Clint Eastwood's singing? This movie is fun and hilarious. A little action and a lot of laughter. The characters are witty and the plot is creative. I would recomend this movie to anyone, unless you don't agree with drinking, smoking and gambling. Just watch the movie and enjoy.

My first true laugh
Thirty years ago when I as a young buck watched this movie, it was a delightful surprise. That Lee Marvin was so funny. You never forget that first kiss,well you never forget that first really uncontrollable laugh either. Lee Marvin, like alot of heavies, had a gift for comedy. The part of the movie when Marvin thinks he is in hell is so classic. The closing song is bittersweet. It is hard to say good-bye to all the great characters. Ah to be so young and innocent again! ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Like Coors Dirty Harry's an Original
It was a great idea taking the soft deliberate speaking, Western King, Clint Eastwood and placing him in society as San Francisco police inspector Harry Callahan. Harry is a maverick cop fighting bank robberies, handling suicides and finally chasing a crazed killer known as Scorpio. The only thing we can determine that really drives Callahan besides Good vs Evil is that his wife was killed by an alleged drunk driver. It's the pre prozac and therapist era and Callahans controlled rage is only adressed through the mishaps of his villanous prey and his by the book department. In a sense this movie is timeless as hostage situations still affect our urban areas but with this cutting edge cinematic view we become somewhat disconcerted by our own laws and policies. The line made popular here DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? will last forever. Villan Andrew Robinson is still working today as he did a great job making us hate him in 1971. Four sequels follow this one Magnum Force 1973, The Enforcer 1976, Sudden Impact 1982 and The Dead Pool 1988. All worth watching but you can flip flop Dirty Harry and Magnum Force as the best of the bunch!

It'll blow you away
"Dirty Harry" made Clint Eastwood a star. Yes, there was the Italian westerns that made him famous, but this is the one that made him an American icon. Harry Callahan is the man every man wants to be.
The story is that a roof top sniper is killing the citizens of San Francisco. He is a cold, vicious murderer who wants a huge ransom to stop. Harry Callahan is the cop assigned to the case. Harry is a loner, he's the type to shoot first (with his massive, now infamous, Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum) and ask questions later. At first he goes along with police procedure, until the killer starts a new MO. When Harry tries to arrest him, he violate some of the killer's civil rights, and then is released. Harry begins stalking him as the killer is now trolling for new victoms.
This movie is not a mystery, it is more about social issues. Some people say the movie is dated. Maybe, maybe not. I think that rights of the accused are still highly sensitive issue today. Dirty Harry just did what any one of us in those extraordinary circumstances would have done.
On top everything it is an excellent action thriller. The pace is tight and it is just great to see someone just doing what's right, not nessesarily what's leagle.

CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINT
This movie is about conservatives and how they must battle against the oppressive forces of communism. It was written by the greatest screenwriter and director ever, because he is a conservative.

This movie makes me wonder if somebody saw a screenplay I wrote a few years ago and stole my idea. It was called "A Savage Campaign." In it, a politician and a murder take care of the daughter, whose wife finds out about the plan. The democratic senator is corrupt and goes to the KKK. When the plot is revealed, it is finally stopped by Barry Bonds, who I consider to be baseball's Superman. When I pitched this idea to many Hollywood executives they thought it sounded great, but they wanted me to change the democrat to a republican.

All men yearn to be free.

This movie is about how the system does not care for law and justice. But the American people do. God bless you all.

'GOD'S LONELY MAN."
John Milius is the greatest screenwriter you never heard of, not to mention a terrific director. He describes the "Dirty Harry" Callahan character as "God's lonely man." Milius is that rarest of rarities, a Hollywood conservative. He herein wrote a film for the Republican Clint Eastwood that spoke to the hopes and fears of an America yearning for justice, law'n'order in a world dominated by overarching liberalism in the 1960s and '70s.

Picture America at that time: Vietnam, the streets and campuses exploding in riot, and a new social ethos that was willing to blame a racist white establishment for the crimes of this nation's increasing population of criminals.

In the 1960s, the Supreme Court became activist to the hilt. The most obvious of these cases was the famous Miranda ruling from Arizona, in which a criminal was allowed to go free because he had not understood his rights, not understanding the English language spoken by the arresting officer. His subsequent confessions were thrown out. The Court spoke of the "forbiddeen fruit" of evidence gathered by overzealous officers who "failed" to inform criminals that they were being searched just before they discovered their weapons, their drugs, their evidence. A police officer who found evidence of crimes was unable to make the case unless he had probable cause ahead of time to find the evidence.

In "Dirty Harry", a character (Andy Robinson) based on the never-caught Zodiak killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area at that time, goes on a murder rampage. Eastwood catches him at Kezar Stadoium. A little girl is lying in a hole some place. She has a limited amount of air left. Eastwood knows the guy did it. We know it. God knows it. The scene is worth watching in light of Abu Ghraib and the concept of the "ticking time bomb" theory of interrogation that the terror era has brought upon us.

Eastwood knows that if the man is arrested and booked, he will not talk, hiding behind a lawyer, and that the girl will suffocate. He applies a little bit of torture to Robinson, the Scorpio killer. What he wants is to know where the little girl is, so she can be saved. Scorpio wines about having rights and wanting a lawyer. Eastwood extracts the information from him. The girl, however, has died before she can be found by the cops.

Eastwood is confronted by the D.A., who tells him not only that the killer had rights, but that he will walk as soon as he is healthy, and he has brought in a Berkeley professor to detail to Clint how he violated the criminal's rights and, in essence, is worse than the Scorpio killer.

The end? We've all seen it a million times on TBS's "Movies For Guys Who Like Movies." Eastwood gets his man. He receives zero gratitude from the authorities. Millions of ordinary American citizens appreciated him in theatres and TVs since then, however.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"

STWRITES@AOL.COM

BEST ACTION MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
IN THE ONE THAT STARTED EVERYTHING, ''DIRTY'' HARRY CALLAHAN [CLINT EASTWOOD] GOES AFTER A SERIAL KILLER [ANDREW ROBINSON]. STILL THE BEST OF THE DIRTY HARRY SERIES. HAS A SUSPENSEFUL PLOT, TOP OF THE LINE ACTION, EXTREMELY CLEVER PACING AND IT HAS A NOT-TO-MISS FINALE. EVERY COP MOVIE THAT CAME OUT AFTER THIS EITHER TRYED TO COPY ITS PLOT OR ITS MAIN CHARACTER. THIS IS ARGUABLY CLINT EASTWOOD'S GREATEST MOVIE EVER. I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A FAN OF CLINT EASTWOOD, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A FAN OF ACTION MOVIES, YOU NEED TO MOST DEFINITELY SEE THIS IF YOU STILL HAVEN'T SEEN IT BY NOW. A TREAT FOR ALL. FOLLOWED BY FOUR SEQUELS, BEGINNING WITH MAGNUM FORCE. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

"To a New Yorker like you...a hero is some kind of sandwich"
Exciting, humourous and well paced WWII action film sees Clint Eastwood and Co. looking to liberate $16 million worth of gold bullion from the retreating Nazi forces in Europe !

Director Brian G. Hutton (who directed Clint in the WWII thriller "Where Eagles Dare") is at the helm of this movie and again demonstrates his passion for fiery, loud battle scenes !!

Eastwood plays Kelly...just another war weary soldier slogging through the muddy battlefields of France until he comes across a German colonel and top secret information about a bank full of plundered Nazi bullion...now all he needs is a skilled team to carry out this most audacious of bank heists in the middle of a war ! Kelly enlists the assistance of tank commanding flower child "Oddball", (Donald Sutherland in an unforgettable performance ) fast talking hustler "Crap Game" ( I don't think Don Rickles was acting ! ), battle hardened sergeant "Big Joe" ( Telly Savalas )....along with a motley crew of troops including Harry Dean Stanton as "Willard" and Jeff Morris as "Cowboy".

I know some reviewers tend to be a bit critical of some of the humourous aspects of this movie....but what the heck...it's not trying to be "All Quiet on the Western Front" or "Paths of Glory"...the movie is a fictional tale about an elaborate bank heist thrown in amongst a very noisy war, and peopled with some larger than life colorful characters. "Kelly's Heroes" is an enjoyable little cult film and is a fun way to spend a lazy evening watching a "Boys Own" action adventure.

Great to finally have "Kellys Heroes" out on DVD (although a few extra goodies would have been nice)....picture and sound quality is very good...and I always enjoy "The Mike Curb Congregation" singing "Burning Bridges" (the film's theme track)......

Classic Army Comedy
Very enjoyable comedy about a platoon of Army soldiers who set out to steal gold bars in a bank behind German lines during WW II. The movie takes place after D-Day when a Private, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, finds out that there is a huge stash of gold in a bank deep in enemy territory. The humor is centered around the lackluster group of soldiers he rounds up to penetrate German lines in a mission to retrieve the prize. What really makes the movie work are the actors: Donald Sutherland (a hippy tanker if you can believe that), Telly Savalas (the strong, reluctant platoon sergeant), Don Rickles (the scheming supply sergeant), and Carrol O'Connor (the division commander who has been trying to get the infantry division on the move). Although funny, it still has it's somber moments when the soldiers and tankers run into the enemy as they advance towards their objective, but it's not too violent nor bloody as recent movies with WW II themes. Previous reviewers have remarked how well done the production sets are with uniforms and equipment, and they are pretty impressive considering this is only a comedy. Interesting remarks about the Tiger Tanks, they probably are modified T-34s considering that they do not have front drive sprockets that original Tigers had, nor do they have the over-lapping road wheel suspension. Plus the turrets of these tanks sit forward on the chassis just like T-34s, regardless of these picky comments, they do almost like the real thing. An enjoyable movie and it has a lively soundtrack that compliments the plot very well.

Great entertainment,, with WWII backgound

Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: November 6, 2001

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Pvt. Kelly
Telly Savalas ... Master Sgt. Big Joe
Don Rickles ... Staff Sgt. Crapgame
Carroll O'Connor ... Major General Colt
Donald Sutherland ... Sgt. Oddball, Tank Commander
Gavin MacLeod ... Moriarty, Tank crewman
Hal Buckley ... Captain Maitland
Stuart Margolin ... Pvt. Little Joe
Jeff Morris ... Pvt. Cowboy
Richard Davalos ... Pvt. Gutowski
Perry Lopez ... Pvt. Petuko
Tom Troupe ... Cpl. Job
Harry Dean Stanton ... Pvt. Willard
Dick Balduzzi ... Pvt. Fisher
Gene Collins ... Pvt. Babra
Len Lesser ... Platoon Sgt. Bellamy 42nd Engineers
David Hurst ... Colonel Dumpkoppf
Fred Pearlman ... Pvt. Mitchell
Michael Clark ... Pvt. Grace
George Fargo ... Pvt. Penn
Dee Pollock ... Pvt. Jonesey
George Savalas ... 1st Sgt. Mulligan, Artillery Unit
John G. Heller ... German Lieutenant
Shepherd Sanders ... Turk, Tank crewman
Karl-Otto Alberty ... German Tank Commander
Ross Elliott ... Major Booker, Gen. Colt's Staff Communications Officer
Phil Adams ... Pvt. Whiskey
Hugo De Vernier ... French mayor
Frank J. Garlotta ... Tanker
Harry Goines ... Supply sergeant
David Gross ... German Captain
Sandy Kevin ... Mo
James McHale ... Guest
Robert MacNamara ... Major Roach, Gen. Colt's Staff
Reed Morgan ... U.S. lieutenant
Tom Signorelli ... Sgt. Bonsor, Gen. Colt's Staff
Donald Waugh ... Roamer, Gen. Colt's Staff

Vincent Maracecchi ... Old man in town
Tony Wheeler ... Cpl., General Colt's Driver

This film is rich with humor, as well as suspense. Kelly (Eastwood) learns about a bank full of gold bars, in Germany behind enemy lines. He gets together a mixed bag of what can only be called losers and misfits, appropriates a tank, and heads for the gold. The ensuing struggle to get rich provides the motivation which keeps the motley band together.

Donald Sutherland ("oddball"), the hippy tanker, is the source of much humor, as well as Don Rickles ("Crapgame"), and (believe it or not) Carroll O.Connor as the general.

This is a funny movie, with more than a little action. Nothing offensive.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Off-beat WW2 classic with all-star cast!
This is definitely one of the funniest war movies of all time! Donald Sutherland, who plays a hippie(!) tank commander, seems out of place in a WW2 setting. However, he had me laughing the whole way through! I can't imagine what this film would be like without his hysterical performance. One of my favorite scenes is when Sutherland's three Sherman tanks attack a Nazi railroad station while playing Hank Williams' music on a loud speaker! I realize that this "WW2 movie" has a definite 70's feel to it (especially with one of the hit songs of the decade, Burning Bridges), & some don't like this movie for that reason. I can't help but have fun everytime I see this! The tanks, even the German ones, look much more authentic than those in Patton or The Battle of the Bulge. This is a real treat for WW2 tank buffs like me who appreciate authenticity. I know the plot is hokey, but who cares? If you want to see a war movie that isn't depressing (like most) or boring then this is for you!

Action packed and funny
Another "tough-guy" film that is sure to entertain you over and over again. Starring Clint Eastwood as the demoted Sgt. Kelly, Telly Savalas as "Big Joe", also starring Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carol O'Connor and Dean Stanton. Truely great action packed film with lots of dry humour. Donald Sutherland looks like he's spent the last 5 years in San Fransisco than an actual Tank commander. I recommend this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Some called it a snooze-fest, while others tearfully clutched their Kleenex. In any case, Clint Eastwood was an unusual and (as it turned out) perceptive choice to direct and costar in this lush adaptation of Robert James Waller's phenomenally bestselling novel. Meryl Streep costars as Francesca, the lonely Iowa farmer's wife who is instantly attracted to Robert (Eastwood), the photographer from National Geographic who is in the area to photograph the bridges along Iowa's rural roadways. The two fall in love while Francesca's husband and children are away at a county fair, but the story's passion and lasting appeal derive from their decision to part forever after just a few brief days of intimate connection. Superbly acted with an emphasis on quiet, graceful moments of tender revelation, the film builds to a crescendo of powerful and conflicting emotions. Like David Lean's Brief Encounter (to which it bears marked similarities), The Bridges of Madison County is destined to become one of the classic movie love stories. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Drown under the Bridges of Madison County
Here we find Clint Eastwood playing Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer who is taking pictures of covered bridges in Iowa. He meets Franchesca, a housewife who is bored out of her mind while her family is away at the county fair. The two have a 4-day affair that is supposed have you pull out your hankerchiefs and sob your eyes out. I was trying to keep my eyes open!

I never was a fan of love stories, and this movie also tries to send a message that true love only happens once in a lifetime, and it doesn't involve marriage. I don't like the fact that this movie portrays an affair as being more sacred then marriage. I can understand that Franchesca was bored and needed a change, but don't you think she went a little too far?

The movie drags, REALLY drags! The opening sequence with her children going through her personal files is so slow that you keep forgetting why you are watching this movie. Most of the scenes are long and very tiring. The rest of the movie yields much of the same, and only the change between scenes keeps you from dosing off. I have been to Iowa, and I agree that the scenery is nice and peaceful, but maybe too peaceful.

Clint Eastwood does fill in a good role as Kincaid, and I can understand if he was trying to open up to a new audience, that being women. This movie does show us the Romeo side of Dirty Harry I guess. There is nothing wrong with trying something new, but I hope Eastwood never does anything like this again.

IT'S ALL ABOUT MERYL
One can only continue to marvel at the incredible range Meryl Streep has shown over her many years; she's going to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute later this month, and what a deserved honor that is.
This love story doesn't really offer anything new in the lines of romance, but it does offer us mature adults facing a heartbreaking decision...a choice. Meryl's hand on the door of her husband's truck while trying to decide whether to run off with Clint Eastwood is one of those moments that only an actress like Streep could pull off so convincingly.
Streep and Eastwood pair well, and they have some powerful scenes, some without dialogue. The addition of the modern day segment featuring Streep's grown children could have been left out, but Annie Corley did a nice job; Victor Slezak was so-so. Jim Haynie in his brief role as Meryl's husband is a sharp contrast to the outgoing, masculine Clint. As he has shown in such powerful movies as MYSTIC RIVER and UNFORGIVEN, Clint has become a director of incredible vision and sensibility. His direction and Meryl's performance elevate this standard fare to classic heights.

The best love story of all time
Anyone who calls this a snooze fest is scared to death of themselves. This is a true love story. Its about a romance that keep people alive whether they dream of it or in this case actually get to live it. I hope someday to meet Mr Eastwood and Ms. Streep and thank them for doing this movie.
Watch the movie, read the book and dont be ashamed to cry and to dream and cry some more. It's ok. It's a beautiful story of something so special that few us ever get to feel. I am a deep romatic and love to write love songs and play them on my guitar.
I have been married to my wife for 25 yrs. I admit I am too scared myself to go out and find someone who really cares about me and appreciates me and doesnt take me for granted. I have spent my marriage trying with all my heart to get my dear wife to believe that romance is beautiful. Too many bad things happened to her as a child. Some people are threatened by those who can openly share there dreams and secrets. They are ahsamed of being. I dream of true love and romance. Maybe someday. Maybe someday I'll find someone to slow dance with again under the stars to the music of each others hearts. Someone to hold hands with, and feel so damn happy you pray to God it will never end. Thats what this movie and story does for me. Cheers.

Movie: ***** DVD presentation: *
"The Bridges of Madison County" is a stellar 1995 adaptation of a truly terrible book. Director/star Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Richard LaGravanese are miracle workers in transforming Robert James Waller's treacly and laughable romantic potboiler into a classic romantic tearjerker about mature people falling in love over a four-day period and making some tough decisions that cost themselves happiness in order to make life better for those around them.

"Bridges" stars the glorious Meryl Streep as Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride turned unhappy '60's Iowa farm wife, who falls deeply into romantic love with National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) while her husband and teenage children are away for four days at an out-of-state fair. She must then decide whether or not to abandon her family in order to spend the rest of her days with the love of her life. The story is really as simple as that, as the true joy of this film is not in surprising and witty plot machinations but in watching two mature and interesting people TALK and RELATE to each other in a realistic manner, something you just don't see in American films any more.
Add to the main plot a much-maligned framing device, set in the present-day with Annie Corley and Victor Slezak as Francesca's grown children. (They're going through their recently-deceased mother's papers and find her diary which contains their mother's story of the affair.) It adds an extra dimension as the pair are forced to confront the problems in their own marriages by reflecting on their mother's infidelity and sacrifice. While some viewers evidently find the present-day story to be an unnecessary conceit, I feel it works just fine and leads to a final shot which is hauntingly memorable.

Actually, everything in this film is hauntingly memorable, from the amazing Streep's Oscar-nominated performance and Eastwood's nuanced and vanity-free work as Kincaid (Witness the nasty, ageist, and unnecessary comments about Eastwood's nude scenes in some of the previous comments and you'll know what I mean about "vanity-free"), to Corley's wonderful work as the daughter and Jim Haynie's nearly silent, though equally memorable turn as Francesca's dull, taciturn but unfailingly decent lump of a husband. Only Slezak overplays his hand as Francesca's son, making him overbearing, unlikeable and unsympathetic.

The film is beautifully shot and stunningly edited by Eastwood regulars Jack N. Green and Joel Cox, making the Iowa landscape and the title bridges vital characters in the film. In fact, Eastwood and company create an indelible sense of time and place; after viewing this film you may actually feel you've been transported to 1960's Winterset, Iowa. Even Lennie Niehaus' obligatory jazz score works incredibly well, even though I would bet jazz wasn't exactly a radio stalwart in the midwest at that particular time. In fact, it's a testament to how good the film is that an interlude at a black jazz nightclub doesn't come across as implausible until later, when you may wonder where exactly in Iowa such a place would exist.

My only disappointment with "The Bridges of Madison County" was that it faired so poorly during awards season. Eastwood, LaGravanese, Green and the film all deserved Oscar nominations, but when the nominations came, only Streep received one. This in spite of the fact that 1995 was a weak year for Hollywood films, with two authentic classics ("Apollo 13" and "Babe") duking in out with three incredibly overrated pictures (Mel Gibson's eventual Oscar winner "Braveheart," "Sense and Sensibility" and the already forgotten Italian treacle "Il Postino"). LaGravanese in particular was shamelessly snubbed for Adapted Screenplay, since his adaption was a substantial improvement over the source material while eventual winner Emma Thompson's "Sense..." script added little to Jane Austen's masterpiece. My guess is Waller's original novel was so horrible that the Academy didn't want to be associated with it in spite of the masterful work that went into this adaptation. Oh, well--

So, considering this glowing review, you may wonder why it only ranks a *** rating? Simple. I'm rating the DVD, and it is a true disappointment: the only Eastwood directorial effort not available in a widescreen transfer, which is puzzling considering Warner Home Video has released all other titles in its Eastwood catalog exclusively in widescreen. My guess is they're waiting for next year's tenth anniversary to release a special edition with making-of features, interviews and widescreen presentation. One can only hope. Until then, this print will have to do. So enjoy, and grab a hanky. You'll need it.

Mature romance with a beautiful performance by Meryl Streep
"The Bridges of Madison County" is an extraordinarily mature film dealing with the complexity and dilemma of the crossroads we sometimes come to in our lives: do we pursue what we truly desire in our hearts or do we do what society would consider to be the right thing - that is, to continue to meet our responsibilities, whether parental or familial. Such is the dilemma facing Francesca Johnson, played magnificently by the gifted and brilliant Meryl Streep. Clint Eastwood, although at times rather stiff in his role as Francesca's romantic interest, Robert Kincaid, gives his character an unusual masculinity and sympathy. Critic Roger Ebert notes that a younger couple would simply have ran away together, abandoning everything behind. BUT...Francesca already has a decent, hard-working husband as well as two children. With Francesca being 45 and Robert being 52, these are two adults who are mature enough to realize not only the intensity of the romantic passion they share but that to continue such passion would come at a price too high to pay for Francesca. In that sense, this film is not so much about simply an affair, but rather it is a mature depiction of inner struggles with unexpected romance and the realization of the importance of putting responsibility before desire. A+. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Great introduction to Westerns for women!
Westerns aren't known for having much appeal to women, but this one tops my Listmania list of "Westerns Even Your Girlfriend Will Enjoy."

Young Clint Eastwood and a gorgeous young Shirley MacLaine have real chemistry on the screen together in this romantic adventure. MacLaine plays Sister Sarah, a righteous but beautiful nun on a mission of political mercy. She's determined to get through some treacherous country on her own, with or without the help of the rugged Eastwood -- yer typical rougish figure turned reluctant hero.

There's a bit of a twist at the end... that I think is fabulous and brings closure to the whole story... Give it a watch and decide for yourself.

And sign up for notification for the release of this movie on DVD... This movie is definitely one to watch again and again and keep on the better medium.

Eastwood + MacLaine = Highly Enjoyable Western Romp!
Though a bit quirky at times, TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA makes for great entertainment. This is mainly due to the pairing of Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine; the two work surprisingly well (no, great) together, and form a hillarious duo. Do not be mislead by the DVD cover and back; Eastwood does NOT play his usual "Man With No Name", but rather a wandering nomad by the name of Hogan. One day he happens upon three men about to rape a young woman, and he of course plugs all three and saves her. Hogan is soon shocked to see that the woman is, in fact, a nun raising money for the Mexicans, and all the while on the run from the French. So the two pair up together, Sara in need of Hogan's protection and Hogan in need of her directions to a well-protected fort, where there is a safe full of over $1 thousand (I think). While the plot may not seem like much, what makes the movie so great is the constant bickering between the two superstars; seeing those two play off eachother is both fascinating and, at times, side-splitting. One can easily tell how this film served as a partial basis for the 1975 western ROOSTER COGBURN (AND THE LADY), in which John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn squarred off in a very similar fashion. One complaint I have about TWO MULES... is the score by none other than Ennio Morricone. Despite his brilliant music for Eastwood's MAN WITH NO NAME TRILOGY, his work here is far from impressive. But since the score is absent for most of the film, it is of little consequence.

After purchasing both "Universal Western Collection" editions of JOE KIDD and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, I was fearing more of the same here in terms of sound and picture. But luckily, this DVD is far superior in this sense. Unfortunately, there are even less extras present here than in those other discs; all you get is a trailer. But, as I said in my review for JOE KIDD, for $it's definitely worth it.

Clint Eastwood meets Frank Zappa
Pass on this hodgepodge of tuff guy meets nun/ballet dancer in a no-holds barred feature film guaranteed to bore you to tears.

Music from Heaven...
As one of the many people in the U.S. who engaged in a letter writing campaign to the film company, begging them to release a soundtrack recording for this movie, I can assure the previous reviewer that it wasn't available in the States when the movie was released. I can't speak for Canada, but as one of the people lucky enough to see the movie at it's New York Premier, and having seen it many times after that just to bask in the music and magnificent visuals again and again, I can tell you there was no soundtrack available when it first came out. The initial response we received to our letters was that a soundtrack wasn't planned at that time. It came out several months (nearly a year) after the initial release of the movie.

That aside, it is a dreadful shame that the entire soundtrack to Days of Heaven is not available by itself, as this recording is missing several essential pieces in the original LP soundtrack recording. The fact that this CD version hasn't been available for awhile, and used copies are nearly eighty dollars as of March 2004, tells me this soundtrack desperately needs to be re-released!

If you ever find this one at an affordable price, buy it immediately-this is gorgeous music...

...
I do want to correct one of the reviewers, "Days of Heaven" was initially released as a soundtrack upon the release of the movie but didn't stay in circulation for all that long. And with the pairing of "Two Mules for Sister Sara" this particular disc is once again going through the ranks of obscurity and hard to find, I know because I have spent 20 years searching to no avail. I was finally able to obtain "Days of Heaven" and shame on me from a music downloading site from a stranger from Denmark, he had no idea how much this music meant to me...it was my holy grail. It's a uplifting experience but sadly only 26 minutes of music that you never want to end. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Scorned by reviewers when it came out, this concentrated dose of commando death-dealing to legions of Nazi machine-gun fodder has acquired a cult over the years. In 1968 Clint Eastwood was just getting used to the notion that he might be a world-class movie star; Richard Burton, whose image had been shaped equally by classical theater training and his headline-making romance with Elizabeth Taylor, was eager to try on the action ethos Eastwood was already nudging toward caricature. Alistair MacLean's novel The Guns of Navarone had inspired the film that started the '60s vogue for World War II military capers, so he was prevailed on to write the screenplay (his first). The central location, an impregnable Alpine stronghold locked in ice and snow, is surpassing cool, but the plot and action are ultra-mechanical, and the switcheroo gamesmanship of just who is the undercover double (triple?) agent on the mission becomes aggressively silly. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (156)

A great War Movie
This movie, filled with drama, action, and a complex plot that will make your head spin, has it all. Richard Burton is dashing as the cold plotting secret agent who is leading his team on a mission to save D-Day from disaster. Clint Eastwood, here little more than a teenager, is wonderful as the somewhat befuddled American army ranger who cannot figure out why he is even on the mission.

Any attempt to go into detail about the story would ruin some of the fun. Suffice to say that you will be riveted both by the action and the performances. One note though, Burton's monologue is amazing.

If you like WWII movies and have not seen this one, you don't know what you are missing.

Trashy and absurd, but still fun
This is a campy movie, but enlivened by gorgeous scenery, unintentionally funny dialogue and some of the most unbelievable action scenes ever devised (count how many times Clint Eastwood reloads... never!)

Richard Burton is his usual over-acting self, and he delivers his lines with more bombast that usual. A favorite is when he's pretending to be SS Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler's brother in order to swagger around in a beerhall. Someone gets wise with him and Burton sneers, "My name is Bernard Himmler. Does the name mean anything to YOU? "

The last half hour of the movie is hilarious. Watch particularly the poker-faced Mary Ure, who hangs out of the back of a ski bus, machine gun in hand. She effortlessly mows down 10 German divisions single-handedly and never so much as twitches one facial muscle. Talk about a blase killer. Mary knocks off more German tanks, trunks and motorcycles in this movie than the Allied and Soviet forces achieved in all of World War II.

This is an enjoyable, escapist movie with plenty of laughs. Those of you who appreciate campy humor and enjoy ridiculing movies that take themselves too seriously will have a field day.

One of the Greatest War Films of All Time !
Quite simply one of the greatest war movies ever made. A top notch thriller loaded with action, espionage and double crosses, "Where Eagles Dare" is the kind of movie that Hollywood just doesn't make anymore. This isn't some politically correct drama steeped in reality. No, this is good guys vs. bad guys. This is pure unabashed fantasy which keeps the audience on the edge of its seat. This is just darn good entertainment!

Richard Burton is absolutely cunning as the British agent who leads an elite group of soldiers behind enemy lines and into a seemingly unpenetrable German castle to rescue an imprisoned American General. A young Clint Eastwood is the only American on the mission. Clint is his usual cool and calm self. However he, like the audience, isn't sure who to trust. Somebody's a double agent, but exactly who is anyone's guess. Don't worry about figuring it out, just sit back and enjoy the drama. You'll love the growing tension and suspicion between Burton and Eastwood.

The journey into the castle is classic heart-stopping drama. Even better is Burton's fight with a German soldier high atop a ski lift -- truly one of the most riveting action sequences ever filmed. Bullets are flyin' and bombs are blastin' throughout. In the end, heroes emerge while evil perpetrators get their just due. Classic, absolutely classic!

And yes, as several reviewers have noted, the stunning scenery and beautiful cinematography in this film would greatly benefit from a widescreen DVD treatment. So, how 'bout it, I want my DVD!

Commando raid at its most ludicrous
OK. Stellar star cast. I'll give you that and no dearth of action as well. But to portray the German Fallschirmjaeger and alpine troops as a bunch of bungling flat footed idiots is a little far fetched. It is history at its worst portrayal and hollywood action at its golden peak. Some dumbass marine from New Jersey might fall for this drivel but not well read students of history. It gets failing grade for portrayal of reality based fiction but gets high marks for choice of location and choice of cast. If you want a better war flick, pick Operation Daybreak.

Whats up with the dubbing
I happened to think that this was a cool movie.
Being a ex-marine I understand that alot of this
if not all of it is fantasy but hey its a movie not a documentary its suppose to be fun. My main concern was the dubbing was this an american movie or european ? it was Burtons and Eastwoods voices on the film but it was advanced meaning the sound occured before the action now I dont know if it was my dvd player I dont think so but man that was annoying ... Read more

Reviews (185)

A few scenes more
Sergio Leone proudly served up his finest spaghetti Western to a Roman audience in the final days of 1966. The premiere print of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" sprawled over three hours in telling its tale of three desperados in search of gold amid the chaos of the Civil War.

The men from United Artists also were on the trail of treasure. American audiences, they knew, would not sit for a 178-minute Western, especially not an import starring a TV actor (Clint Eastwood).

Out came 17 minutes, and so was breach-born the version of "Good, Bad, Ugly" that has endured as a male-bonding touchstone for four decades. Looking to make things right (and to mine more gold), MGM a few years ago decided to re-create the storied film that unspooled in Rome that night. The restored, full-length English version of Leone's epic is worth every dollar in this two-disc DVD Collector's Set.

Sure, Leone's film loses much on the small screen -- its borderline-surrealistic vistas shot in Spain are legendary -- but the DVD's visuals are clean, with decent contrasts (anamorphic widescreen, 2.35:1). Compared to MGM's 1998 release, there's a dramatic reduction in flatness, speckling and miscellaneous wear. The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio has its moments but isn't up to the standards of the imagery.

The DVD medium is, of course, unrivaled at presenting the history of complicated productions like these. MGM's set gets that job done, for the most part. Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel does the heavy lifting in a commentary that, amazingly, runs on fumes only near the end of three hours. The 2002 restoration project is covered in an 11-minute docu that goes over the added/restored scenes. They mostly just smooth out the narrative, but it's hard to reimagine the film without them.

"Good, Bad, Ugly" is as closely associated with composer Ennio Morricone as with Leone. Film music historian Jon Burlingame talks about the maestro in a short featurette and in a more-detailed audio lecture. No explanation is given for Morricone's lack of participation on the DVD, and you get the feeling he's been downplayed for not playing along.

There are two types of people, my friend......
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the classic spaghetti western that completes Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. This is personally my favorite over the other two, although all three are great. The movie follows three men in their pursuit of $200,000 in gold. The story is set in the Civil War in southern Texas. The adventures of the three characters include a Union prison camp, a huge battle reminiscent of World War I, and of course the famous showdown in the Sad Hill Cemetery with Tuco running frantically around the graves looking for the one marked "Arch Stanton."

All three main characters give excellent performances here. Clint Eastwood stars as Blondie, Eli Wallach as Tuco, and Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes. The fourth star has to be Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. The music is fabulous throughout and well worth buying the soundtrack. Also starring are Mario Brega, Luigi Pistilli, and Aldo Sambrell. Leone's use of extreme close-ups and epic landscapes are excellent throughout.

The DVD is awesome and well worth the purchase. It contains the widescreen presentation, excellent color and sound, theatrical trailer, and 14 minutes of never-before-seen footage with English subtitles. This footage includes scenes that help explain how Angel Eyes ends up in a Union prison camp and also how Blondie later joins up with Angel Eyes' gang. After seeing the movie so many times without this footage, it was odd to see it, but still very entertaining. A must have for Spaghetti western fans!

Brilliant Restoration!
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's magnum opus. An audacious undertaking, it would have flopped miserably in any other director's hands. Only someone so commited to his artistic vision as Leone could have pulled off this bombastic pageantry of human nature in all its facets, its capacity for cynicism, greed, bloodlust, revenge, heroism, redemption and honour.

This movie must be *experienced.* Put the DVD in, turn the stereo all the way up and let it pummel you from the moment the Lardani titles blast onto the screen in a blaze of Technicolor fury. The montage of colour, interspersed by stark black and white visages of Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach is a tough act to follow, like Saul Bass' mesmerising titles for Hitchcock's "Vertigo."

The wait is now over! Last year, MGM/UA issued a restored 35mm print, which showed at the Film Forum in Manhattan. First restored in Italian by Cineteca Nazionale, the English-language restoration was spearheaded by Martin Scorsese, whose efforts with the Film Preservation Foundation have helped fund preservation of America's celluloid heritage. Both Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood returned to the sound studio to dub new dialogue for approximately 20 minutes of restored footage. Both sound a little older and scratchier, but these added scenes help to explain both Tuco's and Angel Eyes' gangs and some plot points that were previously unclear. However, they both sound great! (Van Cleef's voice was dubbed by a professional voiceover artist, and sounds almost on target). The movie now has the true feel of a sprawling epic, one that's earned its right to take its time.

This special edition DVD features the movie restored to its original length in the Italian version, and comes jam packed with interviews with Eastwood, Wallach, producer Alberto Grimaldi and -- most importantly -- Mickey Knox, who wrote the English language dialogue. Knox crafted lines that lived up to the larger than life screenplay. You'd swear the original was in English, the dialogue is so perfectly tailored!

But the vision is singularly Leone's. It starts slowly, as a band of bounty killers home in on their prey, small-time bandit Tuco Ramirez (THE UGLY, played by the venerable Eli Wallach). They pile through a saloon door, then the camera imediately pans away laterally. Suddenly, his body hurtling through the front window in a rain of glass, Tuco bursts onto the street -- in what has to be the most absurd grand entrance in screen history -- revolver in one hand, a chicken leg in the other. It's total chutzpah on Leone's and Wallach's part.

If you think *that* can't be topped, watch Wallach's entire performance. Animated is putting it mildly. More than a performance, Wallach is a one-man band, nay, Army. Never has such a selfish, petty, ratty and shifty little man been played so larger than life. Wallach smirks, scurries, grimaces, chuckles, shouts, bellows and slyly oils his way across the screen in what has got to be the hammiest performance ever by a method actor. Or *any* actor: He makes Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster and Charles Laughton look like the grey and sullen cast of Woody Allen's "Interiors," he's so alive with passion that he literally sweats his performance out through the filthy pores on his stubble-ridden face. And he's wonderful!

If that's a tough act to follow, you haven't met the bad. They don't come any badder than Angel Eyes, Lee Van Cleef's hired killer who's got ice water running through his veins. Van Cleef is ruthless, bold and heartless. Riding out of nowhere onto a doomed man's rancho, Angel Eyes pays a visit, carrying out a murder for hire. The price: $500. But the victim offers him $1000 to look the other way. No dice: Angel Eyes isn't in it for the money. Rather, he's a man who loves his work, and always sees the job through. So, the poor sod dies anyway.

Clint Eastwood is as cool as a cucumber as The Man With No Name (but really one with sort of a name, in this case "Blondie," which is Wallach's moniker for him). It's fun watching the ongoing relationship between Blondie and Tuco as bounty hunter and prey. In another life, they would have been great pals, but in this life ("we're all alone in this world," Tuco confesses to Blondie, half seriously, half cynically) their love of money is thicker than friendship. So, they invent ingenious and cruel ways to exact revenge of each other.

It's during one of Tuco's sadistic plots - in which he marches the pale-skinned Eastwood across 100 miles of scorching desert - that the plot finally comes to a head: A driverless stagecoach full of wounded Confederates happens across their path, and through a twist of fate, Tuco and Blondie each have two halves of a secret which, if put together, will make them a quarter of a million dollars richer. But, without each other the two halves are worthless. Thus does Tuco do a 180 from brutal executioner to Blondie's would-be saviour. Now that he could be rich, he suddenly realizes how valuable their friendship is.

It's not before long that they wind up with Angel Eyes, as they're captured by Union soldiers. At the prisoner of war camp, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. Van Cleef is now more restrained and less thuggish as he deals with Tuco to extract the secret; his henchman Wallace (Mario Brega, a Leone stalwart), pummels