Description

Young, ambitious gunman Nobody (Terence Hill) sets his eye on his idol, gunslinger Jack Beauregard (Henry Fonda), who's intent on sailing off into retirement. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

A Sergio Leone Production..
For those who haven't seen this flick, it is a great movie in a semi-Leone style. Terence Hill and Fonda are most suitably cast in a story of an aging gunfighter who is planning to retire and a younger man who has idloized him his whole life.

For those looking to upgrade, the transfer on this new Image dvd release is FAR SUPERIOR to the older WHAM dvd release.

No extras at all but the main menu does feature several actual scenes from the film with Morricone's score playing in the background.No theatrical trailer.

It is said that Leone himself actually directed two or three scenes from the movie.Reason enough to buy.Give it a watch and see if you can identify the Leone directed scenes...

A classic that's often overlooked
I am reviewing the movie as opposed to the dvd itself. Afterall, it is the movie that we buy the dvd, not all the extras. Now, the movie is really a classic shot with all the campiness of the time. Henry Fonda plays an aging gunfighter looking to get out from under his reputation. Trinity plays an up and coming gunfighter wanting the attention but also has a dream of seeing Henry Fonda single handeling taking on the Wild Bunch, a hundred of the toughest riding outlaws the west has ever seen. The whole movie builds to this moment as Trinity's character leads Henry Fonda into his taking on the Wild Bunch. I consider this one of the great moments in any Western. So if you like your Westerns with drama and a sense of humor, this movie is well worth the money to view.

not exactly a normal movie
The plot is a little convoluted and unclear for the first part of this flick and by about half way I was beginning to wonder if it is one of those films that dumb folk claim to understand so they can appears smart. The quip about Sam Peckinpah (a beautiful name in Navajo) and reference to The Wild Bunch help keep the story interesting. Unlike what another reviewer was saying it actually does make perfect sense and by the end it all comes together nicely.

The cinematography, as in most all Leone flicks, is fantastic and Ennio Morricone's soundtrack is wonderful albeit a little odd. I'm used to hearing his soundtracks in a much more serious way but it is obvious he has put an almost childlike/childish slant on this one which is again... a little odd.

If this is a comedy why do parts of the score, combined with absolutely desolate cinematography, invoke some very sorrowful feelings? This film is almost unique in that it successfully brings comedy into a moral drama and, in the end, comes up with something that isn't contradictory and really lame. This is a surprisingly good movie.

Like finding buried treasure.
I remember catching this on TV late at night sometime back in the late seventies. I was mesmerized by the whole movie, at once a spoof of all the "quick-draw" westerns, a nod and a tribute to Henry Fonda, a wonderful vehicle for Terence Hill's special talents and comedic gifts, and a wonderfully overblown and melodramatic soundtrack that is nonetheless simply perfect.The small scene with the story about a bird told while playing pool is worth the price alone, and the interaction between Hill and Fonda is superb. I spent the next twenty years keeping an eye out for it. I finally caught it on TV again a few years back and taped it to VHS, but it was a low quality signal so it is not a very good tape. It was still more wondrous than the first time I caught it, and I am thrilled to be able to find it on DVD.

Wanna see my quick draw?Wanna see it again?
Director: Tonino Valerii, Sergio Leone
Format: Color
Studio: Jef Films Int.
Video Release Date: September 29, 1997

Cast:

Terence Hill ... Nobody
Henry Fonda ... Jack Beauregard
Jean Martin ... Sullivan
Piero Lulli ... Sheriff
Mario Brega ... Pedro
Marc Mazza ... Don John
Benito Stefanelli ... Porteley
Alexander Allerson
Rainer Peets ... Big Gun
Franco Angrisano ... Ferroviere
Tommy Polgár
Antonio Palombi
Hubert Mittendorf
Emil Feist
Carla Mancini ... Mother
Luigi Antonio Guerra ... Official
Angelo Novi
R.G. Armstrong ... Honest John
Leo Gordon ... Red
Steve Kanaly ... False barber
Geoffrey Lewis ... Leader of the Wild Bunch
Antoine Saint-John ... Scape
Neil Summers ... Squirrel
Karl Braun ... Jim

This is a spoof of all the 'quick draw' Westerns, and about time!
Jack Beauregard (Henry Fonda) is a notorious gunslinger--the stuff legends are made of--and the hero of Nobody (Terence Hill) who has idolized him all his life.Nobody has the dream of seeing Beauregard hold off the entire Wild Bunch, numbering 150 or so hard cases, single-handedly, so that his name will go down in history.His idol, however, is reluctant to fuifill his wish.

Of course, Nobody is no slouch with a shootin' iron, either, as he demonstrates.

This is a hilarious film, with a great many funny moments, and a surprise ending.I thought it was great, and I hope it entertains you also.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books



... Read more

Reviews (219)

one of the greatest westerns of all time
I was going to say that this is the greatest of the spaghetti westerns but truthfully, this movie is bigger than that. Every single thing about is incredible. The theme, the filming and the music is almost operatic. The casting of Henry Fonda as one of the most vicious villains ever seen in a movie was brilliant. Fonda tears into the role. Claudia Cardinale never looked as gorgeous again and Jason Robards, as the movie's wise man takes what could've been just a supporting character and makes him a hero. Finally, there's Charles Bronson, playing a man with no name, a man with only one thing to live for. When the camera leans in for a close up of Bronson's eyes they are cold, empty and seemingly dead. The only time he allows them to light up is when he looks at Claudia and when he and Fonda finally have their little chat. Every time I watch this film I see something that I never noticed before. It's great.

Once Upon a Time in the West
Not only is Once Upon a Time in the West the best western ever made, it is also the best movie ever made, period. The incredible cinematography, the awesome Ennio Morricone score, and the shockingly brilliant casting of Henry Fonda as one of the most cold-blooded villians ever to light up the big screen combine to produce a true movie masterpiece. Sergio Leone's meticulous attention to detail produced a film which is, at once, both a visual work of art and an exciting action picture. Please add my name to the list of people who are anxiously awaitng its release on DVD, and PLEASE use whatever influence you have to encourage its availability with Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS audio. The soundtrack is the best I have ever heard, and it would be an awful shame to release it in a lesser format.

The Greatest Western of all Time.
Even though Sergio Leone is Italian, he's very precise about American history in all of his westerns. Once Upon A Time In The West is based upon such American events as the opening of the western frontier and the age of the Railroad barons ( or " Robber Barons " ). The movie takes place in a small western town called Flagstone, although it's in the middle of nowhere it thrives, probably because of the Railroad ( HINT : If you look carefully at Mr. Morton's private train car, you can find out the name of the railroad ). A widow named Jill McBain ( Claudia Cardinale ), is defending the land she inhereted from her murdered husband against the greedy and powerful railroad tycoon, Mr. Morton ( Gabrielle Ferzetti ) and his pure evil gunman, Frank ( Henry Fonda!!!! ). She soon teams up with a notorious bandit, Cheyenne ( Jason Robards ), and a lonely gunfighter, Harmonica ( Charles Bronson ) to help her. But what she doesn't know is that Harmonica doesn't care that Frank might try to kill Jill, he wants revenge for something Frank did along time ago. Once Upon a Time in The West is full of important expressions, clever ironies, and Sergio Leone's famous close-up shots that truely make this movie an all-time classic.

This is one of Sergio Leone's best, BUT ....
... Charles Bronson and that damn harmonica! Over and over again those same three notes!! Play something else for God's sake!!! Yes, he's a loner who's beyond words - we got it the first 20 times!!!

Don't get me wrong, harmonica aside, this is a great movie - amazing composition, great pacing, very stylized, awesome score (of course). I still think The Good, the Bad & the Ugly is a better movie though. If you haven't already, BUY that DVD!

Henry Fonda is a scary dude
If you have never been scared of Henry Fonda, this is the movie that will do it for you. The scene in the beginning, right after the whole family is killed is so eerie as the gunmen just appear silently from the brush. Henry Fonda's cold, killer eyes staring down the little child before he shoots him. Wow.

This is a very well made film, nothing like is has been made in years. Every scene takes its time to build up the right mood. This is a movie to watch when you have alot of time and nobody is around to bother you. The DVD transfer is nothing short of amazing, the color and quality of this 35 year old film will leave you speechless.

Claudia Cardinale is an absolutely stunning beauty, Charles Bronson is perfect as the vengeful quiet loner. I didnt expect Jason Robards to work well but he is very effective.

Definitly a movie to buy, not just rent. Something to give to someone who really appreciates epic movies the way they used to make them. ... 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 it out of Tuco.

In epic fashion, after a shootout in a deserted town and a bridge demolition that explodes across the screen, Tuco, Blondie and Angel Eyes make their way to the cemetery where the treasure is buried. In a fanfare of brass, percussion and chorus, the three face each other down in the cemetery plaza. It's a gorgeous and cathartic set piece. Credit must go not only to composer Ennio Morricone but also to musical director Bruno Nicolai, who conducts the score con fuoco.

The West as it never ws
It took an Italian to revolutionize the American Western. Everything was strange and new about the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Perhaps the strangest was that it was not a contest between good and evil -- the white hats and the black hats -- as was the typical western, but instead had a plot driven by the greed of the three characters -- one of whom is charitably called good, the other two certifiably bad and ugly.

The music is extraordinary -- one of the best and most original soundtracks ever. The photography is weird -- no one had ever focused so close-up on people's eyes or the pores in their skin. The violence is brutal and surreal. The three-cornered gunfight is one of the great scenes from cinema. The scenery is off. It doesn't look like the American west -- and in fact it isn't. The movie was made in Spain. The characters are incredibly seedy. Most of them look like they took a bath about a decade ago and haven't changed their clothes since. And nobody gets the girl -- because there isn't any girl.

I love this movie! It makes my all-time top ten list. Clint Eastwood is cool beyond belief; Eli Wallach is a hoot; and Lee Van Cleef is really, really bad.

"Such ingratitude after all the times I saved your life..."
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece. While it is part of his Spaghetti Western Trilogy( all three films have different characters and plots), the film stands on its own and really shows you how good a movie can really be. This movie has it all. It has action, drama and even some comic relief in it. It is a timeless classic that is unforgettable. When I first saw it, I was a little kid and couldn't truly appreciate it as I can now at age 22.

Blondie (The Man with No Name) isn't your typical good guy. He mainly does things that suits his own agenda. However, when compared to the murderous Angel Eyes and the greedy Tuco, Blondie is saint. This tale involves bloodshed, shoot-outs, search for treasure, and double-crossing. And it all takes place while the Civil War is going on, which makes things a lot more "interesting" for the notorious three. The West has never been wilder or more unpredictable than it is now. With an incredible score, excellent acting, and superb story-telling, this is one memorable film that you will never forget.

As I said in the beginning, the first time I saw this was when I was a little kid. When I just recently purchased this new edition of the movie, it truly was like I was watching it for the first time. Coming from a guy who isn't a big fan of Westerns (I don't mind them, but I don't watch too many of them), I absolutely LOVED this film. In fact, I wanted to give it a standing ovation when it was all said and done due to how moved I was by it. This really is filmmaking at its finest. I wasn't terribly impressed with Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America," but he is absolutely flawless with this amazing and timeless Western. It is slower than the second film ("For a Few Dollars More"), but I think that makes this all the better. The build up of tension is much more present in this film, and you really get the sense that these characters are real people. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are brilliant in their roles, and a lot of props need to go to Lee Van Cleef as he is absolutely chilling in his role.

This new edition really does the film the justice it deserves. The film has been restored to the director's original vision as much as possible, giving you an extra 18 minutes. You will notice the added scenes as the voices have been re-dubbed (the first time you will notice this will throw you, as I think that specific part has the worst re-dubbing, but the other added scenes are done a lot better, even if you still notice it). The picture looks incredible and the sound is great. Extras included are commentary from Richard Schickel, a couple of documentaries and featurettes, poster gallery, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer. Along with the nice packaging, you get an 8-page booklet that includes pictures from the film along with Roger Ebert's most recent review of the film. And, you get some mini-posters included inside the packaging as well. A superior edition of the movie, without question.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a pure triumph in filmmaking and should be seen by everybody at least once. Don't let the fact that this is a Western throw you. I think this can be enjoyed by everybody, and even by those who are not big fans of Westerns. A film filled with authentic emotion and action, this is one that shouldn't be missed by anyone. I LOVE this movie, and I cannot express that enough. -Michael Crane ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood (the Man with No Name) is good, Lee Van Cleef (Angel Eyes Sentenza) is bad, and Eli Wallach (Tuco Benedito Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez) is ugly in the final chapter of Sergio Leone's trilogy of spaghetti westerns (the first two were A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More). In this sweeping film, the characters form treacherous alliances in a ruthless quest for Confederate gold. Leone is sometimes underrated as a director, but the excellent resolution on this digital video disc should enhance appreciation of his considerable photographic talent and gorgeous widescreen compositions. Ennio Morricone's jokey score is justifiably famous. The digital video disc includes about a quarter-hour of footage not seen in the original release. ... 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 it out of Tuco.

In epic fashion, after a shootout in a deserted town and a bridge demolition that explodes across the screen, Tuco, Blondie and Angel Eyes make their way to the cemetery where the treasure is buried. In a fanfare of brass, percussion and chorus, the three face each other down in the cemetery plaza. It's a gorgeous and cathartic set piece. Credit must go not only to composer Ennio Morricone but also to musical director Bruno Nicolai, who conducts the score con fuoco.

The West as it never ws
It took an Italian to revolutionize the American Western. Everything was strange and new about the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Perhaps the strangest was that it was not a contest between good and evil -- the white hats and the black hats -- as was the typical western, but instead had a plot driven by the greed of the three characters -- one of whom is charitably called good, the other two certifiably bad and ugly.

The music is extraordinary -- one of the best and most original soundtracks ever. The photography is weird -- no one had ever focused so close-up on people's eyes or the pores in their skin. The violence is brutal and surreal. The three-cornered gunfight is one of the great scenes from cinema. The scenery is off. It doesn't look like the American west -- and in fact it isn't. The movie was made in Spain. The characters are incredibly seedy. Most of them look like they took a bath about a decade ago and haven't changed their clothes since. And nobody gets the girl -- because there isn't any girl.

I love this movie! It makes my all-time top ten list. Clint Eastwood is cool beyond belief; Eli Wallach is a hoot; and Lee Van Cleef is really, really bad.

"Such ingratitude after all the times I saved your life..."
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece. While it is part of his Spaghetti Western Trilogy( all three films have different characters and plots), the film stands on its own and really shows you how good a movie can really be. This movie has it all. It has action, drama and even some comic relief in it. It is a timeless classic that is unforgettable. When I first saw it, I was a little kid and couldn't truly appreciate it as I can now at age 22.

Blondie (The Man with No Name) isn't your typical good guy. He mainly does things that suits his own agenda. However, when compared to the murderous Angel Eyes and the greedy Tuco, Blondie is saint. This tale involves bloodshed, shoot-outs, search for treasure, and double-crossing. And it all takes place while the Civil War is going on, which makes things a lot more "interesting" for the notorious three. The West has never been wilder or more unpredictable than it is now. With an incredible score, excellent acting, and superb story-telling, this is one memorable film that you will never forget.

As I said in the beginning, the first time I saw this was when I was a little kid. When I just recently purchased this new edition of the movie, it truly was like I was watching it for the first time. Coming from a guy who isn't a big fan of Westerns (I don't mind them, but I don't watch too many of them), I absolutely LOVED this film. In fact, I wanted to give it a standing ovation when it was all said and done due to how moved I was by it. This really is filmmaking at its finest. I wasn't terribly impressed with Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America," but he is absolutely flawless with this amazing and timeless Western. It is slower than the second film ("For a Few Dollars More"), but I think that makes this all the better. The build up of tension is much more present in this film, and you really get the sense that these characters are real people. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are brilliant in their roles, and a lot of props need to go to Lee Van Cleef as he is absolutely chilling in his role.

This new edition really does the film the justice it deserves. The film has been restored to the director's original vision as much as possible, giving you an extra 18 minutes. You will notice the added scenes as the voices have been re-dubbed (the first time you will notice this will throw you, as I think that specific part has the worst re-dubbing, but the other added scenes are done a lot better, even if you still notice it). The picture looks incredible and the sound is great. Extras included are commentary from Richard Schickel, a couple of documentaries and featurettes, poster gallery, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer. Along with the nice packaging, you get an 8-page booklet that includes pictures from the film along with Roger Ebert's most recent review of the film. And, you get some mini-posters included inside the packaging as well. A superior edition of the movie, without question.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a pure triumph in filmmaking and should be seen by everybody at least once. Don't let the fact that this is a Western throw you. I think this can be enjoyed by everybody, and even by those who are not big fans of Westerns. A film filled with authentic emotion and action, this is one that shouldn't be missed by anyone. I LOVE this movie, and I cannot express that enough. -Michael Crane ... Read more

Reviews (222)

It is about time!! GREAT MOVIE
Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" was released almost 20 years ago, and it is still one of my all time favorite films. The film spans over a period of 20 years. The characters - Max, Noodles, Cockeye, Patsy, and Fat Moe, all grew up in the violent immigrant ghetto of New York's lower east side. The tough streets forced the group of friends to grow up fast, which in turn forces them to fight their way to the top. All of them vow to stick together. The story fastforwards 20 years into the future where childhood friends Max ( James Woods) and Noodles (Robert De Niro) form a partnership to run a powerful crime organization along with the rest of their childhood buddies -Cockeye (William Forsythe), Patsy ( James Hayden), and Fat Moe(Larry Rapp). However as time passes, things start to spin out of control, and the partnership between Max and Noodles unravels in death and mystery...

"Once Upon a Time in America" utilizes the four basic traits of human nature - friendship, crime, love, and betrayal, to create one of the most dramatic and rich stories ever captured on screen. The entire cast - Robert De Niro, James Woods, William Forsythe, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Larry Rapp, James Hayden, Joe Pesci, and Danny Aiello were all unbelieveable and each helped to bring the story to life. However, the best performances given in my opinion were by the young actors that were chosen to play the characters as children. Their performances meant the most to the film, because that was the age when the tragic pattern of the characters lives were set. This film marked the first time appearance of Jennifer Connely, and even then at the age of 14, you could tell that she was a fantastic actress. Sergio Leone drew inspiration from the New York ghetto photographs of Jacob Riis. The authenticity that the photos provided to the settings was absolutely outstanding, and were the film's best feature.

The actors, well developed story, and stunning authenticity really provide for a wonderful film. "Once Upon A Time in America" offers a look at the dark side of the American dream that you can watch time and time again. Not to mention the fact, that this film finally came out on DVD!! If there was ever a film that deserved the special treatment of a DVD, it was this one. The movie is finally available with the best picture and sound quality available and we don't have to sit through the grainy picture of a videocasette either. This 2 Disc DVD set truly is a must buy!!

Great Film,VERY Dissapointing DVD!!!!
Sergio Leone's final masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA is by far a unique and amazing piece of filmmaking by one of the cinema's greatest Italian directors since Fellini and De Sica.The story involves a ruthless gangster David 'Noodles' Aronson (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro) who ends up fleeding away from his friends in the 1940's and returns back to them in the late '60's through many years of hardships as young kids growing up on the wrong side of the tracks to being successful in crime during the prohibition era of the '30's.Prior to its original U.S. release in 1984,this film recieved many great reviews and audience praise when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and The New York Film Festival.The film's distributor,Warner Bros/The Ladd Company,uncerimoniously cut out 90 minutes out of the original running time fearing that the movie would run too long and that they wouldn't get as many showings in a single day.The edited version totally changes the complete story continuity of the original film and therefore isn't even as good to watch ,even if you have already seen the longer version.In fact,this edited version of the movie has already been shown once on cable network television on the TNN network (now called SPIKE TV) in April,2003 and believe me,it isn't even worth watching! Warner's 2-disc Special Edition of the film is perhaps,in my opinion,one of the worst special edition DVD's I have ever purchased so far!!! Although the film is presented in its original 229-minute uncut version and in a beautifully preserved 1:85.1 aspect ratio,Disc one innapropriately stops in the middle of the Diamond Robbery scene,even though the disc jacket says it ends directly at the intermission title card!! But on Disc two,the intermission takes place nearly ten chapters into the second disc!! What a real travesty!!! Plus,there are no really great bonus features other than a terrific audio commentary by film critic/historian Richard Schickel,trailer,an excerpt from the hour-long documentary "Once Upon A Time:Sergio Leone" on the making of the film itself,and nothing else!!! However,the movie appears on HBO from time to time and is actually the same version that's on the DVD in which this version includes the Ladd Company credits and no intermission title card!!! I taped that version not too long ago and trust me,it's a lot better than this DVD mess,plus,I got the entire movie on one tape!!! Tape this longer version off of HBO and you won't be dissapointed and enjoy and appreciate this true masterpiece of Sergio Leone in its entirety!! Warner Bros could've done a lot better and nicer job on this DVD,but thankfully learned their lesson with better-selling DVD's after this fiasco!!!

be warned.........
If you're like me and you are thinking of buying this film because it's a Deniro/gangster movie, think twice. Despite some of reviews, this is NOT a materpiece. It is true that the cinematography is brilliant and the production design is top-notch. It is a very authentic-looking, well-made made film. However, those things do not make a masterpiece. The story is so convoluted and moves at such a glacial pace you lose interest. The climactic scene is anything but climactic. Nothing happens. Literally. Deniro and Woods' characters have a conversation and just walk away. Whatever emotional impact thier words are supposed to have has long been drained away by the four-hour running time. The packaging declares that Deniro "smolders" and a New York Times review anoints it as "the definitive gangster picture". Neither is true. You can count on two fingers the number of times Deniro changes facial expressions. He practically sleepwalks through the film. The worst flaw of the movie is that you cant identify with, or even remotely like any of the characters. At the end we are supposed to be moved by the tragic turn of events between two life-long friends, but after witnessing four hours of sexual perversion, graphic murder, etc., you end up having no sympathy at all for them. It has all the emotional impact of seeing Saddam Hussien and Adolf Hitler holding hands and running down the beach in slow motion. As a Deniro fan I really wanted to like this movie, but his character is repulsive. He's a serial rapist who takes his one true love out on a long awaited date and then forcefully rapes her in the back of a car. That scene alone is hard to watch. The Godfather films triumph because the characters have redeeming qualities that balance out thier evil deeds. This film wallows in dirt and excess from the very beginning and gives you no reason to care about these people. Almost the entire first disc is taken up by child actors who arent believable. When you see scenes of them walking around in fedoras and zoot suits acting like pint-size gangsters who intimidate the local cop and make deals with adult mobsters its almost comical. If they were'nt trying to trade cup-cakes for sex it would almost be Disney-ish. By the way, the four scenes that have been "restored" to this director's cut include the two rape scenes and two dialouge extensions. The added dialouge does flesh out the characters a bit, but it slows down an already slow pace. I wish that I had not seen the rape scenes. I hate to be so negative, but I wish I could get my money back. If you have an interest in seeing this movie, rent it- dont buy it. Dont believe the hype and the gushing declarations of being a masterpiece. Its altogether forgetable. The scenes that do stick in your mind do so because they are disturbing, not because of any great acting or artistic reasons.

A masterpiece no matter what anyone says
Yes, the film is four hours long, and yes, there is an hour and a half flashback sequence. But don't let this ward you way from what is truly a masterpiece of a gangster flick. The flashback itself is engrossing and endearing. If you love movies, if you love great acting, if you love history, this is the epic for you.

'Once Upon a Time in America' is a film about a group of four friends who have grown up together in New York City since the turn of the century. They grew up around crime and took part in it themselves. 'America' doesn't focus on the truly criminal aspects of the tale, though; nor does it glorify violence in any way. In a genius move, director Sergio Leone portrays how crime influences this tough, beautiful, but delicate friendship.

This brings me to the famously long flashback. Anyone who tells you it is boring, unimportant and relentless was obviously not paying attention. They must also have a short attention span, for the portrayel of the four main characters' childhood is at times beautiful, elegiac and hilarious. It tells a timeless tale of the central character in the film, Noodles (later played by Robert DeNiro), and his obsession with the local beauty (a young Jennifer Conally, later played by Elizabeth McGovern) who refuses to love him because he'll "always be a two-bit punk." It reminisces on the constant loss of virginities to the town prostitute who makes love for the price of one pastry (what accompanies this story line is a legendary scene where a young teenager succumbs to the temptation of his pastry gift). And it ends in one of the film's most emotional moments that proves you must have a strong stomach to really pay attention and/or appreciate the film to full extent. It is quite hard to watch not because of any sort of violence, but because of its emotional rawness ending in a near cataclysmic incident.

This carries over into the rest of the film, dotted with modern day looks at Noodles and his three friends who are dead at the beginning of the film. After his mental journey through the past, he searches in real life for the love of his life, played by Elizabeth McGovern. What ensues is a twist, one of the best in cinematic history (that I've seen, anyway). You won't be disappointed.

What is masterful about all of these storylines, flashbacks and flashforwards is the extent of their depth. Leone accompanies each detail with an unforgettable emotional truth that extends deep into each character's (and our own) psyche. And for those who love history, Leone sets this saga in the days of prohibition, which offers the four friends an occupation, of sorts.

Apart from the amazing depth in character and story, the production values are top notch, with glorious sets, cinematography and editing. And don't forget the delicacy of the writing and direction. It all works together so well on so many levels.

So to those who have strong stomachs (there are bouts of intense violence) and those who are not too young (this is definitely not a family film, as it portrays some graphic sexuality) and also those who are in love with cinema, I recommend 'Once Upon a Time in America.' Oh, and make sure you have a good attention span. This is not a short movie by any means, although it zips by in the best sense.

Why this "director's cut" is still a muddled mess
One thing that you should know about this movie, according to the running commentary on this DVD set, is that Leone originally shot 10 hours of film. Then from this 10 hours of film he apparently did an original 6 hour film cut. Realizing this length was not practical for a single movie release, and opting not to split his work into 2 seperate films, Leone then got out his scissors once again and cut his film down to this 3 hour 49 minute version. This, I think, is where the problems begin. For instance, Leone chose to leave in the now legendary 5 minute scene of a kid eating a piece of cake. However, Noodles' girlfriend Eve who gets wacked at the start of the movie, never gets properly introduced into the story after the film goes back in time, she just is suddenly there with Noodles in Florida. Even at almost four hours I got the feeling that the movie was over edited like the original US release. A lot of times in the second half of the movie I felt like I had to try and catch up with the story and figure out what had happened- i.e., suddenly the gang is backing up the trucking union, and we're thrust right in the middle of this intense situation.
And then there's the part of the movie where it's supposed to be 1968. The film critic doing the running commentary says that the film "works best" if you assume that the 1968 scenes are just Noodles' opium dreams in 1935. To me this just seems to be a cop-out to excuse the holes and confusing story telling. I don't see how Noodles in the 1930's could have a dream about watching a TV in 1968 when the television hasn't been invented yet at the time he was "opium dreaming".
Then there's the business of Mr. Bailey and the garbage truck at the end. I'll not spoil it for you, but James Wood says himself in the included documentary that he doesn't know what happened at this point and that was Leone's intention. I can accept what Lennon and MacCartney said about their song lyrics meaning whatever you interperate them to be, but in my own opinion this style doesn't translate for me when I'm watching a movie. I like a definate outcome to be evident, but if this is okay with you, well, I warned you. And if you don't mind being irritated by 20 loud rings of a telephone for artistic style, same thing applies.
I could go on and on but, hey, I already wasted 3 hours and 49 minutes of my life. Don't get me wrong. I've got all of Leone's spaghetti western's and I'd give them all 5 stars. There is some good stuff in this movie like the acting of the leads and cinematography but they don't make up for the other problems I mentioned. Like the Beach Boys ill-fated Smile album Once Upon A Time In America seems to be a project that "sank under the weight of it's own lofty ambitions". Maybe Leone was just ahead of his time. If he had filmed this story today perhaps it would have been a success as a one-season HBO series. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A ringing instance of a sequel far outstripping its predecessor, Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More takes the lethal antihero from A Fistful of Dollars, gives him both a rival and an adversary worthy of sharing a gun-blazing corrida, and ratchets up the stylization to something approaching grandeur. This time the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) is a bounty hunter whose desert Southwest killing ground is suddenly crowded by the presence of an older, black-clad shootist (Lee Van Cleef). Individually and together, they terminate sundry grotesques while closing in on their biggest quarry, a memorably insane bandit called El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté is brilliant). There's just enough plot to imbue Van Cleef with genuine mystery, a dark avenging angel from a lost past whose pull would supply the emotional core of Leone's later masterworks Once upon a Time in the West and Once upon a Time in America. Leone's bravura widescreen compositions are breathtaking, and Ennio Morricone's music score--tinged with lunatic religiosity--is his first great one. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (55)

For A Few Dollars More - An outstanding sequel!
For A Few Dollars More is, in my opinion, by far the best of the "Man With No Name" trilogy! In "A Fistful of Dollars," director Sergio Leone bowled the viewers over with Clint Eastwood's character being a gruff gunslinger of few words and lots of action. In this sequel Eastwood's character has a lot more depth and even a little bit of humor. I am highly impressed with the script and acting in this particular film, especially in comparison with its predecessor. One can even consider it funny but useful that a few of the villains from the first film that were quite dead at the end of that one, are back now with new names! Magnificent performances by both Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef serve to enhance this movie's style.

The premise:

This movie has a wonderful beginning as we are introduced to Lee Van Cleef's character while he's in the performance of his role of a bounty killer. We are then treated to the reintroduction of Clint Eastwood's character, which actually does have the name of Monco, while he is taking care of his business as a bounty killer as well. Once the director has shown these two acts, he deftly shows how they end up on the same path as they both find out that they can score it big by killing Gian Maria Volonte's character, Indio and his gang. From there, we're taken to El Paso where the film's intrigue and suspense kick into high gear as both Eastwood and Van Cleef's characters meet.

If you've never seen this movie or its predecessor, I highly suggest you check these movies out as they're basically the mold for many of the westerns that followed. Prior to this movie and "A Fistful of Dollars," westerns were much tamer, which lends to the popularity of these movies which have a lot more grit and realism to them.

Special Features:

Just like "A Fistful of Dollars" this movie is jam packed with hours and hours of special features, documentaries etc... This DVD is all about what it's supposed to be, the movie! It does include a great theatrical trailer and an exceptional 8 page booklet that gives a lot of great information about the movie and the people involved. {ssintrepid}

A great sequel to A Fistful of Dollars
I liked this movie mainly because of the pairing of Eastwood and Van Cleef. Eastwood reprises his role as the "The Man with No Name" and this time he partners with Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), a fellow bounty hunter who has a personal reason for tracking down the notorious bankrobber Indio, who is worth $10,000 dead or alive. It is interesting that many of the actors who played the villains in "A Fistful of Dollars" are seen again here (e.g. Gian Maria Volonte as Indio)and the location seems to be very similar to that of the first movie. I liked the character of Colonel Mortimer because not only is he a great sharpshooter but he displays himself as a man of principle, in contrast to Eastwood's character, who is only in it for the money. Lee Van Cleef steals many of the scenes. In this movie he plays a good character while in the sequel, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," Van Cleef plays the "Bad" guy. The music by Ennio Morricone is classic. The only drawback in this movie is that much of the gun battles seem cartoonish and many of the people who are shot have no sign of blood to show for their wounds! However, if you are a fan of Eastwood and of Spaghetti Westerns, you'll like this movie a lot.

great story
This time for a few dollars more,the story revolves around a new bounty hunter called angel eyes,CLint returns and is not as comical as he was in the first.I think he's showing us that he has become more of a serious bounty hunter since he got messed up in fistful.LEE van Cleef is on a revenge mission while eastwood is playing angel eyes and the bandits for a few dollars more.It's worth owning,so is the score.thanks

MGM gets a few dollars more from me
Most people reading these reviews already know how great these Eastwood - Leone spaghetti westerns are, so I won't talk about the film itself here. I enjoyed this movie when I first bought it on VHS in 1989 but always hated the brittle, tinny sound, the opening theme music was excrutiating, when we all know that Morricone's soundtracks for these movies was excellent. So here it is in 2004 and I've got the $10 DVD and nothing has improved in the sound. Also the torture scene is missing a few seconds at the end where one of the gang asks Indio: "Why let 'em live?" and he replies: "All in due time". Hmm, let me make a wild guess here: MGM will finally fix this movie the way they should have for the first DVD but it will come out in a "Special Edition" 2-disc set with a bunch of extras for $25 (think The Great Escape here). You know those "Proof of Purchase" UPC's you see on the back of the DVD case? Just once I'd like to see MGM offer a rebate on a new "Special Edition" via a P.O.P. from an earlier DVD version. That's why I'm glad I don't have the first DVD of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" already and that's why I won't yet buy John Wayne's "The Alamo". Unfortunately I already bought MGM's DVD of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", another sub-standard MGM DVD release.

One Of the Three Best Westerns Ever
Along with The Good The Bad and The Ugly, and Once Upon A Time In The West, this is a western masterpiece and one of the best ever made. While not as polished as the above mentioned, For A Few Dollars More contains some of the best scenes in the history of westerns. Col. Mortimer gunning down Guy Callaway, Clint riding in to Aqua Caliente alone, and my favorite, Mortimer lighting a match on Wild's suspenders. Like GBU, I have seen this movie at least a hundred times, and have enjoyed it since I was a 7th grader. A classic western in the Italian style, boasts a superb soundtrack to boot. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A Fistful of Dollars launched the spaghetti Western and catapulted Clint Eastwood to stardom. Based on Akira Kurosawa's 1961 samurai picture Yojimbo, it scored a resounding success (in Italy in 1964 and the U.S. in 1967), as did its sequels, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The advertising campaign promoted Eastwood's character--laconic, amoral, dangerous--as the Man with No Name (though in the film he's clearly referred to as Joe), and audiences loved the movie's refreshing new take on the Western genre. Gone are the pieties about making the streets safe for women and children. Instead it's every man for himself. Striking, too, was a new emphasis on violence, with stylized, almost balletic gunfights and baroque touches such as Eastwood's armored breastplate. The Dollars films had a marked influence on the Hollywood Western--for example, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch--but their most enduring legacy is Clint Eastwood himself. --Edward Buscombe ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Great Eastwood,Leone spaghetti western
A Fistful of Dollars is a great western.It stars Clint Eastwood,and was directed by Sergio Leone,who also directed the excellent westerns For a Few Dollars More;The Good,the Bad,and the Ugly;and Once Upon a Time in the West.Eastwood plays a drifter who comes to a small Mexican town run by two separate families-the Rojos and the Baxters,and he plays both sides.(he makes a great deal of money in the process!)I won't say anymore about the plot.The film was made on a very small budget,but Leone did an excellent job with what he had to work with.The musical score by Ennio Morricone(under the name Dan Savio)is outstanding,nobody scores a western,spaghetti or otherwise,like him!This film was a remake of a Japanese film called Yojimbo,I think,but I've never seen it before.It was also remade a few years ago,starring Bruce Willis,called Last Man Standing,and that wasn't as good as A Fistful of Dollars,but it wasn't bad.Overall,A Fistful of Dollars ranks very high on my list of favorite westerns.I'd really like to get this film on DVD sometime,because my VHS copy is about twelve years old and is showing some wear!Besides,I think this film would be better viewed in the widescreen format.

THE SAMURAI AND THE GUN
Astonishing remake of Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO, FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, directed by italian director Sergio Leone, deserves to be in every movie lover's library. In Toshiro Mifune's role, Clint Eastwood gave a performance that established him as one of the greatest american star of the next forty years.

With an international cast of german, italian, spanish and american actors, FISTFUL OF DOLLARS could have been only an ordinary B-movie of the early 60's. On the contrary, this movie has become the symbol of the revival of a dying Hollywood genre - the western - and will be followed by dozens of imitations until the definitive burial of the genre by Clint Eastwood with the masterpiece UNFORGIVEN.

The villain, played by Gian-Maria Volontè, is so terrific that Sergio Leone will hire this wonderful italian actor to play the role of Indio, the bad guy of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, with the result we all know.

I was a little bit anxious before playing the DVD ; the bad quality of the image of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE was still on my mind. But, don't worry - be happy, the copy was in almost perfect state and the transfer well done. Subtitles and a trailer as bonus features.

A DVD for your library.

Good Movie Bad Dvd
This is in my opinion the best in the man with no name series.
But The good, the bad, and the ugly got the animorphic widescreen extended treatment. This movie deserves to get better treatment on dvd, for Eastwood fans. Heck, the whole trilogy could use an overhaul and then the lousy minimal box set they already put out would be obsolete. The second film For a Few Dollars More also deserves to be remastered. I don't care what people say for me clint was the best of the gunslingers in the history of hollywood, (move over john wayne) and made the best westerns, other than John Ford's Masterpiece stagecouch.

first of it's kind
Sergio Leone's A fistful of Dollars, is a great film to watch.
The opening titles jump at you and the music by Ennio Morricone
Is worth owning as well if you can get it.This film shows Clint Eastwood in his best role to date I think,A bounty hunter.this alone made me want to watch this movie.Though the movie Clint fights of bandits with the legendary QUICK draw, which he is best at....this movie is the first of the classic "dollars" trilogy.once you watch this you will love spaghetti westerns.
thanks.

Great movie...Good DVD
Without a doubt this movie is classic. This movie is the first in wonderful series of movies by Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood as the "Man with no name"(even though he had a name in all three movies). This movie is just fantastic from start to finish. My only problem is that the transfer to dvd was good but not great. It does include a behind the scenes booklet with a ton of facts and notes and the original trailer is a nice touch. Even though there are no special features on the disc, the movie looks and sounds great and you DO get more than you pay for. ... Read more

Album Description

Canadian DVD release for 1974 spaghetti-western inspired by Sergio Leone who produced, starring Henry Fonda & featuring a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. Also known as 'Il Mio Nome E Nessuno'. 2000 release. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Quick Draws......
This review refers to the WHAM! DVD edition of "My Name Is Nobody"......

Who is faster on the draw than the legendary gunslinger Jack Beauregard(Henry Fonda)?.....NOBODY! (Terence Hill). That's Who! This is the most delightful western, that the whole family can enjoy together(there is some mild violence and language).

Jack Beauregard who has made quite a name for himself with a gun, just wants to slip away quietly on a slow boat to Europe. But it's easier said than done. There are others who would rather see him dead and young gunslinger Nobody is hired to do away with Jack. Nobody is so taken with the his idol though, that not only does he want Beauregard to live, but wants his legend to live on in history as well. The pair become the Odd Couple of the 1890's and you'll have a fabulous time watching their antics.

It is filmed in the wonderful "Spagehitte Western" style. Based on an idea by Sergio Leone("Fistful of Dollars" et al), directed by Tonino Valerii, and with a fabulous whimsical score by Ennio Morricone. It has all the great western landscapes, camera work, and some terrific acting.

I was very confused when I was shopping for this DVD. I knew this edition was an import only but I was confused as to how many versions there were.The tech info here says the studio of release is Pid, yet most of the reviews that mentioned the name of the studio refered to it as WHAM. But I really like this film alot, so I went ahead and ordered it. The image of the case here is the same as the one I recieved, but does not say Pid anywhere on it, and is WHAM!. So I just want to clear that up in case anyone else was wondering the same thing. And by the way, it's a decent DVD transfer as well.

The DVD is very good. The sound is excellent. I wasn't sure what to expect as there was no info here or on the box as far as the sound was concerned. My DVD player decoded it at DD2.0, and the music as well as the dialouge was crisp and clear. Every little detail(like Fonda getting a shave) was distinguishable. The picture was clear and good for the most part. There were times when it seemed a little grainey, and also the colors seemed somewhat dated. But the widescreeen (1:85:1) was great and it was a nice view. As far as extras, you won't find too much, but there is some. You can go to "soundtrack" and listen to the music from your favorite scenes. There are also bios on Henry Fonda, Terence Hill and Ennio Morricone (no filmographies though), and there is a theatrical trailer as well.

If you have seen this and know you like it, I would say this DVD is a good buy. If you have'nt seen it but love these kind of spaghetti or comical westerns, you'll love this one! It's a keeper!
Happy Trails...Laurie

Funniest Western Ever
I have seen many comedy westerns including Cat Ballou, Blazing Saddles, and City Slickers. None have made me laugh harder than "My Name is Nobody". Henry Fonda plays a retiring gunfighter, Jack Beauregard, for the law while Terence Hill plays a comedic young gunfighter, Nobody, for good. His methods are quite different and should keep you in stitches more than once. The scenes at the Circus can't be beat. Although he is proficient with a gun, you never see him kill anybody to make his point. Did I mention the musical score by Ennio Morricone is great? As mentioned in a good review, laurie's boomer views, you can play just the soundtrack. I love Morricone's happy go lucky intro song , My Name is Nobody, and all the western themes that dramatize the scenes with Beauregard. I do hope this will be released on DVD in the US and for a lower price. The import quality lacks a little to be desired so I am hoping for a better transfer of the master in the future. The WHAM! version menu is overly red and the Bio has Henry Ford instead of Fonda as the name, but the bio is correct. The DVD is decent quality with a only a few screen glitches and the sound is good. The occasional graininess can't be helped since the original VHS quality was no better and probably the master print wasn't sharp. I don't regret getting the DVD since this is a great movie and my VHS is wearing out.

Nobody beats nobody ...
You will not go wrong with this jewel. Even if you've never seen an Italian western, you will find this one addictive. The only bad thing about this movie is that there is no sequel. This one is the epitome of a spaghetti western. I've enjoyed it time and time again! I 100% agree with all the reviewers remarks on this one.

Incredible Scope
In another review I mentioned this was the funniest Western, but to avoid losing votes on it I had to write another review to mention that the scope is amazing as well. Fans of movies like "How the West Was Won" and "Once Upon a Time in the West" will enjoy it as well. The realism of the movie sets and performances make you believe you are actually seeing this dramatic change in the West from watering hole and cowboys to ranchers and towns. The West is becoming civilized and Henry Fonda as Beauregard is the old ways and Terence Hill as Nobody is the new. I really wish I had pointed that out in my other review. This movie goes well beyond being just a great comedy. It is like he wrapped "The Magnificent Seven" with "Shrek". Sometimes incredibly dramatic, sometimes downright goofy, but always magnificent.

My Name is Nobody - Terence Hill & Henry Fonda
One of my all time favorite comody Westerns! Lots of laughs and funny wit from Terrance Hill and an awesome performance from Henry Fonda. Even my teenage kids love this one!!! ... Read more

Reviews (222)

It is about time!! GREAT MOVIE
Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" was released almost 20 years ago, and it is still one of my all time favorite films. The film spans over a period of 20 years. The characters - Max, Noodles, Cockeye, Patsy, and Fat Moe, all grew up in the violent immigrant ghetto of New York's lower east side. The tough streets forced the group of friends to grow up fast, which in turn forces them to fight their way to the top. All of them vow to stick together. The story fastforwards 20 years into the future where childhood friends Max ( James Woods) and Noodles (Robert De Niro) form a partnership to run a powerful crime organization along with the rest of their childhood buddies -Cockeye (William Forsythe), Patsy ( James Hayden), and Fat Moe(Larry Rapp). However as time passes, things start to spin out of control, and the partnership between Max and Noodles unravels in death and mystery...

"Once Upon a Time in America" utilizes the four basic traits of human nature - friendship, crime, love, and betrayal, to create one of the most dramatic and rich stories ever captured on screen. The entire cast - Robert De Niro, James Woods, William Forsythe, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Larry Rapp, James Hayden, Joe Pesci, and Danny Aiello were all unbelieveable and each helped to bring the story to life. However, the best performances given in my opinion were by the young actors that were chosen to play the characters as children. Their performances meant the most to the film, because that was the age when the tragic pattern of the characters lives were set. This film marked the first time appearance of Jennifer Connely, and even then at the age of 14, you could tell that she was a fantastic actress. Sergio Leone drew inspiration from the New York ghetto photographs of Jacob Riis. The authenticity that the photos provided to the settings was absolutely outstanding, and were the film's best feature.

The actors, well developed story, and stunning authenticity really provide for a wonderful film. "Once Upon A Time in America" offers a look at the dark side of the American dream that you can watch time and time again. Not to mention the fact, that this film finally came out on DVD!! If there was ever a film that deserved the special treatment of a DVD, it was this one. The movie is finally available with the best picture and sound quality available and we don't have to sit through the grainy picture of a videocasette either. This 2 Disc DVD set truly is a must buy!!

Great Film,VERY Dissapointing DVD!!!!
Sergio Leone's final masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA is by far a unique and amazing piece of filmmaking by one of the cinema's greatest Italian directors since Fellini and De Sica.The story involves a ruthless gangster David 'Noodles' Aronson (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro) who ends up fleeding away from his friends in the 1940's and returns back to them in the late '60's through many years of hardships as young kids growing up on the wrong side of the tracks to being successful in crime during the prohibition era of the '30's.Prior to its original U.S. release in 1984,this film recieved many great reviews and audience praise when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and The New York Film Festival.The film's distributor,Warner Bros/The Ladd Company,uncerimoniously cut out 90 minutes out of the original running time fearing that the movie would run too long and that they wouldn't get as many showings in a single day.The edited version totally changes the complete story continuity of the original film and therefore isn't even as good to watch ,even if you have already seen the longer version.In fact,this edited version of the movie has already been shown once on cable network television on the TNN network (now called SPIKE TV) in April,2003 and believe me,it isn't even worth watching! Warner's 2-disc Special Edition of the film is perhaps,in my opinion,one of the worst special edition DVD's I have ever purchased so far!!! Although the film is presented in its original 229-minute uncut version and in a beautifully preserved 1:85.1 aspect ratio,Disc one innapropriately stops in the middle of the Diamond Robbery scene,even though the disc jacket says it ends directly at the intermission title card!! But on Disc two,the intermission takes place nearly ten chapters into the second disc!! What a real travesty!!! Plus,there are no really great bonus features other than a terrific audio commentary by film critic/historian Richard Schickel,trailer,an excerpt from the hour-long documentary "Once Upon A Time:Sergio Leone" on the making of the film itself,and nothing else!!! However,the movie appears on HBO from time to time and is actually the same version that's on the DVD in which this version includes the Ladd Company credits and no intermission title card!!! I taped that version not too long ago and trust me,it's a lot better than this DVD mess,plus,I got the entire movie on one tape!!! Tape this longer version off of HBO and you won't be dissapointed and enjoy and appreciate this true masterpiece of Sergio Leone in its entirety!! Warner Bros could've done a lot better and nicer job on this DVD,but thankfully learned their lesson with better-selling DVD's after this fiasco!!!

be warned.........
If you're like me and you are thinking of buying this film because it's a Deniro/gangster movie, think twice. Despite some of reviews, this is NOT a materpiece. It is true that the cinematography is brilliant and the production design is top-notch. It is a very authentic-looking, well-made made film. However, those things do not make a masterpiece. The story is so convoluted and moves at such a glacial pace you lose interest. The climactic scene is anything but climactic. Nothing happens. Literally. Deniro and Woods' characters have a conversation and just walk away. Whatever emotional impact thier words are supposed to have has long been drained away by the four-hour running time. The packaging declares that Deniro "smolders" and a New York Times review anoints it as "the definitive gangster picture". Neither is true. You can count on two fingers the number of times Deniro changes facial expressions. He practically sleepwalks through the film. The worst flaw of the movie is that you cant identify with, or even remotely like any of the characters. At the end we are supposed to be moved by the tragic turn of events between two life-long friends, but after witnessing four hours of sexual perversion, graphic murder, etc., you end up having no sympathy at all for them. It has all the emotional impact of seeing Saddam Hussien and Adolf Hitler holding hands and running down the beach in slow motion. As a Deniro fan I really wanted to like this movie, but his character is repulsive. He's a serial rapist who takes his one true love out on a long awaited date and then forcefully rapes her in the back of a car. That scene alone is hard to watch. The Godfather films triumph because the characters have redeeming qualities that balance out thier evil deeds. This film wallows in dirt and excess from the very beginning and gives you no reason to care about these people. Almost the entire first disc is taken up by child actors who arent believable. When you see scenes of them walking around in fedoras and zoot suits acting like pint-size gangsters who intimidate the local cop and make deals with adult mobsters its almost comical. If they were'nt trying to trade cup-cakes for sex it would almost be Disney-ish. By the way, the four scenes that have been "restored" to this director's cut include the two rape scenes and two dialouge extensions. The added dialouge does flesh out the characters a bit, but it slows down an already slow pace. I wish that I had not seen the rape scenes. I hate to be so negative, but I wish I could get my money back. If you have an interest in seeing this movie, rent it- dont buy it. Dont believe the hype and the gushing declarations of being a masterpiece. Its altogether forgetable. The scenes that do stick in your mind do so because they are disturbing, not because of any great acting or artistic reasons.

A masterpiece no matter what anyone says
Yes, the film is four hours long, and yes, there is an hour and a half flashback sequence. But don't let this ward you way from what is truly a masterpiece of a gangster flick. The flashback itself is engrossing and endearing. If you love movies, if you love great acting, if you love history, this is the epic for you.

'Once Upon a Time in America' is a film about a group of four friends who have grown up together in New York City since the turn of the century. They grew up around crime and took part in it themselves. 'America' doesn't focus on the truly criminal aspects of the tale, though; nor does it glorify violence in any way. In a genius move, director Sergio Leone portrays how crime influences this tough, beautiful, but delicate friendship.

This brings me to the famously long flashback. Anyone who tells you it is boring, unimportant and relentless was obviously not paying attention. They must also have a short attention span, for the portrayel of the four main characters' childhood is at times beautiful, elegiac and hilarious. It tells a timeless tale of the central character in the film, Noodles (later played by Robert DeNiro), and his obsession with the local beauty (a young Jennifer Conally, later played by Elizabeth McGovern) who refuses to love him because he'll "always be a two-bit punk." It reminisces on the constant loss of virginities to the town prostitute who makes love for the price of one pastry (what accompanies this story line is a legendary scene where a young teenager succumbs to the temptation of his pastry gift). And it ends in one of the film's most emotional moments that proves you must have a strong stomach to really pay attention and/or appreciate the film to full extent. It is quite hard to watch not because of any sort of violence, but because of its emotional rawness ending in a near cataclysmic incident.

This carries over into the rest of the film, dotted with modern day looks at Noodles and his three friends who are dead at the beginning of the film. After his mental journey through the past, he searches in real life for the love of his life, played by Elizabeth McGovern. What ensues is a twist, one of the best in cinematic history (that I've seen, anyway). You won't be disappointed.

What is masterful about all of these storylines, flashbacks and flashforwards is the extent of their depth. Leone accompanies each detail with an unforgettable emotional truth that extends deep into each character's (and our own) psyche. And for those who love history, Leone sets this saga in the days of prohibition, which offers the four friends an occupation, of sorts.

Apart from the amazing depth in character and story, the production values are top notch, with glorious sets, cinematography and editing. And don't forget the delicacy of the writing and direction. It all works together so well on so many levels.

So to those who have strong stomachs (there are bouts of intense violence) and those who are not too young (this is definitely not a family film, as it portrays some graphic sexuality) and also those who are in love with cinema, I recommend 'Once Upon a Time in America.' Oh, and make sure you have a good attention span. This is not a short movie by any means, although it zips by in the best sense.

Why this "director's cut" is still a muddled mess
One thing that you should know about this movie, according to the running commentary on this DVD set, is that Leone originally shot 10 hours of film. Then from this 10 hours of film he apparently did an original 6 hour film cut. Realizing this length was not practical for a single movie release, and opting not to split his work into 2 seperate films, Leone then got out his scissors once again and cut his film down to this 3 hour 49 minute version. This, I think, is where the problems begin. For instance, Leone chose to leave in the now legendary 5 minute scene of a kid eating a piece of cake. However, Noodles' girlfriend Eve who gets wacked at the start of the movie, never gets properly introduced into the story after the film goes back in time, she just is suddenly there with Noodles in Florida. Even at almost four hours I got the feeling that the movie was over edited like the original US release. A lot of times in the second half of the movie I felt like I had to try and catch up with the story and figure out what had happened- i.e., suddenly the gang is backing up the trucking union, and we're thrust right in the middle of this intense situation.
And then there's the part of the movie where it's supposed to be 1968. The film critic doing the running commentary says that the film "works best" if you assume that the 1968 scenes are just Noodles' opium dreams in 1935. To me this just seems to be a cop-out to excuse the holes and confusing story telling. I don't see how Noodles in the 1930's could have a dream about watching a TV in 1968 when the television hasn't been invented yet at the time he was "opium dreaming".
Then there's the business of Mr. Bailey and the garbage truck at the end. I'll not spoil it for you, but James Wood says himself in the included documentary that he doesn't know what happened at this point and that was Leone's intention. I can accept what Lennon and MacCartney said about their song lyrics meaning whatever you interperate them to be, but in my own opinion this style doesn't translate for me when I'm watching a movie. I like a definate outcome to be evident, but if this is okay with you, well, I warned you. And if you don't mind being irritated by 20 loud rings of a telephone for artistic style, same thing applies.
I could go on and on but, hey, I already wasted 3 hours and 49 minutes of my life. Don't get me wrong. I've got all of Leone's spaghetti western's and I'd give them all 5 stars. There is some good stuff in this movie like the acting of the leads and cinematography but they don't make up for the other problems I mentioned. Like the Beach Boys ill-fated Smile album Once Upon A Time In America seems to be a project that "sank under the weight of it's own lofty ambitions". Maybe Leone was just ahead of his time. If he had filmed this story today perhaps it would have been a success as a one-season HBO series. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

DISGRACEFUL DVD release of a classic film. AVOID!!
As a big fan of the Sword'n'Sandal genre I had really been looking forward to owning this movie, as I had seen it rated by many people as being THE best movie of this type.

Well first of all, I was extremely upset to find that this is yet another case of a lush, beautiful late 50s/early 60s period piece super-duper deluxe WIDE SCREEN movie being released in an el-cheapo panned and scanned FULL SCREEN version. In this movie's case, the vista must have been extra-wide, because it seems that at least 1/2 of the picture is missing at all times. Thus I found it IMPOSSIBLE to enjoy a viewing of this DVD. Not only that, but the print of the movie used is in extremely faded and poor condition.

This DVD boasts that as a bonus it also contains the full 1913 silent version. The print of the 1913 movie is in equally abysmal shape.

As for the movie itself, although it is very highly rated by many people, I personally did not enjoy it as much as Reeves' other flicks. The story centres around some oh so goody two-shoes Christians in Pompeii who are being persecuted by the oh so evil, underhanded and two-timing head priest of the local heathen-god worshipping temple and his equally heathen and Godless henchmen. I guess if you're a hard-core Christian you may enjoy it, but I found myself gritting my teeth at times at the utterly preachy plot.

It should be mentioned that this story was also made into a TV mini-series in 1984, and although it shared the same stilted plot with this movie, I found that it was still much more entertaining, enjoyable and watchable than this rather plodding and dated version. If the 1984 mini-series were to come out on DVD (hint, hint, DVD making people out there) --remastered and the FULL uncut mini-series that is--, I would be