Reviews of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Greatest Western of all time. Bravo!

Posted : 3 months, 2 weeks ago on 21 April 2008 06:38 (A review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is hands down the greatest western of all time - the third and final of Sergio Leone's trilogy of westerns with Clint Eastwood is the best of the bunch.

This film succeeds in every aspect where its predecessors failed, making it the essential spaghetti western. Clint Eastwood rides back into action as "The Man With No Name" - the good - who is now living in the time of the Civil War. Eli Wallach is a filthy outlaw named Tuco - the ugly. And finally Lee Van Cleef (returning from the cast of the previous film playing a different role) is a man known as Angel Eyes - the bad. In a remote cemetery an outlaw has buried a stash of $200,000 which immediately sparks interest from the 3 protagonists. Tuco and "The Man With No Name" form an uneasy alliance and have no choice but to trust each other when it's discovered that each possess half the information of the location of the hidden treasure.

Angel Eyes is also focused on finding the money and thus begins a race as the three men move through rugged landscape and across harsh deserts to get to their desired destination.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a very unconventional western. The plot of this third instalment is actually pretty easy to follow, and this simplicity makes the film not as confusing as its predecessors.

Each moment of the film is enthralling, and exceptionally created. Although clocking at almost 160 minutes, the film is not too long. My interest was sustained for each minute of its running time; containing intriguing characters and clever set-ups.

Clint Eastwood is fantastic as always. As always he plays the part to perfection - never showing signs of emotion and always being dark. Eli Wallach was a welcome addition to the cast. He portrays a very realistic outlaw, and his character is most certainly "the ugly". I was disappointed that Lee Van Cleef didn't stick to his original character from For a Few Dollars More, but he still plays this new part exceptionally well.

Of course what addition to this trilogy would be complete without Sergio's magnificent direction and Ennio Morricone's triumphant score. Ennio's music is nothing short of remarkable.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an enthralling western. For those with short attention spans, go rent a Michael Bay flick. But for those who enjoy good quality westerns and don't mind the slow pacing then go right ahead. One of the best movies of all time!

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Western Perfection

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 23 May 2007 10:28 (A review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)



If someone said to me, 'You can only own one Western DVD for the rest of your life', without a hesitation, this would be it. Not even the legendary 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or classics such as 'Magnificent Seven', 'High Noon', 'Stagecoach' and others would even be considered if there was just one choice. What I'm trying to say is this the ultimate western.... by a WIDE MARGIN.

In fact, even if you absolutely hate westerns, give this movie a shot. I've known plenty of western-bashers that still list 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' as one of their top 10 films of all time. And don't be put off by its Italian name; this is an English-language film. It's an Italian production and directed by Sergio Leone, hence its official Italian title as well as it being referred to as a 'Spaghetti Western'.


The Good................ The Bad................... and the Ugly


Oh, right, about the review itself. For starters, the music. Who can not love the music - the 'ah-yah-ah-yah-ah.....bum-bum-bum' squealing throughout the film. It gives me goosebumps just humming that tune to myself. And the cinematography, the long pauses on everyone's slightest expressions, the double-crossings, the triple-crossings, the shoot-outs, the hangings, the drag-thru-desert scene, the beating scene while music plays, the civil war bridge-busting scenes, the stand-off in the cemetery. this film is a blast from beginning to end, and you don't even notice its incredibly long 3hrs runtime.

Trailer:

A Must-own, a Must-see, an 11 out of 10. Come on, Listal. Let's make this our new #1. As good as Godfather and Shawshank are, they still should take back row seats when 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly' is considered.

0 comments, Reply to this entry