While the Civil War rages between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hit man and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox contai...
In this western epic, we see three men constantly trip each other up in pursuit of great treasure. Meanwhile, the wild west they inhabit is evolving into a battlefield for mass massacres rather than respectable duels.
With a famously epic score from Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone, a master of the spaghetti western, behind the camera, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is fated to be brilliant. Despite the film's long run time, it remains suspenseful, funny and shocking.
In an almost Homeric fashion, Our protagonist, played by an effortlessly cool Clint Eastwood, encounters humorous encounters with drunk army captains and hellish ruins of towns. While his name suggests that he is morally above the other two characters, Blondie is by no means a good Christian. However, it is in his reflection of his surroundings, noticing the destruction caused by the war while the other two scrap it out for cash, that he becomes 'The Good.'
The film truly has poignance. One particular scene sees 'The Bad' Angel Eyes venture into a confederate fortress. What he finds is destruction, countless bodies, and men disinterested in patriotism. Here, the score swells into a magnificently nostalgic number while the camera sweeps around Angel Eyes. Scenes like this take this film higher, emphasising that feeling of loneliness so present in truly great spaghetti westerns.
If you've never seen this film you may find it difficult to want to begin. With such a high reputation behind it and a mighty run time, it would be difficult to expect nothing more than perfection. It must be said, that by the end you will be riding off into the sunset, content with feeling the hot American sun on your skin. This film is the perfect western.
