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Ridley Coote

For A Few Dollars More (1965) Dir: Sergio Leone

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'The Man With No Name' Trilogy is widely regarded as one of the best trilogies in cinema history. It's comprised of a trilogy of epic Westerns, but, until recently, I hadn't seen any of them. I just watched the first of Sergio Leone's epics, so naturally, I moved onto this second film, with anticipation in abundance.


The use of music was excellent - it's importance and emphasis drew me into the story even more than I already was. I would've loved the soundtrack anyway even without the piece of music used for a plot device, but that piece just brings everything together so nicely.


Visually speaking, I thought there was a marked improvement from the previous film. There were some superb shots throughout the film, including some of the classic shot types used in many classic Westerns. It wasn't just the more unique shots that were impressive though, the whole film was stunning.


The film had an epic story - even better than that of the first film, which I also enjoyed a lot. It had so many little pieces to its puzzle, which unfolded in such an entertaining and satisfying way. What's more, it ended with an epic climax, which was just a magical piece of cinema that I shan't forget.


Clint Eastwood showed a little more character this time around, though he was good in both of these films. I really love his charismatic yet reserved protagonist - he's the ultimate western hero. It's impossible not to love his character and performance.


Lee Van Cleef was the coolest man in the West in 1965. Honestly, his character was dripping a combination of charisma and wisdom that made him a fascinating person for Eastwood to interact with. His classic cowboy stare was scintillating too.


The return of Gian Maria Volonté confused me a little, considering his role in the previous film. That said, this confusion was quickly forgotten because of how damn good he was yet again. His facial expressions were magnificently telling, his unhinged nature was unnerving and honestly he was just such a good villain.


I'll also give some brief mentions to the trio of Luigi Pistilli, Klaus Kinski and Joseph Egger, who, despite only having minor roles, each gave fairly memorable performances, particularly Kinski, who made him stand out quite a bit with his acting.


Overall, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this to top the first film, but it really did. I loved it. It had everything great about Westerns but turned up. The emotion, the machismo, the staredowns, the gunfights, what more could you ask for? It's a great piece of cinema.



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