The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) Dir: Sergio Leone
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Having watched and absolutely loved both 'A Fistful Of Dollars' and 'For A Few Dollars More', it seemed only right to complete Sergio Leone's trilogy of Western epics with this third film, which has one of the most famous names in cinema. It is also absolutely beloved among film fans. With how much I enjoyed the previous two films, I had no doubts that I'd enjoy this too.
I cannot write about this film, without first talking about its legendary soundtrack. It has one of the most iconic pieces of music in cinema history. It's main theme is undisputedly the music most associated with the Western - to the point where just about everyone, even if they haven't seem any of these films, will know it.
The scale of this third film is so much greater than that of the two prior ones, with so much more to it, in terms of material set and props. I wasn't expecting a huge battle scene with all kinds of huge explosions and extras involved, but it made for some breathtaking visuals, particularly because of its practical authenticity.
The narrative had a lot to it, with three rivals all pursuing the same prize, with chaos abound and all upon the backdrop of the American Civil War, which had a much bigger part to play than I anticipated. That said, I thought the way Leone handled it was pretty nuanced and thought provoking. The story got a little bit absurd, but it was entertaining regardless.
Clint Eastwood's charisma does so much to make him a great protagonist, but equal to that was his extremely entertaining comedy antics. Though subtle, these helped lighten both his character and the story quite nicely.
Eli Wallach stole so many of the scenes he was in, with what amounted to be a great performance of a cheeky, dastardly and cunning character. His interactions with Eastwood were tremendous fun, and his facial expressions did so much storytelling in such a simple but effective way.
Lee Van Cleef was a great casting choice, as he portrayed a new character in his second appearance in the trilogy. His steely eyes and cunning smirk was perfect for the role, and was backed up by Van Cleef's typically excellent acting. I do wish he would've had a little more screentime.
I'll also give a couple of quick mentions to the pair of Aldo Giuffrè and Luigi Pistilli, who each had two brief, but exceptionally well acted, scenes. I thought Giuffrè in particular had some great moments.
Overall, this was, no surprise, another excellent Western, and an exciting three way face-off. I will say, I think I preferred the second film's story a little more, but what I love about this trilogy is not only how well defined each individual film is, but also how many strengths each one has.
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