The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk. 70% (ish) This is the third in a so-called ‘trilogy’, a framing which I expressed doubts about in my review for the second in the sequence, “For a few dollars more”. So, from my perspective it’s a matter of complete indifference as to how many in this ‘trilogy’ you see and in what order you watch them. That being said, if you watch all three films you will observe the tropes that are common to this ‘trilogy’. In this one the plot concerns three men on the make who end up chasing a fortune in gold during the…

People tended to treat Sergio Leone's work with a considerable degree of disdain, but watching this in 2020 it is still amongst the very best of the genre. A good-looking, calculating Clint Eastwood ("The Good"), is the itinerant bounty hunter who has an uneasy partnership with a scene-stealing Eli Wallach ("The Ugly) to trick the local authorities of the reward money due for his capture before escaping and dividing the spoils. After a bit of duplicity that rather erodes what little trust there ever was between them - and some very timely cannon fire -…

97/100 Amidst the US Civil War, an assassin, a bounty hunter, and a bandit are on a collision course to obtain a box of gold. Simply the best Western ever made ...except possibly another Sergio Leone classic, "Once Upon a Time in the West" - still not sure which one I like better. The characters are fully formed and a delight to watch, the story is a complex and grand adventure, the dialogue is humorous and quotable, and the direction and cinematography are unparalleled. If you haven't seen this film, you've missed a huge piece of cinematic history. --…