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Slightly more amusing than its US counterparts. After seeing at least two contemporary films based on Django's character, it was time to get acquainted with the original. I'm not a big fan of westerns and probably never will be, but the original is at least a bit juicier compared to other films in the genre. Django arrives in a little town close to the Mexican border. The town is overrun by members of the Klan and a group of Mexican bandits, turning the town into one big lawless battlefield. Django tries to keep out of their affairs, but inevitably gets drawn into their rivalries, with deadly consequences. The characters are a bit livelier and there's a stronger focus on action, which makes it a little easier to sit through. I still don't care much for the setting and there's still too much posing and boring conversation to make it truly entertaining, but compared to its peers Django is a breath of fresh air.Read all
I'm not big on westerns (neither the traditional kind, nor the spaghetti westerns), so my expectations were quite low for this film. And in many ways this is a pretty typical spaghetti western, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that The Great Silence didn't do that much for me. The few things that set it apart from its peers did leave a positive impression though. The story is pretty bland. A group of bounty hunters is chasing a gang of outlaws, but when the leader of the bounty hunters kills Pauline's husband she vows to take revenge. She hires a mute gunslinger, who in his turn starts chasing the group of bounty hunters. It doesn't take long before guns start firing away. Kinski's presence is a plus and Morricone's score is surprisingly decent, but it's the snowy landscapes and the mountains that make the biggest difference here. A very nice change of scenery for a western and one that gives this film a lot more atmosphere. It's a shame I couldn't care for the rest. The cinematography is horrible and the seriousness misplaced.Read all