Synopsis:
In early 20th-century Mexico, an emergent revolutionary (Tony Musante) hires a Polish mercenary (Franco Nero) to help him and his female companion (Giovanna Ralli) fight against the government — all while fending off a menacing villain named Curly (Jack Palance).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Jack Palance Films
• Mexico
• Revolutionaries
• Westerns

Review:
Peary only lists one title by Italian director Sergio Corbucci — perhaps best known these days for his influence on Quentin Tarantino — in his GFTFF: this “Zapata western” set during an era of Mexican revolutionary activity. In doing a little more research, I found that not many consider this Corbucci’s top title; that designation would likely go to The Great Silence (1968) — a direct inspiration for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) — with Django (1966), given its obvious ties to Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012), coming next.

With that said, I was glad to be introduced to Corbucci — the “other Sergio,” who also collaborated with Ennio Morricone — through this film; he was quite skilled at crafting both ultra-violent and humorous sequences. Nero and Musante make an effective “odd couple” — at times collaborative, at other times nemeses:

… and Palance rounds things out nicely as a curly-headed ultra-baddie.

(Together, the trio are a clear variation on the “good” [Nero], the bad [Palance], and the “ugly” [Musante].) This flick remains worth a look for fans of spaghetti westerns, but I’ll have to check out a couple of Corbucci’s other titles before deciding which one is must-see.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Creative direction
  
• Alejandro Ulloa’s cinematography
  
• Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai’s score

Must See?
No, though of course it’s worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Combustible Celluloid Review