The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

So I watched this 2 weeks ago and I'm still stunned by it.
It really deserves to be in IMDb's Top 10!

During the first half I thought "Hmm just as simple as that - this won't be in my top 10".
But then the shoe was on the other foot & then it turned again, and then again, ... and the ending was a bit different as I thought which I really liked :)

I loved the camera work - there were little moments of ego-perspective and sometimes the camera was placed little beside & above an arm holdig a gun pointing at the rival - which was perfect. Considering this was made in 1967 blows my mind - proof what a great director Sergio Leone was!
It's written pretty damn good, even that in the first 10 minutes nobody said a word ^^
It was all just eyes & footsteps, eyes & footsteps :D
It actually felt like a Quentin Tarantino production - I am very certain that his works were inspired by this!

There are just a few movies that didn't let me go afterwards & this is one of them.
I was whistling the soundtrack for days :)

So to all the 186 trakt users who have this on the watchlist I say:
Go for it - it's awesome!

One of a few films I can watch over and over again

After listening to the incredible soundtrack (again) today, I thoght to myself: I've got to watch this!
So finally ... I'll now watch the IMDb TOP 250's No. 5 - which is on my watchlist for years :)
I'll let you know how it was.

My favorite film of all time. I have no idea how many times I have seen it, but it's many. Those three hours just flies by in seemingly no time at all. I just finished watching the restored "Mondo-version" and it's stellar. I imagine that this is what this film is supposed to look like. Sadly, I have never gotten the opportunity to watch it on a big screen...

Clint Eastwood is perfectly stoic and subtle, relying more on facial expressions than words. Eli Wallach is funny and uses his fantastic body language, along with some great one-liners. And Lee van Cleef with those eyes - I can see why Sergio wanted to work with him - since "his eyes pierce holes in the screen".

Sergios uses of long takes, wide shots and extreme close-ups are a thing of wonder. He is my favorite director ever and in my opinion never made a bad - or even mediocre film. Of course his films are so great much because of the work of Ennio Morricone. You only need to hum two notes from this movie and everybody knows which movie you are referring to. That is magic. Tragic that he never won an Oscar beacuse of that mix up after "Once Upon a Time in America". And it was a crime that Sergio Leone never even got a nomination in his lifetime.

Best movie of all time

The King of westerns; iconic in acting, directing, cinematography & music. Goes on for a while but is extremely compelling, gritty & funny. The story twists & turns before the legendary final showdown. It's a masterpiece in every possible way; a must-see for everyone!

The bad, the bad, and the bad that is also ugly.

Story: 8...some of the Civil War stuff brought it down slight. I think Leone could've cut 15-20 minutes and it'd be perfect
Script: 8
Performances: 9...if only it weren't for the tragic dubbing in some spots. But each of the mains is incredible.
Misc.: 10...amazing camerawork, close-ups, scenery, and one of the best scores of all time.
Influence: 10...how many films tried to copy so many parts of this movie? 1000? More?
Overall: 9

Probably the greatest Western ever made. Certainly the best spaghetti Western but maybe just the best overall. Leone, Eastwood, Wallach and Van Cleef are all delivering a performance of a lifetime.