Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

jellopuke Wanna see what Tarrantino ripped off for Hateful 8, then this is for you. It's got great vistas, a super downer ending, and some great characters in an unconventional setting. See it!

Bezenby Sergio Corbucci swaps the desert for snowy mountains, howling coyotes for howling wind, and supplies a strong silent hero so silent that he doesn't speak at all. Ennio Morricone changes tone completely and gives us a morose, sad soundtrack that perfectly matches the atmosphere of desperation that flows through the entire film. No doubt about it – this film leaves a mark.In the mountains of Utah, starving citizens of the town of Snow Hill are forced to steal to feed themselves, and in turn have to hide in the mountains with a price on their head. The corrupt banker and Justice of the Peace Pollicut (Luigi Pistilli), encourages bounty hunters to hunt them down, as he makes a percentage on every 'bandit' brought in. However, the persecuted folks have help in the form of Silence, who really, really hates bounty hunters – and with good reason. Silence will only fire upon someone if they draw first, and he also likes to shoot the thumbs off bounty hunters, as Pollicut knows too well. Worst of all the bounty hunters is Loco (Klaus Kinski), who doesn't even care why people have a price on their heads, as long as he gets the money, and there's no 'dead or alive' where Loco is concerned. If they're dead, he doesn't have to feed them. Loco kills the husband of Pauline, who returned from exile to visit his wife, and she hires Silence to kill him. Loco knows that Silence is too fast for him, and will not be drawn into a gunfight…yet.There's also a new Sheriff in town that quickly twigs that things aren't quite right in Snow Hill. Burnett (Wolff, playing the only character approaching 'comic relief'), does not agree at all with Pollicut and Loco's tactics, even going so far as to arrest Loco and take him elsewhere for a trial. That's enough plot! There's loads going on in this film, and plenty of it must have been quite daring for 1968. The interracial sex scene between Silence and Pauline for starters (and the music during this bit is outstanding, even for Morricone!), the bloody violence with headshots being a speciality, and the ending! The ending! Jesus! Buddha! Brian Blessed! The ending! Indy! The ending! I will not reveal it here, but it's certainly not something you encounter very often, in any genre. Jaw-dropping.The acting is also faultless too, even if it is dubbed. Klaus Kinski is very restrained for the most part, but still comes across as a polite, malicious, sadistic murderer who is also smarter than everyone else. This might possibly be the best film I've seen him in. Luigi Pistilli isn't too far behind either. He's cowardly and scheming and likes to make others do his dirty work (mainly Mario Brega, who meets a gory end that stands out). Frank Wolff jumps between comedic and serious as the only male character in possession of a soul. His character follows the law to the letter, which may be a mistake in the hostile environment of Snow Hill. I'm not familiar with the actress that plays Pauline but she also stands out as a woman channelling her grief into one simple task – to kill Loco.This one gets the highest recommendation for me!

alexanderwilson45 Sergio Corbucci's 1968 masterpiece is in my opinion the best non Leone spaghetti western. while the film for its downbeat ending and the usual dark and grimy feel its contrasting shot in beautifully snowy locations. the story revolves around a town where the justice of he peace Pollicut has but a price on a group of Mormon bandits who have been refused work in the village. Pollicut has hired bounty hunters led by loco to pick them off so he can give them reward money then claim plus interest repayment from the government. Pauline, wife of one of the victims, hires the mute hero Silence to get revenge. the films mute hero Silence is brilliantly portrayed by Jean Louis Trintignant who can only use facial expressions and body movements to show the emotional conflicts the character suffers during the film. While Klaus Kinski is fantastic as Loco the polite and smiling, but utterly ruthless villain. The likable frank wolf plays the sheriff sent to fix the town and his probably the most decent character in the film which means in this film means he's not going to be sheriff for very long. Vonetta McGee is excellent in her film debut as the doomed heroine. Spaghetti western favourite Luigi Pistilli is slimy perfection in the role of the Pollicut the film other primary villain while Mario Brega is great in his usual role of the chief henchman. The rest of the cast do well in their small roles.Sergio Corbucci made many spaghetti westerns and is best remembered for the classic film Django but this is his best film.

winterbear-157-474225 One of the more thought-provoking spaghetti westerns of the 1960s/70s. Set in a winterscape that adds to the sombre, almost melancholy tone, each character is on the surface either good or evil; but as the film progresses, these notions of become less distinct, and perhaps more genuine. This adds a depth to the film that other such westerns do not ordinarily have, even if this depth only becomes apparent after the film ends and one reflects on the characters and story. The film seems to me a product of its time and Italy's history, in a political sense - what is right, what is wrong? - a fight between the (perverted) use of the law to get results as against morality, a fight between emotions and indivdualism (i.e. fascism as against indivualism and liberalism). But which one is which...?. Watch, enjoy. The musical score is integral to this film as well, particularly the Love Theme which plays in the deneoumont. A film worth seeking out and buying on DVD, particularly as an antidote to the Segio Leone westerns. As someone else has commented, this is to the spaghetti western as Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" is to the Hollywood western. Perhaps a true western, truer to life than the romanticism of others in the genre.