Review of Minnesota Clay (1964) by Michael W — 08 Jul 2011

This is one of Corbucci's earlier westerns. It feels more American than Italian. Minnesota Clay was made around the same time Leone was filming Fistful of Dollars. Which would explain it's lack of the Leone trademarks that you come to expect from spaghettis. Instead of a reinvented action hero, we get an old school John Wayne type. Rather than a timeless Morricone-like score, you get a bunch of forgettable tracks. And the story is just plain boring.

The main character is Minnesota Clay, a aging outlaw who escapes from a prison camp to settle a score with an old rival, Fox. Like in his other films, Corbucci gives his hero a disability. With Clay, it's his eyesight. By the end of the film he is nearly blind and must take on Fox's men under the cover of darkness to equal the odds. This scene is done with little to no score, which helps enhance the tension.

(SPOILERS).

In the final duel with Fox, Clay is completely blind and is almost tricked into shooting his daughter. His enhanced hearing prevents this from happening, but doesn't prevent his death. The sad ending is the most satisfactory part of the film. Clay's demise is bittersweet because you know his daughter will be taken care of once his body is turned in to the authorities. Sure it's a downer, but tame compared to the ending in Corbucci's masterpiece, The Great Silence.

(END SPOILERS).

Minnesota Clay is worth watching simply to see Corbucci's preliminary work. I like to think of it as one of his dress rehearsal westerns. It includes some of the same themes as his golden era spaghettis, but lacks the dark tone and rich style that you come to expect from a Corbucci western.