Review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) by Lofuagfy — 05 Nov 2021

I really couldn't understand most of the reviews here that place this film as a great western or even the best ever for some fans. In my opinion this is just a watchable and good western, but not much more than that.

I think the only possible explanation would be that IMDb reviewers consider "spaghetti" westerns a sub-genre within the western genre. If that is so, "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" would probably stand among the best (if not the best)in the "spaghetti" westerns ranking. But the point is that in my opinion there are no sub-genres within the western genre. So I analyze this film just for what it is: a western film.

In such terms, this film has its moments, fine open-wide outdoor locations, good action gunfights (though hardly believable) and an acceptable plot. Good acting too mainly in Eli Wallach's Tuco.

But what really demerits this movie is its incredibly unnecessary overrun; there's no way the story can stand almost 3 hours in duration and so the development is definitely slow. Overruning has always been a characteristic of director Sergio Leone; he sort of engages madly with some sequences and he goes on and on and on at it (the final duel here is an example with all those unnecessary close shots in the men's faces and eyes). Another clear sample of what I'm saying was the incredibly long -and even boring- opening sequence of "Once Upon a Time in the West", where Leone takes more than 10 minutes in the opening sequence where three gunmen are waiting for Charles Bronson at a train station.

Come on guys, let's face it. "Spaghetti" westerns are "B" movies and even if at the very start they could have seemed sort of original and somehow enjoyable, once you take an honest critical look at them they're not great films but just good a few of them but no more than that. Sorry again.