Review of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) by Brett C — 20 Jun 2015

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is the final film of Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name Trilogy. This film is recognized by most as the best film from the trilogy, some argue that it's Leone's best film overall. I, on the other hand, found this film great but it did have it's flaws. I also cannot say this film is the filmmaker's best as I found this film to be equally as good as For A Few Dollars More.

This film was mainly written by Leone and Luciano Vincenzoni. Both also collaborated in writing the previous film. I'll start by saying the great things about the film's screenplay. The film is huge in comparison to the previous film and even more when you compare to the A Fistful of Dollars. The film almost feels like an epic film like Lawrence of Arabia and Ben-Hur, which I liked. It makes the film stand out from the other western at it's time. The best part of the film in my opinion are the characters as Leone and Vincenzoni have created people that are very focused on their goal, but at the same time keeping them interesting by adding personality with these characters which clearly defines them. Though I do wish that Lee Van Cleef's character was written more screen time to allow us to understand more about the character, which Leone did incredibly well for Gian Maria Volonte in For A Few Dollars More. The film's story covers the civil war in America but it doesn't become a focused aspect as the film focuses on the characters and the end goal which was great. The film's title is ironic because each one of the main characters are just as ugly as the other one, being driven by greed and will do whatever they can to get the gold, even if breaks the partnership between characters. The bad part, nothing ugly, about the film's story is the middle part of the film which at times can become a bit too draggy and doesn't keep me on my toes as it does on Leone's previous films. That is just a minor nitpick as it's still tolerable and it only affects me a few times during my many viewings of the film. There was a particular moment in the end of the film which I wasn't sure why Eastwood's character did it, was Blondie trying to prove a point that he still can shoot a rope or that he just wanted to get back at Tuco for what he did to him.

Leone's direction and vision for this film is much bigger and concrete. The man knew what he wanted to do for this film and since his other two films he has gained a major boost on his confidence. This made the film feel very patient, showing shots that take it's time in moving on to the next shot or scene. The scope of the film has drastically expanded, showing huge location shots with actors looking very miniature on screen, which at times juxtaposes with the extreme close ups that are also abundant of this film. I think Leone was influenced by David Lean, as moments feel like something that came off from Lawrence of Arabia or at least similarly. Leone is known for creating a memorable climax, and this one may be the most memorable one. The build up to the climax is worth the 2 and a half hour wait as it's so well done, building tension and keeping the audience anxious on what will happen.

The film's director of photography is Tonino Delli Colli who would then work with Leone later on his future films. I wished that Massimo Dallamano came back for this film, the previous film's cinematographer, as he has created a particular style that suited Leone's direction and vision, but Colli didn't do a bad job for this film as he still kept it like a western and increased the scope of Leone's previous films. His work here has definitely become iconic but personally I felt that his best work was Once Upon A Time In America. Leone and Colli's photography shines specifically on moments like the scene with the open desert and the graveyard climax.

Ennio Morricone comes back for this film and is definitely his best work. Morricone's score here is much bigger in comparison to his previous work. Morricone's score for this film is much more complex and diverse than his first film with Leone. Leone has created a particular melody and created three styles of delivering it, relating each to a character. Morricone's score stood out the most during the climax as it felt like a throwback to his previous score but interlacing it with his current score. A moment in the POW camp where the prisoners are playing music to drown out torture noises was a moment that showed so much emotion; this was achieved with great acting, beautiful photography, but mostly due to the music. This was the first time I felt that Leone can create something emotional and dramatic, which was not really present on his previous films.

The acting spotlight here is equally shared by Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach. Eastwood plays it darker in this film, due to his character being very driven to obtain that gold and will do whatever he can to ensure that he'll get it. At the same time, Eastwood is given moments in this film that showcases a humanitarian point of view, which I thought was a nice touch. Van Cleef's character was a little underused in this film as Wallach and Eastwood had a wider screen time, but when he comes on screen (like the introduction of the character) he plays it cool and at times a bit dark. Van Cleef definitely surprised me because I never really saw him as a villain due to his fantastic performance from his previous film. Eli Wallach was like breath of fresh air, his humor and style of acting really drove the film forward and kept the tone light. I definitely preferred him here rather than his work on The Magnificent Seven. Leone has brought back familiar faces from his previous films, kind of like a cameo and a treat for people who are fans of his work.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a very well made film but it's minor flaws prevent it from being perfect. It currently ties with For A Few Dollars More but this is just my opinion of the film at the time of writing. I may end up loving this film a lot more as I grow older and with repeated watching. The film has definitely stood the test of time and remain feeling like a fresh and unique in comparison to the many Western films of that era.