“The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly”.
“Il Buono”.
“Il Brutto”.
“Il Cattivo”.
Film Poster.
This File: 8 March 2019.
User: Jasc Fox
(Wikimedia)
“The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly”.
Clint Eastwood.
Enrico Morricone.
Sergio Leone.
“Main Theme”.
“The Ecstasy Of Gold”.
“The Trio”.
Available On YouTube
“The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly”.
Maint Theme.
Ennio Morricone.
Available On YouTube
“Greatest Western Music of All Time”.
Ennio Morricone.
Sergio Leone.
Available On YouTube
unless stated otherwise.
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (Italian: “Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo”; “The Good, The Ugly, The Bad”) is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as “The Good”, Lee Van Cleef as “The Bad”, and Eli Wallach as “The Ugly”.
Its screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone.
Director of photography Tonino Delli Colli was responsible for the film’s sweeping Techniscope cinematography, and Ennio Morricone composed the film’s score.
The film is known for Leone’s distinctive visual style, characterised by the juxtaposition of expansive wide shots and extreme close-ups, as well as a highly stylised treatment of violence, tension, and gunfights.
Although an Italian production, it was filmed primarily in Spain, particularly in the Tabernas Desert in Almería, the Arlanza River valley near Hortigüela, and at the purpose-built Sad Hill Cemetery near Santo Domingo de Silos.
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the story follows three gunslingers who form shifting alliances and betrayals in their search for a buried cache of Confederate gold amid the chaos of the conflict.
The film marked Leone’s third collaboration with Eastwood and his second with Van Cleef.
Released in Italy on 23 December 1966, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” was subsequently distributed internationally and promoted in the United States as the third and final instalment of the “Dollars Trilogy”, following “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964) and “For a Few Dollars More” (1965), although the three films are connected thematically rather than through a continuous narrative.
Building on the growing international popularity of Leone and Eastwood, the film achieved major commercial success, grossing over $38 million worldwide against a production budget of approximately $1.2 million and becoming one of the most financially successful European Westerns of its time.
Initial critical reception in some markets was mixed, reflecting the broader skepticism then directed toward the spaghetti Western genre, which was often criticised for its stylisation, violence, and moral ambiguity, in contrast to traditional Hollywood Westerns.
Initial critical reception in some markets was mixed, reflecting the broader skepticism then directed toward the spaghetti Western genre, which was often criticised for its stylisation, violence, and moral ambiguity, in contrast to traditional Hollywood Westerns.
Over time, however, the film underwent extensive critical re-evaluation and developed a strong cult following, aided by television screenings, home media releases, and later restoration efforts.
It has since been widely recognised for its operatic scale, visual composition, editing, and the iconic score by Morricone.
Frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential Western films of all time, it has had a lasting impact on filmmakers and has been referenced and parodied across popular culture, including in films, television, comic books, and video games.
Alessandro Alessandroni was an Italian musician and composer. He played multiple instruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion and piano, composed more than forty film scores and countless library music tracks, and was renowned for his whistling technique.[2]
Alessandroni collaborated with his childhood friend Ennio Morricone on a number of soundtracks for Spaghetti Westerns.
Morricone's orchestration often calls for an unusual combination of instruments, voices, and whistling.
Alessandroni's twangy guitar riff is central to the main theme for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.
Alessandroni can be heard as the whistler on the soundtracks for Sergio Leone’s films, including the “Dollars Trilogy”, “Once Upon a Time in the West”, and “Pervirella”.[3][4]
Fascinating study as usual by Zephyrinus of the classic spaghetti Western, “The Good, etc.”. But this reader did not know that the Italian presentation was “Il Buono, Il Brutto, ed Il Cattivo (which actually means “The Wicked.”)” Zephyrinus probably knows that Lee Van Cleef playing perhaps the all-time “bad guy” role of “The [sinister] Bad,” clad in all-black clothing and cape with his penetrating squinting eyes and hooked nose, off camera and in real life was known as one of the most genuinely “nice” individuals, a complete counter to his stage character. Sergio Leone found Clint Eastwood, who had minimal acting experience almost impossible to work with, delivering his lines perpetually through closed teeth—which became his “sinister,” suppressed anger trademark—and was ready to fire him but was talked out of it. (cont) -Comment by Dante P
ReplyDelete(Part II) Finally, Eli Wallach, an experienced NY stage actor with many dramatic roles from post WW2 to the 1960’s, the third man of the trio, learned horseback riding while going to university in Texas. Perhaps because of that, and being as well very familiar with Tejano culture, Wallach, a New York son of Polish Jews, somehow was selected by Leone to play the part of a changeable, fickle, but also comical and even a bit lovable Mexican gunslinger. Many movie goers thought certain that Wallach was actually Mexican-American, so convincing was his portrayal—a point he later often found both comical and rewarding.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Zephyrinus for this retrospective. -Comment by Dante P
An enlightning, captivating, and hugely interesting contribution from our Mediæval Hollywood Screen-Writer and Spanish Linguist Expert, Dante P, for which, as always, we are truly grateful.
DeleteIt is wonderful how much information can be learnt by reading such an in-depth contribution from Dante P on this particular genre of entertainment.
There is so much technical and “Inside Information” given in Dante P's Comments, that one wonders whether Dante P was one of the menacing, all-dressed-in-Black, gunslingers, often seen hanging around in the background of this Magnificent, Best-In-The-World, Spaghetti-Western.
We need to know !!!
Thank you, Zephyrinus, but these humble comments are only collected from various subsequent TV interviews of the 3 principal actors, Eastwood, Wallach, and Van Cleef, who became better known as this movie trilogy became famous.
ReplyDeleteWallach we had noted had achieved some element of fame over prior decades in New York theater roles. He also had a significant “bad guy” role in another famous Western, “The Magnificent Seven,” (1960) as “Calvera,” the fearsome bandit leader; and also a major role in the countercultural film, “The Misfits” (1961), with Marilyn Monroe; but had had little in terms of major role offers for 5 years until “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” in 1966.
He always thought he should have been “The Bad:” but his “lovable-yet-comic-thief “ character portrayal branded the icy cold Van Cleef as “Il Cattivo” and Wallach as Il Brutto.”
Wallach however was impressed with Eastwood’s quiet but highly intelligent demeanor, and they became lifelong friends. Wallach said of Eastwood that Eastwood would always listen carefully. “He's the kind where you open up and do all the talking. He [Eastwood] smiles and nods —-and stores it all away in that wonderful calculator of a brain." -Comment by Dante P
More fascinating Hollywood information from our Correspondent, Dante P.
DeleteMany thanks for this invaluable contribution.