Respect The Classics
The Good Bad and the Ugly
By: Joe Suszczynski
Throughout his legendary career, Clint Eastwood has been famous for his acting and his directing. Perhaps one of his most famous movies he has ever acted a role in is “The Good Bad and the Ugly.” The movie came out in 1966 and was the third part of Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy,” also known as “The Man with No Name Trilogy”. Do not fret about needing to see the other two parts beforehand, “A Fist Full of Dollars” (1964) and “For a Few Dollars More” (1965), because each movie holds its own, each in a unique fashion.
The story takes place in Western United States during Civil War time. It follows three different characters and their respective plights against each other. Eastwood’s character is a mysterious gun slinger who is referred to as Blondie, also known as “The Good.” Angel Eyes, played Lee Van Cleef, is a gunfighter searching for a particular man going by the name of Bill Carson–known in the film as “The Bad.” Tuco (Eli Wallach) is a Mexican bandit who causes trouble everywhere he goes. He is known as “The Ugly.” All three characters eventually cross paths as there is a fortune of $200,000 buried in a cemetery. The only problem is that each of the three characters knows only one specific detail about the hidden fortune, leading the three to traverse the Wild West in search of the bounty. All while avoiding the elements of the desert along with Union and Confederate troops.
This movie is absolutely outstanding in all areas.
All three actors do a remarkable job playing their respective characters. Lead man Clint Eastwood nails the role as the “anti-hero” archetype. His character is the embodiment of a gunfighter with a low, gravelly voice, which is accompanied by his trademark cigarillo; be it in the corner of his mouth or in his hand, his cowboy hat, his stylized green poncho that he constantly flings over his shoulder mid-confrontation. His dead-on accuracy with a pistol makes for quite the riveting character. His methods may be harsh, but in the end he does the right thing.
Eastwood is complimented by the talents of Van Cleef and Wallach as supporting actors who give stellar performances in their own rights. Van Cleef plays the bad guy, and Wallach plays a guy who you do not really know where he stands morally.
Leone directed the movie and co-wrote the story. The story is well written and is accompanied by many twists and turns through the development of the characters. The film is just under three hours long, but is moderately paced to where nothing is overly dragged out.
The visuals and direction are stunning. The viewer sees the brutality of the desert and the horrors that American and Confederate soldiers bore during the Civil War. Leone also incorporates his trademark close-up where he will show only the eyes of the character, making for tense shots where we see only what is necessary of the character–the eyes tell everything.
Another pleasant aspect of the movie is the score composed by Ennio Morricone, perhaps one of the greatest modern day composers. His scores are absolutely angelic in this movie. Morricone’s music intensifies Leone’s tense close-up shots, creating legendary scenes to be remembered throughout cinema. The film’s main riff–yodeling accompanied by whistling–has permeated popular culture to the point that it is used in any desert scene, whenever two characters face off.
This is a fantastic movie. Everything about this film is terrific. If you are a fan of any of the actors in this film, a Western film fan or someone looking to kill three hours this is the film to see. For that, it needs to be respected.
Source:
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