This month’s blind spot is an interesting one because it’s not only checking off a classic film off of my watch list but it’s my introduction to an entire genre. It’s the first spaghetti western I’ve ever seen. I have never seen a film by director Sergio Leone, and I don’t believe any other westerns made by Italian directors. Today we are looking at perhaps the most famous spaghetti western- A Fistful of Dollars.
This movie is a pretty iconic one, a film I can recognize the famous scenes even though I hadn’t seen it. In particular the final duel where the Stranger has the metal plate on and the bullets bounce off I’d definitely seen before.
Clint Eastwood is perfect for this role of the Stranger with a brooding sense of coolness and confidence. This isn’t a nuanced performance but it works for the gravitas of the movie. It’s also only 99 minutes where today it would definitely be stretched out to an interminable runtime.
It is a very bloody movie with the Stranger becoming involved in a feud between 2 families in Mexico. I honestly started to lose track of who was taking revenge on who and for what reasons but it doesn’t matter because it’s not a movie you see for the plot. It’s all about these western duels and Eastwood’s charisma with a gun. His draw is so fast and he’s so quick with his pistol that it makes him a threat in any situation. You can certainly see why everyone is intimidated to go against him!
There’s not that much more to A Fistful of Dollars. If you want a bloody movie with a memorable star turn from Eastwood give it a watch. It also has the terrific music from Ennio Morricone, so that adds a layer of enjoyment. If it sounds like your kind of thing you’ll definitely enjoy it.
7 out of 10
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