Sergio Leone
Per Qualche Dollaro In Più

"Where life had no values, death, sometimes, had its price. That's why the Bounty Killers appeared"

(trad.) "Where life had no value, death sometimes had its price. This is why the bounty hunters appeared"

A cigar, a poncho, a pair of mustaches... These are the details that immediately come to mind when I think of "For a Few Dollars More". Other elements of the genre, if not even the same, would still reappear with the rest of Leonian filmography. Because no one better than the Roman director has managed to give in the western genre, and hence in cinema as a whole, such an intense characterization of his films' characters.

In this second chapter of the Dollar Trilogy (dated 1965), the protagonists are not good heroes, like the all-American cowboys, to make it clear. Rather, they are two bounty killers who find themselves chasing the same goal: the $10,000 bounty of a Mexican bandit who has just escaped from jail. The Man With No Name - Clint Eastwood, here in his two expressions: with cigar and without - only uses his right hand to shoot, he is a very cunning young man who masterfully completes his work in a cynical and mocking way with the sole purpose of earning enough banknotes to retire to a large ranch. Colonel Douglas Mortimer - Lee Van Cleef, cast quickly a few days before filming began - is an elderly professional who has something subtler in mind than just the economic reward; he wants to kill that bandit for revenge. El Indio - masterfully played by Gian Maria Volontè - is the antagonist, the bad Mexican, the target for both, and has a completely surreal appearance: he walks around in pajamas, every time he kills a man he needs to smoke a joint, and he has no qualms about exerting his leadership motives. Surrounding them is an incredible series of supporting character actors, a collection of ugly faces that have the same scenic impact as the main protagonists, notably two: Klaus Kinski as Wild the Hunchback and Mario Brega as El Niño, who remain unforgettable in the memory of dedicated viewers.

The whistling tune of the soundtrack by Ennio Morricone accompanies us throughout the 2 hours and 10 minutes of the film, accentuating the rhythm of the shootouts and the uneven duels of three against one (or even four against one!) in which our "heroes" will learn to collaborate, though with difficulty, in a succession of scenes that are violent yet grotesque, up to the final duel. In which the twist is enclosed in a brilliant stratagem, which is yet another find of a practically perfect screenplay, starting from the narration mechanisms as well as the dialogues (some exchanges are anthology-worthy) up to the worthy conclusion—because also consider that the subsequent "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is actually a prequel within the trilogy.

The amazing soundtrack goes hand in hand with the frames that have now become the trademark of Italian-made Westerns by Sergio Leone (extreme close-ups, camera on the ground next to the shoe) giving it an impressive strength, but also the crystal-clear cinematography directed by Massimo Dallamano plays a fundamental role. This synergy makes the overall result of the work qualitatively excellent and will prove decisive even in the subsequent films of his career.

Highly recommended for lovers of great cinema. But it is also highly recommended to lovers of cigars, lovers of ponchos, and lovers of mustaches.