A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

- Per un pugno di dollari
"Get three coffins ready.", 7 July 2007

A Fistful of Dollars is often incorrectly called the first Euro or Italian or Spaghetti Western. In fact, there were a number of Euro-Westerns made prior to Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars. However, in comparison with Leone's first Western, the few Euro-Westerns I've seen tend to be little more than copies of American Westerns. Instead, Leone was first to usher in a new style of Western. Leone created a less romanticized Western where characters had faults, got dirty, and bled. A Western where the line between the good guys and the bad guys was blurred. A Western where events were unpredictable. A Western where the violence was over-the-top. The Spaghetti Westerns like A Fistful of Dollars may have had little in common with the real Old West, but neither did the Hollywood Western. And I'm not sure that Leone and the rest cared that their films lacked historical accuracy. The real West wasn't their inspiration – the Hollywood Westerns were their inspiration. These were entertainment pieces first and foremost. And if the audiences of the 1960s were entertained by this new style Western, Leone was going to give it to them.

It's impossible to mention A Fistful of Dollars and not discuss the genius of Sergio Leone. In this movie, you can see early examples of directorial flourishes that would become Leone trademarks. The extreme close-ups followed by enormous widescreen shots, the extended showdowns, and the use of music as an integral part of a film can be seen in his first Western effort. But just as amazing and genius as Leone and just as important to the success of A Fistful of Dollars is Ennio Morricone's score. I'm sure audiences familiar the Hollywood style of scoring were shocked by Morricone's music with its series of whistles, chirps, and other experimental sounds. It was a new sound for a new kind of Western. And it's brilliant.

At its core, A Fistful of Dollars is a very simple movie. The plot is simple (and even more so if you've seen Yojimbo). Clint Eastwood rides into town and discovers two warring factions. He uses the animosity they have for each other for his own gain. Like I said, it's simple. But the film's simplicity extends beyond the plot. Partially for budgetary reasons and partially the result of some judicious cutting and editing, there's very little in the way of fat. For example, the dialogue in A Fistful of Dollars is often very minimal. Considering the fact that he's the lead performer, Clint Eastwood's character has very few lines. Instead, Leone and Eastwood allow a look, an action, or a note from Morricone's incredible score to speak for Clint. Simple? - yes, but very effective.

Beyond Leone's direction, Morricone's score, and the style of the Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars excels in several other areas - especially the acting. For the budget the film was made on, the acting is superb. Eastwood and his minimalist "Man with No Name" may be the known quantity, but there are other, equally impressive performances in the movie. Chief among them is Gian Maria Volontè as the crazed Ramon. It's an amazing piece of work. As much as I enjoy Eastwood, it's Volontè that makes the movie for me.

Finally (and I'll end here because I could probably go on writing all night) I sometimes wonder if Leone or Eastwood or anyone involved with A Fistful of Dollars had any idea of what they were doing. Did they have any notion that more than 40 years later these movies would be more beloved than when they were made? I sincerely doubt it. I'll never forget the night I discovered Leone's Dollar Trilogy. I was in college in the early 80s and WGN was playing A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More back-to-back. I was blown away! My conception of what a Western was changed that night. And I've been a huge fan every since.

Thank you, Mr. Leone.

8/10