The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

- Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.", 2 July 2006

I know some movie fans who consider The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the best movie ever made. While I don't even think it's the best thing Sergio Leone made, it's a solid Spaghetti Western that has all but transcended the sub-genre. There are images, such as Clint Eastwood in the poncho, and music, like the main title theme, that are known by people who have never seen the movie. I also know people who wouldn't be caught dead watching a movie made outside of the USA who love The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I can't think of another Italian made film, let alone an Italian made Western, that has become so universally known and enjoyed.

There are so many moments in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly that I enjoy. One of my favorites is that of Tuco running through the cemetery as Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" plays in the background. It literally gives me goosebumps. It's one of those movie moments that I look forward to no matter how many times I've seen them. I'm also a fan of the techniques Leone used in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Leone's use of the widescreen shots of the landscape inter-cut with extreme close-ups of faces is brilliant. It adds a sense of intimacy to vastness of the setting that allows the viewer feel like they're part the movie and gain some insight into the characters. It's a technique that very few other filmmakers have the guts to employ.

But I sincerely doubt that Leone's film would be so widely and wildly regarded if it weren't for the music of Ennio Morricone. I've already mentioned the main title theme and "The Ecstasy of Gold", but these are only two examples found in this amazing score. Can you imagine the final showdown without Morricone's music? I can't think of many instances where music and film go together to create such tension and anticipation. I've already used the word "brilliant" to describe Leone, but it's also applicable to Morricone.

Finally, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly wouldn't be the same without the three lead actors. Each, at least in this movie, is brilliant (there's that word again) in his own right. Clint Eastwood is "The Good". He's "The Good" in the sense that he's not as "bad" as the other two. Lee Van Cleef is "The Bad". He's a ruthless killer who would just as soon shoot you as look at you – as long as the price was right. And then there's Eli Wallach as "The Ugly". As good as Eastwood and Van Cleef are, Wallach is really something special. Wallach's Tuco is one of the most crazed, but complicated characters I've seen. It's a special cast for a very special movie.

9/10