#181. Sergio Leone

When it comes to the Western genre, you would figure it’s the most American of film styles. However, the irony is that some of the most recognizable Western films were in fact made by an Italian. This sub-category of the Western theme is known as the Spaghetti Western. Because they were directed by Italians, the “Spaghetti” designator helps to distinguish between these films and American Westerns. The one Director who made his mark on this genre is none other than Sergio Leone. Even though his filmography was short, of the 10 films he directed, seven of them were Westerns. His style is now seen as the classic form of the 1960s Western, which was a departure from the American Westerns of the 1950s, both in visuals and content. This week we will examine two of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns, the first two parts of the “Dollars Trilogy.”

A Fistful of Dollars
Year: 1964
Rating: R
Length: 99 minutes / 1.65 hours

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) heralded the start of many things. Not only did it begin the Spaghetti Western genre and start the “Man with No Name” trilogy, but it initiated Clint Eastwood on his successful film career. Even though Eastwood and Leone had a bit of a falling out after their three films together, Eastwood was influenced by Leone as a Director, a point made clear in his Oscar-winning Western, Unforgiven (1992). What is interesting about this film is that it was actually inspired by the Japanese film, Yojimbo (1961), directed by Akira Kurosawa three years earlier. Strangely enough, even with Japanese influences on a traditionally American genre, A Fistful of Dollars has become a universal cultural icon, even being parodied in Back to the Future Part III (1990), as well as an episode of the T.V. show, Community.

In the small town of San Miguel, two rival families have been making a fortune in selling illegal whiskey and rifles. There is a tenuous peace until the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) rides into town. He sees an opportunity to grab quite a few fistfuls of dollars by escalating their rivalry. He starts by killing a few of the Baxters, offering his services to the Rojos. Swapping back and forth between each side, the Stranger eventually goes too far by letting a prisoner of the brutal Ramon Rojo (Gian Maria Volonté) escape to her family. Ramon finds the Stranger and beats him half to death. As he recovers from his injuries, he prepares to take on the Rojos, and especially the frenzied Ramon. With some hidden body armor, the Stranger faces Ramon and the rest of the Rojo gang, skillfully outshooting them all. His business in town now finished, the Stranger leaves as quietly as he arrived.

For a Few Dollars More
Year: 1965
Rating: R
Length: 132 minutes / 2.2 hours

After finishing the “Dollars Trilogy” with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), Sergio Leone directed four more Spaghetti Westerns, the best-known of which was Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). His final film, Once Upon a Time in America (1984), was in line with this naming convention but was a departure from the Spaghetti Western genre. What’s interesting is the difference between the Spaghetti Western and the American Western. Leone was fed up with the unbelievable, stale, and moralistic plots of the Western and went about to change it. With his excellent camera work involving lots of detail, close-ups, and wide shots, Leone set the stage for future Spaghetti Westerns. Of course, with this trilogy, we can’t forget about the iconic music composed by Ennio Morricone, which is now whistled throughout the world.

The second installment in the trilogy, For a Few Dollars More (1965) finds the money-focused Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) as a bounty hunter in the Southwest. Unfortunately, he has some competition from a former Confederate officer, Colonel Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef). When a bounty on the outlaw Indio (Gian Maria Volonté) for $10,000 appears, both men set out to collect. Once they find they are after the same man, they decide to team up. The Man with No Name infiltrates Indio’s gang while Col. Mortimer lies in wait. After the Stranger double-crosses Mortimer, he is surprised to find the other bounty hunter deduced this betrayal and has shown up at the gang’s hideout. Vengeance drives Mortimer, and soon he is able to avenge his sister in a shootout between him and Indio. With the gang in a heap, the Man with No Name rides off to collect the bounties.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 spectacular Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns

Bacon #: 3 (An Almost Perfect Affair / Christian De Sica -> Natale a Miami / Marc Macaulay -> Wild Things / Kevin Bacon)

#078. Italian Films

Far too often, foreign films don’t do well in America because of the mono-lingual tastes of the American consumer. No one wants to sit through two or more hours of subtitles. However, these people are missing out on some fantastic films. There is much to gain when watching foreign films, as they are a window to other cultures different from our own. While I will be the first to admit that I have focused on mostly English language films, in the last few years, I have been expanding my movie viewing to include a lot more foreign language films (partly due to the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die). At any rate, from the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone to the truly artistic films of Federico Fellini, Italian language films remind us that their culture is rich with art. Both stationary pictures and moving ones deserve an observation for anyone interested in art. This week’s two films both won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for their home country of Italy.

8½
Year: 1963
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 138 minutes / 2.3 hours

Aside from the aforementioned Spaghetti Westerns, there is one film that stands as the representative work for all Italian language films. That film is Federico Fellini’s 8½ (1963). As much a defining statement about his filmmaking career as it was on film in general (even though he had already won two Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film), this movie is often considered one of the best films ever made. At the end of the 1960s, a lot of strides had been made in avant-garde filmmaking but the movement still only produced very “artistic” films, and not necessarily watchable films. And yet, Fellini’s film effortlessly infused the artistic movement into a storyline that could accept it. Of course, when one makes a semi-autobiographical movie like this one, it’s easy to come up with such a realistic plot.

Writer’s block is one thing, but director’s block is a whole different animal. Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) is finding the creative process incredibly tricky, especially since everyone seems to be on his back to create his next big hit. They all want him to create something that they can have a part in since the money is a big motivator for them. Even though he should be working on his science fiction film, Guido can’t help but reminisce about his life up to that point. Soon, his flashbacks almost become fused with reality as he remembers all the women of his past. And yet, a silver lining appears in the memories! Through introspection, Guido comes to the roots of his director’s block and is able to arrive at the inspiration for his next big motion picture.

Life is Beautiful
Year: 1997
Rating: PG-13
Length: 116 minutes / 1.93 hours

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this film came during the 1999 Oscars when Actor/Director Roberto Benigni walked across the tops of the chairs to receive his Best Actor Oscar. As mentioned above, one of the other Oscars that Life is Beautiful (1997) won that year was Best Foreign Language Film (the other being Best Music). This seems almost like the epitome of the Italian culture: incredibly happy, but even more so on special occasions. Their culture full of art, food, and history is certainly something to be happy about, that’s for sure. Of course, it does somewhat approach the cliche, when you consider that the first Italian name people can think of is “Guido,” which just so happens to be the name of the main character of both 8½ and Life is Beautiful.

This Italian film showed the power of positive thinking, even during the tragedies of World War II. The main character, Guido (Roberto Benigni), takes an approach to his life that at times feels derivative of Charlie Chaplin. In the Italian town of Arezzo, Guido searches for love as the powers of Fascism and anti-Semitism gain influence in his government. Eventually, he falls in love and continues on his romantic journey, gaining a son in the process. As the war progresses, he uses games and imagination to keep his child from being killed. Considering the challenges involved with surviving the Holocaust, being able to save his child is just that much more impressive. In the end, Life is Beautiful demonstrated that life can be beautiful, even in the darkest times.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 incredible Italian movies