I've been on a Spaghetti Western kick for awhile now, and after finally seeing Keoma a few days ago (Phil's post + cheap Spaghetti Western DVD collection = serendipitous), I took in this film, which -- as was the case with Django -- spawned a number of sequels, both official and not.
I have to say that I really liked Gianni Garko's Sartana; he's not some bland Clint Eastwood clone as I've seen in some other second-rate Westerns. He's got a charm all his own and a killer smile; the latter alone differentiates him from a lot of the rather glum antiheroes that seem to pervade these Italo-Westerns. It also doesn't hurt that he's got a cool hat and a nifty costume, not to mention that Gianfranco Parolini really knows how to shoot the guy for maximum effect.
As to the movie itself, I thought it was only so-so. The plot seems to be "Everybody betrays everybody," and for some reason, Sartana stole Col. Mortimer's pocketwatch from For a Few Dollars More, although I didn't find it near as effective in this film. It's allso a shame that Klaus Kinski gets dispatched from the story so quickly. From the opening scene, I thought the film was setting us up for a final duel between the two, but instead the focus shifts to his much less interesting partner-in-crime.
I'm curious to know what others think.
Also, I've done a search online to gauge different viewers' responses, but I was curious if any of you folks have seen the sequels and, if so, whether or not you'd recommend any of them.
I have to say that I really liked Gianni Garko's Sartana; he's not some bland Clint Eastwood clone as I've seen in some other second-rate Westerns. He's got a charm all his own and a killer smile; the latter alone differentiates him from a lot of the rather glum antiheroes that seem to pervade these Italo-Westerns. It also doesn't hurt that he's got a cool hat and a nifty costume, not to mention that Gianfranco Parolini really knows how to shoot the guy for maximum effect.
As to the movie itself, I thought it was only so-so. The plot seems to be "Everybody betrays everybody," and for some reason, Sartana stole Col. Mortimer's pocketwatch from For a Few Dollars More, although I didn't find it near as effective in this film. It's allso a shame that Klaus Kinski gets dispatched from the story so quickly. From the opening scene, I thought the film was setting us up for a final duel between the two, but instead the focus shifts to his much less interesting partner-in-crime.
I'm curious to know what others think.
Also, I've done a search online to gauge different viewers' responses, but I was curious if any of you folks have seen the sequels and, if so, whether or not you'd recommend any of them.
