A Fistful of Dollars

Rating:
Summary: Brutality Mixed With Humanity
Review: "A Fistful of Dollars" was released in Italy in 1964, but didn't make it to the U.S. until 1967. From its James Bond-like graphics on the opening to that incredible music, this is a minimalist example of less is more. The scenes of brutality are still startling. Gian Maria Volonte who plays bad guy Ramon Rojo is incredibly violent and merciless. His beating of Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name also makes us wince. The thing that is so endearing about the movie is how the brutality is mixed with humanity. Marianne Koch plays Marisol who has been abducted from her husband and son that must watch as she is made to be the imprisoned sex slave of Ramon. Eastwood's character is touched by this, endures an incredible beating, and explains this act of kindness as he arranges their escape by saying that he once knew someone like her. Equally wonderful are the smaller characters such as the grizzled undertaker who delights in the killings because he can build another casket. Eastwood turns to him after escaping the beatings and is hauled out of town in a casket. The acts of goodness of the tavern owner who keeps advising Eastwood to leave are also touching. We see the great love of the husband and son for Marisol as they embrace in the street despite being at gunpoint. Director Sergio Leone does a nice job of splicing in as much humor as possible such as Clint Eastwood explaining how his mule has been offended. Yes, the DVD version doesn't offer many extras, but being released 35 years after the original, more is not realistic. This was a landmark film, well photographed and remarkably fresh almost 40 years later. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: "The mule doesn't get it"
Review: "~Before I had seen this film, I always thought that Clint Eastwood played tough-guys that frown all the time. But, after seeing this film, one can appreciate and understand the fact that he is a talented actor."~ suspenseful and the camerawork in every scene is nearly flawless. Leone brilliantly shows near desolation in the near-ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

Rating:
Summary: Better than YOJIMBO by far...
Review: ... in my opinion. I am, of course, grateful that Kurosawa made his film, it's a good one. But Leone took that story and really made it MYTHICAL. Eastwood's three best performances were in The Man With No Name trilogy. He was good int he toehr Westerns, too, but these take the brass ring.

Fistful Of Dollars is a FUN movie. The story is good, the acting is good, and the Morricone soundtrack, well, of course that's great! The sound on this dvd isn't the greatest, but then the sound on the original print isn't great either. This movie earns its five stars on the virtue of the mule scene alone. if you don't remember that scene, or if you've never seen this flick, get off the internet and go get this movie NOW!!! If you're disappointed, well, I just don't know if there's any hope at all.

Seriously, this is a fine piece of work from Leone. His best, without doubt, is ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, but you can see him laying the groundwork here. The Spaghetti Western is a sadly overlooked genre and if you enjoy the Leone movies you should also check out THE GREAT SILENCE; A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL; DJANGO; and KEOMA. All at least as good as Fistful, some even better.

Rating:
Summary: Clint Eastwood is the High Plains Drifter with no name.
Review: A 1964 film, but was not released in the United States until 1967. I've had an interest in westerns ever since I saw the Gunsmoke tv series and the film, MY NAME IS NOBODY (1973).
In this film, FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964), Clint Eastwood is the Man With No Name wearing a pancho who on a horse rides into a strange small one-road town. He sees a curious little boy looking from building to building through a peephole or a window. When the boy gets to curious, he is run out by the mean men and shot at too. They never hit him. The boy finally goes back to his papa. Eastwood as he rides more into town, sees a man on a horse leaving this town with a sign on his back, "Adios Amigo". Strange town with bad men. One man hires Eastwood to rid the town of these selfish had guys. What does Eastwood have planned to make this town safe again? He tells the coffin maker to get three coffins ready.
Sewrgio Leone made three more films with Clint Eastwood in this starring role. The sequels are: FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1966), THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966). A follow -up film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968).
Sergio Leone produced another good western based on Leone's idea, in honor of "The Man With No Name", MY NAME IS NOBODY (1973) starring Terence Hill and Henry Fonda.

Rating:
Summary: Western with an edge
Review: A drifter (Clint Eastwood) enters a near-ghost town where a battle between two families opens the potential for profit. But, he finds that the two sides can not be allowed to continue their meaningless conflict.

Eastwood does a terrific job, and one can't help but appreciate the performance he gives. The simple story is made all the better by brilliant showdowns, top-notch camerawork, and a style all its own.

If you're looking for a great western with an edge, go and grab yourself a fist full of dollars.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST WESTERN EVER
Review: A Fistful Of Dollars changed the way westerns looked and sound for ever. They also made Clint Eastwood a superstar and boosted the careers of Sergio Leone and Enrico Morricone. Stylish, funny, violent and above all a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Great Eastwood,Leone spaghetti western
Review: A Fistful of Dollars is a great western.It stars Clint Eastwood,and was directed by Sergio Leone,who also directed the excellent westerns For a Few Dollars More;The Good,the Bad,and the Ugly;and Once Upon a Time in the West.Eastwood plays a drifter who comes to a small Mexican town run by two separate families-the Rojos and the Baxters,and he plays both sides.(he makes a great deal of money in the process!)I won't say anymore about the plot.The film was made on a very small budget,but Leone did an excellent job with what he had to work with.The musical score by Ennio Morricone(under the name Dan Savio)is outstanding,nobody scores a western,spaghetti or otherwise,like him!This film was a remake of a Japanese film called Yojimbo,I think,but I've never seen it before.It was also remade a few years ago,starring Bruce Willis,called Last Man Standing,and that wasn't as good as A Fistful of Dollars,but it wasn't bad.Overall,A Fistful of Dollars ranks very high on my list of favorite westerns.I'd really like to get this film on DVD sometime,because my VHS copy is about twelve years old and is showing some wear!Besides,I think this film would be better viewed in the widescreen format.

Rating:
Summary: The film that started a career
Review: A Fistful of Dollars is the first of the classic Sergio Leone Dollars trilogy and also the film that helped skyrocket Clint Eastwood to the top. Borrowed from a Akira Kurosawa film, the story centers around a gunman who appears in a town with two rival families trying to control everything. For his own profit, the gunman begins to play both families until finally it all blows up in a huge gunfight. This is a classic spaghetti western that should not be missed. The whole genre is different from the often idealized hero portrayed in American westerns. The spaghetti westerns threw all the cliches on their side and instead used their own including the anti-hero, extreme close-ups, sadistic villains, and eerie musical soundtracks.

Clint Eastwood plays the role of the Man with no Name, even though he is called "Joe" in this one. His squinting, cigar-chomping gunman set the stage for westerns from then all the way until now. Gina Maria Volonte stars as the violent leader of the Rojo family. In the DVD check out the credits. Almost all the names of the Italian actors were changed for the American release. Volonte would later return in For a Few Dollars more as the evil Indio. The rest of the cast consists mainly of spaghetti western regulars, most notably Mario Brega. Once again Ennio Morricone gives us another haunting soundtrack that must be mentioned when talking about these movies. The DVD is relatively cheap but still offers fullscreen and widescreen, great theatrical trailer, and a booklet full of interesting information. A must have for fans of spaghetti westerns!

Rating:
Summary: A Fistful of Dollars - A true genre classic!
Review: A Fistful of Dollars is truly one of the big classics in the western genre and one that began a newer, better style of western films. First in a string of Clint Eastwood's "spaghetti" westerns, it has a style and cinematic class all to itself. This is where Clint Eastwood began his style of western hero who doesn't say much, but gets his point across through his facial expressions and of course his actions, more specifically with his six shooter at his side.

The premise:

Clint Eastwood plays "the man with no name" other than the name given to him by one of the characters in the film, Joe. In what is now a classic style, he rides into town on a mule and witnesses the brutality of the town bullies. Without saying a word to them, they harass him and he calmly goes into one of the town bars, has some food and listens to what the bar owner has to tell him about the town's situation. He casually decides to stay and do something about the entire situation, walks out and takes out four of the bad guys. What follows from there is such an outstanding film that is fraught with a certain degree of humor as he deftly plays both sides against his middle and walks away with "A Fistful of Dollars."

If you're a fan of the western genre and haven't seen this classic, I highly suggest you pick this DVD up. Some might be put off by the age of this movie, that is simply not the case though as this movie is timeless. Despite the fact that it was made in Spain, with many European actors and in a foreign language, it's just pure fun!

The DVD:

Given today's almighty DVD's where there is every sort of special/extra feature that a fan can imagine, this one is your meat and potato's kind. It has the movie, a great theatrical trailer and a booklet. It is nice and simple, with not too much to get wrapped around other than the outstanding movie within. The booklet is an extremely interesting read, giving some facts for the movie I wasn't aware of. {ssintrepid}

Rating:
Summary: This was the worst movie i have ever seen!
Review: A Fistful of Dollars was the worst movie i have ever seen. Not even a great actor like Clint Eastwood can make this movie good. The movie doesnt have any speed. When the first thing happens u is awake, but right after that u fall asleep and u never wake up again. What ever u do. Dont see this movie!!!!