A Fistful of Dollars

A beautiful example of how a rigid genre can be pushed somewhere simply by being ignorant of its rules. Many of Leone's trademarks came about practically only by the fact that nobody on set (except Eastwood, who again didn't speak Italian, so he couldn't tell them much) realized that this is simply not how you make a western. A Fistful of Dollars isn't the first Spaghetti Western (there were 20-30 of them at the time), but it's the first one that didn't copy Western techniques. It messed with everyone's head at the time, and the early reviews were pretty fierce, for example, but I totally understand the unique experience it gave rise to in its day and why it was such a hit with audiences. The palpable heat, the sweat, the ugliness, the dust, the thirst, and the sleeping with one eye open. The familiar stuffiness of a forgotten frontier in a time when one could get lost over the horizon. An adventure that does not surrender its naturalistic aspects. Except for the blood, which was probably done by the catering girls. (08/07/2021)

Leone’s first foray into western territory meant the arrival of a legend. This Kurosawa remake turned out particularly well and although Sergio was still fine-tuning his directing style to perfection, this is an amazing work. Of course, it can’t compete with Leone’s later masterpieces, which changed the face of cinema forever, but compared to the vast majority of other westerns (and other movies regardless of genre) its quality takes it to completely other spheres. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (03/06/2007)

Out of sentiment for the material and respect for the legend of Sergio Leone, it's hardly three stars. In A Fistful of Dollars it is clear that the cult trilogy is still in its infancy. The budget is lacking and the technical side is all over the place, but the foundation stones have been successfully laid. Clint Eastwood with his growl, a unique Ennio Morricone and a surprisingly well-written story that at times feels like a spaghetti Bolognese commercial. (19/05/2024)

What an amazing start! When Monco puts a plate under his poncho and learns to shoot again with his crippled hands, I get chills down my spine - and it's the fault of all three gentlemen - Eastwood, Leone and Morricone. Thanks, guys. The final duel, which at one point is amazingly filmed as a shoe fight, must have been such an "event" in its time that all directors of westerns had their eyes popping out of their sockets. Good for them. At least they had a chance to prepare for what was coming in a few years. (18/09/2007)

This is where it all began. For westerns, for Eastwood and also maybe for Leone. The day when a gunslinger arrived in a small town. The story is simple, but nice, the same as the characters in it. And Clint straining snappy lines through his perpetual cheroot is just delicious. When a man's got money in his pocket he begins to appreciate peace. (05/09/2009)