For a Few Dollars More: Review By Raoul Duke

The Man with No Name returns this time under the moniker of "Manco", teaming up with A Man in Black. The two set out to take down one of the most ruthless bandits in the west...El Indio.

The story starts on a train, when a mysterious Man in Black pulls the emergency chain, causing the train to stop at a station it doesn't normally stop at. This Man in Black is a bounty hunter out to collect on a man named Guy Calloway. The Man in Black impresses us right away with exemplary shooting, taking out a fleeing Calloway from over a hundred yards out. He collects his bounty and as he takes his leave, inquires as to another bounty, this one on a man named Cavanaugh. The Sherriff tells the him that Cavanaugh is in White Rocks, and also, that the Man in Black, isn't the only hunter out looking for Cavanaugh.

In White Rocks, we are introduced once again to our favorite gunslinger, The Man with No Name, or "Manco", as he is referred to this time around. He beat the Man in Black to White Rocks and begins his inquiry as to the whereabouts of Cavanaugh. A man in the tavern points Manco towards Cavanaugh, who sits with his back to Manco, engaged in a game of cards. Manco approaches, and as the man resists, begins to beat him senseless one armed (hopefully, those of you who know Spanish pick up on the joke). Manco has the man pinned against the bar, when he looks up into the mirror to see the real Cavanaugh standing in the doorway, flanked by two goons. They think they have the drop on Manco, but we know better. The Man with No Name unleashes his drawing hand, kept hidden beneath his poncho the entire time, and takes down all three gunnies, beating the odds once again. He collects his bounty, but as he makes his leave, his eye is caught by a wanted poster depicting a man in the midst of maniacal laughter. The reward is for $10,000.00. The man's name is El Indio.

Elsewhere, we are introduced to El Indio, alone in jail. Not for long though, as he is quickly broken out by his posse. The gang kills all guards, save one, who is spared so he may speak of what he saw...of the deeds of El Indio. El Indio sets out, gang in tow, with a plan to rob a bank that most consider impossible to rob: The Bank of El Paso.

Now in El Paso, both Manco and the Man in Black (who we later learn his Col. Douglas Mortimer out of Carolina), await the arrival of Indio and his crew. The hatch their plans around each other, but when it becomes inevitable that their plans will cross, they decide to have a little "chat". Manco and Mortimer size each other up, displaying their skill with their pistols. Sensing kindred spirits, the two decide to settle the dispute with words instead of bullets, after a little trick shooting of course. The two bounty hunters decide to team up against Indio and his men. Thus, the plan is hatched. Mortimer will be the man on the outside, out in the shadows ready to strike, while Manco strikes from within, gaining entrance as a member of Indio's crew. What the two don't know, is that Indio is not only completely crazy, but he's also intelligent, and smarter than the two may think.

Clint Eastwood portrays the most badass character in movie history for the second time in this spaghetti classic. His performance in this one is a little subdued however. That or it just may be a bit overshadowed by his fantastic co-stars. Nonetheless, Clint is still captivating in every scene. He acts almost like a rowdy teenager in this installment, his experience taking a backseat to his more seasoned partner. Still, his dry humor, his gritty voice, the facial expressions, all remind us of that Man we came to love, and fear, in Fistful of Dollars. However, in this installment of The Dollars Trilogy, Clint isn't necessarily the biggest dog in the yard.

Lee Van Cleef plays The Man in Black, Col. Douglas Mortimer out of Carolina. Once a great soldier and the finest shot in the Carolinas, he is now reduced to bounty hunting. He is quick, calculating, and a master marksman. He rides around with nothing short of an arsenal always within his reach. 50 years he has ridden the lands, and in those five decades, he has amassed enough knowledge to not only keep him alive, but to keep him safe in the Wild West. Van Cleef, who you'll recognize as Angel Eyes from this movies successor, gives a jaw dropping performance as The Man in Black. Quite possibly his best ever. The look he gives not only instills fear into the character he looks at, but into you yourself. His deep and calm voice masks his true deadliness. Clint and Cleef are amazing together not only as enemies, as we later see in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but here as partners. They play the young and the old side of vigilante justice with humor, conviction, and grit.

The grittiest of them all though I found to be El Indio, played by Gian Maria Volonte (Ramon Rojo in Fistful of Dollars). He is utterly insane, but with intelligence to boot. He has no problem killing, especially when it comes to his own men. He likes to linger with the bodies of his victims sit with them and stare. His kills are all set to the eerie tune from a pocket watch that he keeps with him at all times. "When the chimes finish, begin," he tells all his soon to be victims. His craziness is enhanced by his cannabis habit, though I feel the effects were overdramatized. Nonetheless, the constant doobies make him all the more maniacal. Volonte captivates you from the very beginning. He draws you in with his deep, booming voice, and keeps you there with his insane laughter and clever tongue. Certain scenes are flashbacks of Indio's past life, and during these, Indio is rendered into a coma like state. Volonte's expression on his face as he pretends to be in this coma state is absolutely spectacular. He looks on the verge of death he is so deep in his trance. It's all in the eyes. His glazed eyes from too many joints adds to that faraway look as he remembers his savage and brutal past. Volonte gives the best performance of the film in my eyes: truly amazing.

The supporting cast does their job just as well as the stars. Whether it's Joseph Egger as an old Prophet with a grudge against the railroad, or German actor Klaus Kinski as Wild: one of Indio's men, and a hunchback, who has his own little run in with The Man in Black. Another stand out from Indios posse is his right hand man Nino, played by Mario Brega (Chico in Fistful of Dollars, and Cpl. Wallace in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). He is able to take your attention away from the bigger picture whenever he is on screen, and hols you there with his commanding presence. The supporting cast fills in all the holes the main cast can't and completes the whole picture.

Sergio Leone' second journey into the mythos of The Man with No Name is almost operatic in its construction. Its ending especially, is like something out of a Greek tragedy. He constructs this seemingly straightforward plot, then turns it on its head and adds elements to it you never would have expected. He brings out the best in his actors with his well constructed vision of what he wants in each scene. Leone is a master filmmaker and this epic of a Western is enough to prove that. Together with cinematographer Massimo Dallamano, Leone gives us shots that once again take our breath away. The long shots of immense landscapes are countered by close ups of characters at their most intense moments. The film has an overall brightness to it, since most of it takes place under a scorching sun, but what really got me were the nighttime scenes. They add a soothing element to the brightness of the film, almost allowing you a chance for your eyes to relax before you are thrust back into the baking desert.

Leone directs his own script again, partnered for the first time, but not the last, with Luciano Vincenzoni, as well as aided by a man named Fulvio Morsella. Together they produce a script filled with themes such as tragedy, madness, and vengeance. There is also a bit of the old school vs. new school theme between Cleef and Eastwoods characters. They bounce age jokes off each other and each sees them self in the other. Whether it's Manco seeing what he may one day become in Mortimer, or Mortimer seeing what he once was in Manco.

As if all this isn't enough to get you to see it, there is still a score by the visionary, Ennio Morricone. Two tunes in particular stood out for me: Mancos and Indio's. The Man with No Name's theme is obviously a concoction of whistles, grunts, gallops, yodels, flutes, springs and twangy Spanish style guitar riffs, that will bring out the cowboy in anyone. Indio's theme is the polar opposite. Where Mancos theme makes you want to get up, grab your gun and ride your horse off into the sunset, Indio's is almost lullaby like in its construction. It's melodic and beautiful, and yet, it still contains a hint of tragedy and sorrow. It makes you feel how you would on a rainy day. It makes you feel sad when you have no real reason to be. We hear it at intervals throughout the film, since this is the "chimes" that Indio plays as he kills his victims. The tune continually changes and gains momentum throughout the film. The song itself plays a major role in the plot and the outcome of the film, filling as big of a role as any of the characters. Ennio delivers us again a score that not only sets the mood, but takes on a life of its own.

If Fistful of Dollars is the most action packed and fast paced, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the most epic, then For a Few Dollars More is easily the most heartfelt and dramatic of The Dollars Trilogy. It unfolds to reveal a bigger story than one would first expect and takes you to a place that not every western takes you. It has a lot of heart and it will tug at yours if you allow it to. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.