MovieChat Forums > Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1967) Discussion > Still Unsurpassed

Still Unsurpassed

posted 8 years ago by StephenMalovski
14 replies | jump to latest

This movie was so far ahead of it's time. It is not your average western. It's an epic cinematic masterpiece. And it was filmed without a multimillion dollar budget, expensive CGI effects, etc... Just an incredible musical score, good screenplay and an unbelievably talented cast.

Ironically, it turns out that one of the greatest Westerns was produced in Italy, (filmed in Spain) a terrific triumph of film-making and musical composition there. That is the most evocative music and symbolism the Western genre ever had... --and remains unsurpassed.

The graveyard scene shows that the film is not about what appears to be about. This is a film about the US civil(or any) war. And the cemetery: the outcome of the war. The three main characters are only side characters in the whole story.

I really miss this kind of movies. Good story, great directing and incredible music. Not like the junk we get nowadays.

[–] mgtbltp 8 years ago

agree

[–] residentevil6901 8 years ago

Yup I agree, and I think it's a little funny that there are a few people out there who hate this movie. They can't stand the fact of how high this movie is rated on this site as well. I also think it's funny when they try to say this movie hasn't aged well. When a movie doesn't age, it's immortalized on film for all time. When I watch it today it looks the same, sounds the same and everything that happened the first time I saw it still happens with each viewing. I don't get some peoples inability to see the movie the same way after years have gone by. The look of this film is so classic, it makes it seem like the real old west. Personally I'd love it if they made new westerns today but made it look like it was filmed in the 60s. It would make it seem more like a true western.

[–] StephenMalovski 8 years ago

I'm not surprised by the haters! There will always be a type of people that deliberately hate what majority of people love! Recently saw a movie reviewed from the LA times that openly and hatefully spoke agains The Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas and Forest Gump calling the fans of these movies simpleminded people! Her explanation why are there movies are so beloved were that they werea always on TV so the simple folk that doesn't know any better rates them 10/10 on IMDB! I'm just wondering how many of her favorite movies have received 1/10 rating from me...

[–] mgtbltp 8 years ago

agree

[–] Phoeces 7 years ago

Well, I guess, I'm one of them "simple minded people", because TGTBTU and "Goodfellas" are two of my top three films.

By the way, my second favorite Western - "McCabe and Mrs Miller".

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] audiopinions 7 years ago

Just saw it for the first time. Absolutely stunning. I watched it by myself and was clapping as "blondie" rode off into the sun. 50 years old and probably been ripped off to death in that time, yet still everything felt so original and not quite like anything I've seen. Not often i finish a movie and feel like I've been on an adventure myself.

[–] klondike99 7 years ago

Its a relatively long movie but not one scene ever drags or is not riveting or profound. Can't say that about many movies.

[–] Musashi94 7 years ago

Truly great art is timeless, it doesn't age or require one to know a specific set of circumstances to appreciate it.

[–] wickerman (31) 7 years ago

I think Once Upon a Time in the West comes awfully close, but I'd still give the edge to this film.

[–] NZer (161) 7 years ago

Yes wickerman - it's a close call, but I agree with you!! There have certainly been some great Westerns made in the past. I read once, that todays sci-fi is only yesterdays western...quite true in a lot of cases. Cowboys and Indians in space ! LOL

[–] Jones70 (6195) 2 years ago

Yeah I agree I wish I had more time to re watch all the great movies like this!

[–] christomacin (4528) 2 years ago

I still think Once Upon A Time in the West is the greater film, although for entertainment value this film is tough to beat. Anyone claiming this film isn't a classic are kidding themselves. Both "Once Upon A Times" by Leone do require a second or third viewing to fully digest, while this film is more likely to appeal to viewers on the first viewing.