Corbucci's finest Western? - Vamos a matar, compañeros Discussion

[–] IndianaSmith 20 years ago

I think the Great Silence is a better movie. It has every element necessary and, except for the ending, is the best non Leone Spaghetti Western. I like the ending a lot because it is unconventional and shocking but to many American audiences it would just be frustrating.

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[–] Indio500 20 years ago

Yeah The Great Silence is very good and is also one of my fav westerns - the snow setting is perfect for the chilling atmosphere of the film. Companeros is alot more light hearted. They are both excellent movies for different reasons.

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[–] zillion29 19 years ago

How you react to this film depends largely on what you expect or appreciate in your westerns. If you like the Django-esque anti-hero set in a desolate wasteland, this is definitely not going to do it for you. This almost painfully attempts to be a comedy. There are some scenes that seem to just cry out for canned laughter or slide whistles (like when Petersen and Vasco fall in the water, yuck yuck yuck).

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[–] !!!deleted!!! (5034693) 19 years ago

*spoilers*

My problem with this film was that there were several elements that were too Leone-esque. For example, there was the exploding bridge and the hanging scene. This film did have some decent laughs in it though. But I agree with IndianaSmith, the Great Silence is a much better picture.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] ld3001 19 years ago

I have seen all of Sergio Corbucci's westerns. Companeros is the best with Django and The Mercenary (uncut version)coming in close behind. I like all Corbucci's other westerns as well. Some others to look out for (besides the Great Silence): Minnesota Clay, Massacre at Grand Canyon, Ringo and His Golden Pistol, The Specialists, Sonny & Jed, and Hellbenders.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] guerrilla-6 19 years ago

I realu love Companeros and think that is one of the Tomas Milian finest film.
Machine guns,Revlution,dynamite and humore..and of corse Morricone music theme..

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[–] Samoan Bob 18 years ago

And so are Django, and The Great Silence.

Companeros is just a bit too similar to The Mercenary, although not as slick and well-timed. Companeros is sloppy, even for a Corbucci picture!

I like pie.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] john_spano 18 years ago

Hey folks! I am just starting to get into Spag Westerns, outside of the Leone Films. Whould this one be in the top 10 for non Leone westerns ? What others you think would make the top 10?

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[–] sebastienecosse 18 years ago

definitely face to face, the big gundown, the great silence, django, day of anger, the return of ringo, django kill... if u live shoot!, run man run, my name is nobody, death rides a horse etc... that's what comes in mind right now but keep getting interested in spaghetti westerns, this is such an underestimated genre and one of the most brillant and full of ideas type of films... u just have to watch robert rodriguez's or tarantino movies to see that they all know them by heart ;)

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[–] den_dennis 18 years ago

The Mercenary and Companeros are two films you have to see if you've just gotten in to this genre. I totally agree with sebastienecosse, Django, Face to Face, run man run, death rides a horse, and the Big Gundown are great films.
Also check out these titles: Keoma, A Bullet for the General, Texas, Adios and Navajo Joe (with Burt Reynolds!).

You'll find that Franco Nero, Tomas Milian and Lee van Cleef starrs in many of these films, and they are all great actors, and these are all very entertaining films!

Maybe it's just beacuse of my obsession with Spaghetti Westerns, but doesn't it seem to you others that the interest in this genre is definately "coming back"?
I mean, there are many interesting discussions here on imdb, Spaghetti Westerns keeps on getting released or re-released (some very good DVD releases by Anchor Bay and Blue Underground), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly had a very succesful re-release, and Tarantino fans keeps digging deeper and deeper to get a hold of some of the movies that have inspired him (especially in the making of Kill Bill vol. 2).

Anyway, I believe that this is a step in the right direction for movie fans all over the world, and I'm hoping for more good DVD releases of great, funny, cool, exciting, and even thought-provocing Spaghetti Westerns.

By the way, the only place where I could get a hold of "The Mercenary" was through Ebay, but it was a very good print.

Dream, Paco, but with your eyes open!

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[–] washboard 18 years ago

I agree with almost all of your recommendations except I think Companeros is better than the merce!nary!

I re-discoverd spaghetti westerns last year after buying a plasma tv. The Leone films looked awesome, (especially the opening of the good, the bad and once upon a time in th west. Even though these films are so old these films look and sound the best on a large plasma. It is probably due to the bright landscapes, lack of dialogue, the music and the use of odd looking faces in close up.

I then started hunting down the various rarer films on the intenet, especially on ebay. I was staggered at how many good spaghetti westerns there are. The fact that they are not well known is a testament to the narrow mindiness of the distribtuion companies rather than to any quality issue. There may also be as element of the resistance to Europeans portraying a west at odds with the John Wayne version.

Although I like the traditional westerns, the spaghetti westerns tend to deal with more basic emotions rather than sanitize the old wild west.

I would definitely see Django kill, if you live.., after you have seen some of the more traditional spaghettis westerns. That is a film to saviour once you are familiar with the genre.

The Japanese DVDs are definitely worth getting. The print quality is usually
excellent and they are generally uncut.

Finally, you must see My Name is Nobody. A really enjoyable homage to the West. This also leads to me recommending you see the Trinity comedy spaghetti westerns. Terence Hill is excellent and thwe films are often very funny.

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[–] john_spano 18 years ago

Thanks for your help guys! I found a couple of guys on Ebay, sellin all the japanse prints! They seem to be best! Companeros was excellent and Navjo Joe was good too!

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[–] Tegh48 18 years ago

What's a good version of The Mercenary to look for and where is the best place to buy it?

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[–] makoto64 18 years ago

What are the seller names of "a couple of guys" on Ebay where you got the Japanese prints? I'd love to get that version instead of the U.S. release!

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[–] darkhelmet-2 18 years ago

Check out http://www.xploitedcinema.com. They have a good selection of spaghetti westerns. But, yes, I am glad that I am not alone in thinking that this genre is coming back into vogue (even if just slightly). All the special editions of the Leone westerns might be getting more people interested to what else the Italians offered in terms of westerns. Anyone have any info on an NTSC region 1 or 0 dvd of Death Rides a Horse? All the other R1 are crappy quality.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] spacemonkey9 17 years ago

Personally, I think I Am Sartana, Your Angel of Death was only decent, and i also think Django Kill is one of the weakest italian westerns. The rest are all excellent, though. However, my top ten non-Leone spaghettis would go...

The Great Silence
Face to Face
Death Sentence
Django
The Big Gundown
Cemetery Without Crosses
Day of Anger
My Name is Nobody
A Pistol for Ringo
The Hellbenders

And the next ten...

Death Rides a Horse
Navajo Joe
The Mercenary
If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death
Sabata
Compañeros
They Call me Hallelujah
Blindman
Keoma
A Bullet for the General

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] metal_inquisitor666 16 years ago

according to thomas milian companeros was kind of a remake of the mercenary.
companeros (just watched it for the first time) was a fun western but nowhere near my alltime faves. i guess i was expecting something else, but this does not mean it was a bad western.

i feel like something was lacking to make companeros one of "those" westerns. it had an interesting story, cool punch lines, great explosions and stunts BUT:

- the professor was annoying with his "no violence" lifestyle/policy.
- the ending was a letdown cos there was no real (epic) shoot out. and also too fast (the wagon exploding), should have build it up a bit more.

other than that, great movie to watch with an awesome soundtrack

ps: i have not yet seen the mercenary but i have seen django, the great silence and possibly another corbucci western (i basically buy any spaghetti western i find). right now i would pick the great silence as my fave corbucci western.

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[–] jdbmjf 15 years ago

I've seen all of Corbucci's westerns and think they are better than Leone's, Leone was a great director, but Corbuci was the true western director.
Django is very good.

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[–] Pharaoh-in-de-Nile 13 years ago

"I've seen all of Corbucci's westerns and think they are better than Leone's, Leone was a great director, but Corbuci was the true western director.
Django is very good."

I'm glad you've said that. Though I like Leone I hate that everyone says things like "This is one of the best non-Leone westerns". Way to crap on the genre and insult the work of other directors, especially Corbucci and Sollima (the so-called "other Sergios" whose skills and artistry are equal and who made films of a very high quality on even lower budgets than Leone). I think it is far more debeatable to who is the best best SW director than many make out. I know we are supposed to think of it as Leone's genre (it isn't only his however) and yes he is a great director but so are others. Leone for instance thought highly of many of the other directors (and was friends with many) such as Sollima (and he thought that 'The Big Gundown' was better than his own films).

I like some films more than Leone's ones and some less... there are many great films and directors to chose from.

My top five list of films would include 'Keoma' (which is my favourite western full stop), 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' (the film that got me hooked), 'The Great Silence' (of which a good case could be made that it is the best... a fantastuc film), 'A Bullet For A General' (still the most rebellious film and the film that started the Zapata wavepf SWs), and 'The Big Gundown'. Note I only have one Leone film there but I think those non-Leone films are better than his others (though 'Once Upon A Time In The West' would be a good contender for being the "technical" best) which are still fantastic films.

I would hardly say that 'A Fistful of Dollars' as good and important as it is is better than a great many SWs to be honest. 'For A Few Dollars More' is one of the best definately and was the real film that popularised them not the first one as people think (it was more succesful as a double feature with FAFDM) though it was important in Europe (being the most along with 'Django' which became the most important on the genre itself... you can devide them as pre- and post-Django in many ways).

"Nothings gonna change my world!"

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[–] x_chem 12 years ago

" Leone for instance thought highly of many of the other directors (and was friends with many) such as Sollima (and he thought that 'The Big Gundown' was better than his own films)."

Really? When did he say that? I saw The Big Gundown recently after finally being able to see it in English and absolutely loved it, I also thought that it was better than just about every other spaghetti western bar 2/3 including most of Leone's despite him being possibly my favourite director, and in a way, I'm glad he felt the same if what you say is true.

To be fair though, Leone was the best SW director, he was a true perfectionist like Kubrick for example and it shows. Corbucci was very hit-or-miss, and as for Sollima, while I loved BG, Face to Face and Run Man Run, while also really good films, were flawed and under-par compared to his first western which is on par with Leone to me.

"You brought two too many"-Harmonica

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[–] Gloede_The_Saint 15 years ago

This is one of the weaker Westerns I have seen from Corbucci but I would place it among my top 10 favorite action films. The best Corbucci westerns that I have seen this far are The Great Silence, Django and Hellbenders.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

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[–] timmy_501 14 years ago

It's the best one I've seen, better than Django or The Great Silence. The Mercenary is nowhere near as good as those three.

Dear Mom, I put a couple of people in Hell today...

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[–] 14 years ago

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