The Strangers Gundown
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Movie Reviews of The Strangers Gundown
Movie Review: Excellent Spaghetti Western for 'Django' Fans
Summary: 4 Stars
'Strangers Gundown' of 1968 does not appear in director Sergio Garrone's film bio, however 'Tre croci per non morire' or 'No Graves on Boot Hill' does and may have been the original title. Garrone is better known for his Italian murder films in the Giallo tradition. It is easy to call 'Strangers Gundown' a successful film since it succeeds very well as one of the better films in this genre. Some of the technical ideas in the movie seem to have been borrowed by Leone himself for the making of 'Once Upon a Time in the West'. Anyway the plot is quite simple: a former confederate soldier named Django tracks down three CSA officers who conspired with Yankees to murder his company during a civil war battle, and he guns them down one-by-one [in gothic horror fashion btw] after tracking them to a desert town many years later. One traitor-officer happens to have a psychotic homicidal brother and this character is included to brilliant effect and the role is played very well. This film benefits from typical spaghetti gritty realism teamed with stylish gothic horror filmmaking which [amazingly] works well. Only complaint is with Garrone's direction of Anthony Steffen - Steffen plays the Stranger role in such a wooden manner it seems as though he could catch on fire at any moment. But Garrone accidentally saves the day with this idea of a stilted stranger when the character is compared to the earlier ebullient confederate soldier prior to the battle tragedy. Whether Garrone intended to or not he makes menaingful statements on how extreme violence can deeply effect personality. The movie is a little slow in places but spaghetti fans of european westerns will probably love this film in spite of it's faults -- for example why did it take Django 15 years to seek revenge and in the first Django film he was a Yankee, NOT a Confederate -- but traditional American western fans will probably hate it. PonitoraMovie Review: Paybacks Are Hell..
Summary: 4 Stars
Anthony Steffen in one of his best performances as the steely-eyed phantom who is seeking bloody revenge for the confederate officers responsible for the slaying of their own troops and the stranger happened to be one of the unfortunate soldiers caught in the middle of the bloody massacre.. Sergio Garrone directs this Italiano euro-western with expertise and "to a t", displaying a prime example of the spaghetti western. Ever present and vital in the film is an assortment of various conspicuous characters. The stranger slowly reveals all those who are guilty and involved in his murderous revenge. Steffen doesn't say alot and uses his "Eastwood" presence to draw the lines and fire his fast .44. The film was shot away from the sun,leaving the town in a dark,dingy atmosphere. THE STRANGERS GUNDOWN, an entertaining Anthony Steffen western. A VCI release,16x9 widescreen,with a mediocre transfer - periodoc lines up and down the picture in some parts of the film. This dvd is out of print.Movie Review: 3 1/2 Stars - Django il Bastardo
Summary: 3 Stars
Disclaimer: The version of the film that I saw is included in the Gunslinger Western Collection- as such, I cannot comment on the quality of the item listed on this product page. My review is concerned with the entertainment value of the film only.
In 'The Strangers (sic) Gundown', AKA 'Django the Bastard' or 'Django the Avenger', the iconic main character is bent on revenge (again) - this time he seeks retribution against the officers who betrayed his unit during the war, and who left him for dead. One by one he seeks them out, meeting them with a homemade cross that has their name printed on it and the date of their death - that day's date. To the unfaithful officers, he is like a ghost sent back from the grave, and no amount of hired guns between them can keep Django the accountant from collecting the toll for their crimes of the past.
First of all, despite any weaknesses I noticed or disconnect I felt for the film, I still recommend it for all Italian Western fans. I think most fans of the genre are going to like this film to varying degrees, and even though I may not be enthusiastic about it, its positives outweigh its negatives. Having said that, there are a few elements here that keep it from scoring higher, and most have to do with Anthony Steffen's performance.
'The Strangers Gundown' is from 1969 - Sergio Leone's and Clint Eastwood's genre-defining efforts were already three years past, plenty long enough to have an effect on films to come after. And that is my biggest complaint about this movie - it's that Anthony Steffen as Django tries to channel the 'Man with no name' character, and I don't think he's up to it. In fact, his character didn't resonate at all with me until he had to abandon his detached, ghostly presence and move around like a real person during a few moment in the film's final third. Although that section ended quickly, I felt for those few moments that here was a character I could get behind.
There were other aspects of the film that detracted somewhat, but in reality, they are the same issues most Italian Westerns suffer from (poor dubbing and overemotive acting), and which actually lend the genre some of its quirky charm. I also thought that this incarnation of Django had some interesting visual ideas, but overall I blame director Sergio Garrone for not having the panache to fully utilize them. The idea of Django tracking down his superiors one by one and waiting for them out in the street with a rough-hewn cross bearing their name was an excellent idea, but the film failed to fully exploit the moodiness and creepiness of Django's revenge. (Think of the final moments of 'High Plains Drifter' for a similar scenario and nearly perfect execution.)
It isn't that I disliked the film - it's that I felt it had too many missed opportunities and suffered from a touch to much admiration for Eastwood's nihilistic and stoic demeanor. Three and a half stars with a definite recommend for fans, but keep your expectations in check.
The Gunslinger Western Collection version, put out by Pop Flix, is presented in 2.35:1, and my player lists the audio as 2 channel Dolby Digital and the run time at 97 minutes and change. The film stock is filled with artifacts, reel changeover marks, and occasional vertical lines, but still completely watchable. Conversely, the Vci Video edition as offered on this page claims an enhanced transfer for 16x9 televisions and the inclusions of some trailers. After comparing prices, extras, and entertainment value, I would still recommend the Pop Flix edition (which comes out to just over a dollar a movie), although Italian Western completists may find the higher price for the individually packaged DVD justified.
Movie Review: Not even close to a Eastwood performance
Summary: 3 Stars
Thought the movie and the performance by Anthony Steffen could have been better. Probably could have enjoyed the film if the anoying back ground noice durning the last 30 minutes of the film wasn't their. Eastwood doesn't have to worry about Steffen making his day.Movie Review: Could have been better
Summary: 3 Stars
Not to bad, but it strayed away from the violence too much. Steffen is great and so is the supporting cast, but the action never lived up to my expectations. Would I recommend it? Yeah
R.I.P Anthony Steffen