A Fistful of Dollars [Blu-ray] (2011) – Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone

2 Comments

1. L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views"

   May 5, 2011 at 11:49 pm

   21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

   
   “New Breed of Western……New Breed of Hero”, September 23, 2002

   By 

   L. Shirley “Laurie’s Boomer Views” (fountain valley, ca United States) –
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: A Fistful of Dollars (DVD)

   In the small dusty border town of San Miguel, two gangs of “criminals and smugglers” are both trying to take over the town and be the “bosses”. Out of nowhere enters our hero, the very dangerous(but very cute) gunman with no name(Clint Eastwood). In this first of the trilogy directed by Sergio Leone
   Clint decides to play the rival gangs against each other, first working for one then the other. Why? Because there’s money to made here. In the process, there are deadly shootouts, Clint saves a family,gets his face bashed in (I hated that part) and well I wont give away the end.
   This film was followed by “A Few Dollars More” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. All three a must see’s for the Eastwood fan. This one was based on the Japaneese film “Yojimbo” and was also the basis for the more recent “Last Man Standing” starring Bruce Willis.
   Billed as “A New Breed of Western” (more commonly called spaghetti westerns, although it was shot in Spain), it is a cinematic treat you wont want to miss. The actors performances are terrific and the scenery stunning.
   The DVD(by MGM) is a must have. The picture is crisp, the colors are sharp and the widescreen excellent. The sound is Mono,(only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) but it still sounds good, the horses and guns are crisp and the dialouge is fine.(The film is nearly 40 years old )
   Not a whole lot of extras, but for me This movie was the extra!
   What the DVD has is the Original Theatrical Trailer, Scene Selection, and a very informative booklet that talks about the making of the film. It also has subtitles, English and French which could be helpful for hearing impaired viewers, and a standard film format on the other side for those who might prefer it to the widescreen.
   If you have never seen it and you like westerns, you’ll love it. If you have already seen it and know you love it, you will enjoy the DVD.
   thanx-Laurie

   more clint stuff:
   Paint Your Wagon

   Music for the Movies of Clint Eastwood

   Eastwood on Eastwood [VHS]

   Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

   Was this review helpful to you? 
   

   
   |

    Comment

   Reply
2. Jaewoo Kim "OB-Wan"

   May 5, 2011 at 10:55 pm

   17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Best of the “man with no name” trilogy, September 13, 2005

   By 

   Jaewoo Kim “OB-Wan” (Santa Monica, CA) –
     

     

     

   This review is from: A Fistful of Dollars (DVD)

   I think people are missing the point of this film when they focus on the action sequence. The underlying theme of the entire movie is one of self sacrifice for what is right and just. It is wrong to conclude that main the character (clint eastwood) pits the two gangs against each other for the money. If that is the case, then why does he give it ALL away to Marisol, to whom he owes NO obligation or favors, at the risk of his own life? Fortunately for the viewers, Marisol does ask why. His answer is “..because…I used to know someone like you..and there was no one to help..” (probably referring to his own mother whom he was powerless to rescue from the raping bandits). That one line says EVERYTHING about his past, his motivation, and the theme of the movie. The director goes to great length to convince the viewer the “man with no name” has no morals. In fact, he seems downright evil and greedy, as he constantly says “I don’t work for cheap” and seems to be ready for hire for any sordid duties asked of him for the right price. Only in the very brief and defining moment of the movie (when he rescues Marisol, her son, and her husband) we see him as he truly is. Unlike most westerns, the man does not waste words preaching righteousness, he lets his actions speak for themselves. It is the moral subtlety of this movie which makes it great.

   Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

   Was this review helpful to you? 
   

   
   |

    Comment (1)

   Reply