The film I chose to review out of the top 100 was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Directed by Sergio Leone and Produced by Alberto Grimaldi and MGM in 1960. Luciano Vincenzoni, and Sergio Leone wrote the Screenplay. Main character Clint Eastwood (Blondie) highlights this film playing the “Good” along with Lee Van Cleef (Angel Eyes) playing the role of the “Bad” and finally to round out the main characters Eli Wallach (Tuco) playing the so called “Ugly” in which he seems to do very well in the opening scene where he jumps out of a window wearing very haggard clothes and holding a chicken leg with his pistol in the other.
Clint Eastwood plays the most admirable role in the film I would say helping most honest people but not to claim him entire innocence he does help the “Ugly” out of his fair share of due punishment. Clint Eastwood goes by the name Blondie in the film and seems to team up with Tuco who is the so called ugly when he saves him it would first appear but he actually is just bringing him into town to claim ransom money. The next scene shows Tuco hanging from a rope where he is read his crimes and how he is wanted in 14 different counties. Then a cloud of smoke appears and Blondie steps out in the background to shoot him loose from his rope and set him free, The next would show the two exchanging money as if they had some previous notion of this kind of deal. This goes on again but Blondie begins to realize the risk and how Tuco’s worth is depleting to him, they ride into the desert and Tuco is left to fend for himself 70 miles away from the nearest town, Tuco swears his revenge on the double cross.
A blatant theme that appears to me in this film is greed, no matter what good fortune is thrust upon any of the three characters it is truly unsatisfying until they achieve that final goal of finding Bill Carson which in turn would lead them to the lost Confederate cash box containing an estimated $200,000. The “Bad” goes by the name Angel eyes in the film and he is the one closest on the trail to the coins already having killed one of the men who knew of the moneys whereabouts. Tuco insistent on finding Blondie for his revenge on him for leaving him to die locates him but a stray fragment does Blondie some luck and frees him. Tuco follows a trail of cigar butts thru the desert until coming across Blondie once again.
The film has the same kind of western sounding music throughout the film, which comes around every time there seems to be a new break in the story or twist into the plot. The characters seem to have a sort of outlaw dialogue about themselves especially Tuco and Angel eyes, Blondie has sort of a refined way of speaking to people which leads you to take him as the “Good”. The overall plot can be believable in aspects that the Wild West was as ruthless as stereotypes have led you to believe in the past. The actors were very believable and truly seemed like the role they were playing considering the “Ugly” is a very scrappy looking person and the “Bad” had this sinister look to him. The lighting for the most part stands out as very high-key, a few scenes in which it is low are when Angel Eyes kills Baker in one of the opening scenes, another low key could be the church in which all the wounded from the war are gathered for help. The scene in which Tuco has made it back from the desert is hard to believe but his condition leads you to believe it in which he looks near death with the look of his skin and complexion to be horrid. Camera movements when following them thru the desert usually seemed like a handheld motion but higher angles were used at times to make Clint Eastwood’s weak condition very obvious. There is one particular scene in which Tuco and Blondie are taken into a Union prison camp because they are clothed in Confederacy uniforms when they pass by, this scene has a very slow melancholy tune playing when Angel Eyes and accomplice beat the information out of Tuco regarding the coins. For the most part lengthy seemed shots in exception to the scenes with quick gunfire and fighting such as when Tuco is hanging from nooses they make sudden cuts to and from him and Blondie. Overall an enjoyable film to watch with a cool calm early stage Clint Eastwood with rhythmic music truly inspired by the theme of the Wild West.
The film has the same kind of western sounding music throughout the film, which comes around every time there seems to be a new break in the story or twist into the plot. The characters seem to have a sort of outlaw dialogue about themselves especially Tuco and Angel eyes, Blondie has sort of a refined way of speaking to people which leads you to take him as the “Good”. The overall plot can be believable in aspects that the Wild West was as ruthless as stereotypes have led you to believe in the past. The actors were very believable and truly seemed like the role they were playing considering the “Ugly” is a very scrappy looking person and the “Bad” had this sinister look to him. The lighting for the most part stands out as very high-key, a few scenes in which it is low are when Angel Eyes kills Baker in one of the opening scenes, another low key could be the church in which all the wounded from the war are gathered for help. The scene in which Tuco has made it back from the desert is hard to believe but his condition leads you to believe it in which he looks near death with the look of his skin and complexion to be horrid. Camera movements when following them thru the desert usually seemed like a handheld motion but higher angles were used at times to make Clint Eastwood’s weak condition very obvious. There is one particular scene in which Tuco and Blondie are taken into a Union prison camp because they are clothed in Confederacy uniforms when they pass by, this scene has a very slow melancholy tune playing when Angel Eyes and accomplice beat the information out of Tuco regarding the coins. For the most part lengthy seemed shots in exception to the scenes with quick gunfire and fighting such as when Tuco is hanging from nooses they make sudden cuts to and from him and Blondie. Overall an enjoyable film to watch with a cool calm early stage Clint Eastwood with rhythmic music truly inspired by the theme of the Wild West.
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