Content: Juan Miranda (Rod Steiger) and his motley family crew live in Mexico during the Huerta reign brilliant on robberies. This daily grind changes as the jolly mob meets the motorized gringo John Mallory (James Coburn), in his capacity as an ex-IRA-fighter and a proven explosives expert. Mallory is on his way to a local tycoon, whom he should help to exploit a silvermine with his assortment of fireworks, whereas the Mirandas want to gain him for the assault on a bank in rich Mesa Verde. As Mallory denies the offer, the Mirandas convince him by killing his new employer, bestowing him a nice picture on a warrant.
But the shock is big for Miranda and his family, as they reach Mesa Verde: Because of the rising revolution the usually calm city has turned into a lively military base. At the initiative of Mallory they join the local revolutionary cell, led by Dr. Villega (Romolo Valli). But Miranda, who wants to raid the bank during the attack of the revolutionists, has to suffer another frustration: In the meanwhile he bank has moved and changed into a prison. Instead of the expected bonanza the bandidos only find 350 political prisoners. After the capitulation of Mesa Verde Miranda is a celebrated hero of the revolution, but on the inside he’s still the old gallows bird. But as the Mexican army under General Reza (Antoine Saint-John) strikes back with relentless severity, even the Irish-Mexican double, which is never lost for a back door, could have knocked down with a feather.
| The Gunslinger says: After „Once upon the Time in the West“ Leone continued his project to create a trilogy of the rising of America with this flick. He continued it 1984 with “Once upon a Time in America”. In this film America, the U.S., only exists as a picture, made by Miranda and Mallory: a diffuse paradise, the land of milk and honey with masses of dollars, you just have to collect from the streets. For many people “Duck you, Sucker”, which takes place in Mexico, is one of the less inspired western of the big Sergio, but I don’t see it that way.
The quite slow film executes a fine graded change of mood in its first half, which proves the mastership of Leone. It starts as a crude, slapstickesque satire. Right on the beginning the ragged, barefooted Miranda enters a noble stagecoach, only because the coachman wants to anger his rich passengers. Those star immediately to badmouth the poor Mexicanos and to abase Miranda, whereas the camera stays in close-ups on the blaspheming and gorging mouths. This is somehow like Buñuel. The first meeting of Miranda and Mallory to me is reminiscent of example classic Laurel-/Hardy-comedies: The Mirandas demolish Mallory’s bike, whereas he destroys the captured stagecoach step by step with his explosives. But slightly the humour vanishes and a new, rough mood dominates the film, which culminates in a really brutal mass execution of civilians by the Mexican army. This scenes remember well-known pictures of the Holocaust.
Against its antecessor this film has a clear political component, in which Leone sympathizes with the disenfranchised. At the same time he challenges the sense of revolution: Even if they succeed, they are flogged to death until the changes are only marginal and the amendments for the poor no longer perceptible.
The budget obviously was high, which is visible in the great gunplay, the legions of extras, the nice décors and not at least in the engagement of Academy Award winner Rod Steiger and James Coburn. Furthermore we enjoy the classic camera work by Giuseppe Ruzzolini and Franco Delli Colli, who photographed in the second unit, led by Alberto di Martino. Sounds and SFx are by Antonio Magheriti, to end name droppng here and now.
The Morricone score is relaxed and worth listen to. Whistling, a choir, intoning soundwords, violins, flutes and banjo plus the great voice of Edda Sabatini aka “Edda dell’Ossorio”, who ennobled some scores by Ennio Morricone.
| Rating: $$$$$
| Bodycount: > 200 (only estimated)
| Explicit Brutalities: Numerous executions of revolutioners, oppositionals and civilians by the army. Despite this soldiers kill nearly 100 women, children and old people, who hided in a grotto.
| Luv': Well, it’s revolution, and everybody joins the party: 0/10
| Gore: 1/10
| Specials: - In 1913 we have motorbikes, “right” MGs and tanks … even in Mexico
- Mallory carries a complete arsenal of explosives: to start from dynamite with short or long burning fuse up to nitroglycerin. Everything for the domestic use.
| Trailer: by MrSpaghettiwestern
|
| OT:
Giù la Testa
AT:
Il était une Fois … la Révolution (F)
A Fistful of Dynamite
Year: I/F 1971
D, S: Sergio Leone
S: Sergio Donati, Luciano Vincenzoni
C: Giuseppe Ruzzolini
M: Ennio Morricone
with: Rod Steiger, James Coburn, Romolo Valli, Antoine Saint-John
 | Rod Steiger: Long or short burning fuse?
|  | The short burners offer refreshing holes in the sombrero
|  | Train-kept-a-rolling ...
|  | ... reaching his aim
|  | That's what friends are for: James Coburn, Rod Steiger
|  | A real family guy
|  | From James Coburn with love
|  | Antoine Saint-John is our tank girl
|  | David Warbeck shows up
|
|
Share this
