Content: blindAfter the peon and notorious tramp Cuchillo (Tomas Milian) has been chased through the Sierra Madre, despite he was innocent, he returns home to his bride Dolores (Chelo Alonso). But shortly after his arrival he is arrested again because of his bad reputation. In jail he meets Ramirez (José Torres), author and head of La Revolución. Although he will be released the next day, he bets Cuchillo to help him to escape right now, because there are lots of bandidos and killers on behalf of the government waiting for the rebel to kill him against a nice fee.
Well, it’s not as that much difficult for Cuchillo to break free and deliver Ramirez safely to his hideout, where his comrades are waiting for him. But there’s new trouble rising: Riza (Nello Pazzafini), a bandido, who once has killed for the revolution, shows up to get his part of a certain amount of gold, Ramirez has “collected” for his revolutionary plans. Because he doesn’t like to share, Ramirez and some other peones are killed in the following “argument”. With his last breath he tells Cuchillo the whereabouts of the gold, appealing to the honour of the rogue. And now Cuchillo starts running again, chased by professional gunmen, Mexican bandidos, bigoted Salvationists and sinister ex-Sheriff Cassidy (Donal O’Brian).
| The Coffinnail says: blindThe third Western stroke by Sergio Sollima after „The big Gundown“ and „Face to Face“.
Pushed by his ambitions to complete his trilogy, Sollima staged this flick with less money and time as he had for “Face …” But his tense love to the genre, his bunch of great actors and a tight story are the constants of this trilogy.
Even if you realize, that Sollima worked with smaller resources: He didn’t save on the main ingredients. The details are coherent and carefully, the motivation of the characters is comprehensible, the atmosphere is great. Like in its predecessors we get much message inhere too, despite Sollima denied having made “political” Westerns: Cuchillo only steals that, what he needs for living; Dolores rats Cuchillo for 1000 $, because she fears, that the gold will destroy their common life; everyone, who tries to enrich himself with the treasure ends up with empty handy hands or dead.
Tomas Milian acts with incredible enthusiasm and embodies the naïve, loveable and even tricky Cuchillo with great verve. Beside him all other actors pale to sidekicks, but warhorses like Luciano Rossi, Freddy Boido, Nello Pazzafini, Dante Maggio, John Ireland (who even sparkles as a general of the revolution) and many others top the whole thing off.
It’s a pity, that Sollima hadn’t got the money and the time, which would have been appropriate to the final of the trilogy. But for all that this last part doesn’t pale against its predecessors. Great pleasure without regrets! He runs and runs and runs … ;-)
| Rating: blind Bodycount:$$$$+
blind
| Explicit Brutalities: blindCuchillo has to undergo several partial fanciful tortures:
- Bound with his hands on a gibbet, he is tickled by Cassidy with a knife
- Bound the same way, Mexican soldiers put him a stick of dynamite in his mouth … with burning fuse
- The two agents fix Cuchillo at a windmill vane and off we go
| Luv': blindDespite all of his wedding vows Cuchillo’s love for Dolores grows stronger and stronger the farther he’s away from her. 2/10
Marginal note: Chelo Alonso and Tomas Milian both are born Cubans, what according to Sollima was fitting like a glove concerning her characters. Rrrrright!
| Gore: blind3/10
| Specials: blindCuchillo still didn’t learn shooting: He uses knifes – the weapon of the poor - skilfully and has one hidden all over his body ;-)
| Trailer: by ItaloWestern
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| OT:
blindCorri Uomo Corri
AT:
blindThe Big Gundown II
Year: I 1968
D: Sergio Sollima
S: S.S., Pompeo De Angelis
C: Guglielmo Mancori
M: Bruno Nicolai, Ennio Morricone
with: Tomas Milian, Donal O´Brian, Federico Boido, John Ireland, Linda Veras, Luciano Rossi, Nello Pazzafini, Chelo Alonso, José Torres
 | blindAs born Cuban Tomas Milian naturally is expert concerning cigars
|  | In the (Salvation-) Army now. (T.M., Linda Veras)
|  | blindIf you mett Donal O'Brian it usually ends deadly
|  | blindNello Pazzafini appreciates more than a good swig
|  | blindMarco Guglielmi and Luciano Rossi try to be natives
|  | Chelo Alonso ogles Tomas Milian
|  | | Last exit Brooklyn |
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