Review of For A Few Dollars More

Introduction

A Fistful Of Dollars maybe wasn`t initially a critical success, especially in the States, but it reaped enough financially to warrant a sequel. Sergio Leone and the stars from the first movie reunited, and the budget this time was large enough to warrant another American star, Lee Van Cleef. Ennio Morricone once again provided a majestic score and all the ingredients were there For A Few Dollars More. This disc has the film "Completely restored with enhanced sound and picture quality" as well as being the "Uncut Full Length Feature Version"

In the Old West, life was cheap, but death certainly wasn`t. An individual skilled enough could earn a fortune killing the right sort of criminal, and so the bounty killer was born. But when two hunters go after the same prey, they inevitably end up killing each other. That`s the problem that faces the two characters in this film. Colonel Mortimer is an aged bounty killer, a master with long range weapons who is haunted by the horrific loss of his sister to the psychotic criminal El Indio. Manco is the young poncho clad gunfighter who saves his right hand for shooting and uses his left for everything else. It`s a pretty innocuous rivalry between these two bounty killers that becomes more serious when Indio escapes from prison. While the $10000 reward money attracts Manco, Mortimer sees the chance for revenge. These two are headed for a collision course if they can`t come to some agreement, and Indio`s gang will need the two of them to work together, especially when Indio has his heart set on robbing the bank of El Paso. These characters being the reprobates that they are, you can be guaranteed that there will be double crosses and backstabbing galore.

Video

I begin to doubt the claims made for restoration when I see the image quality on the disc. Like the first film, it is presented in a 2.35:1 letterbox ratio with the lower resolution that implies, though the image is as clear as possible given that. The colours are also strong and vibrant throughout, but the film is marred by significant print damage, from minor flecks of dirt to scratches and blooming, it certainly isn`t a great advertisement for restoration.

Still the film is certainly impressive with Sergio Leone`s direction as sure and flamboyant as always. The use of extreme close ups contrasting with the panoramic arid landscapes make the best possible use of the 2.35:1 aspect. The cast also comprise the mangiest curs ever gathered for one film.

Audio

The sound is present in DD 2.0 mono French and English. Once again the actual product belies the claim for a restored soundtrack. Some hiss is prevalent throughout though it is more apparent during the quieter moments. That said the dialogue, dubbed as it is, is clear throughout. Ennio Morricone delivers another epic score and this time it`s even integral to the plot. Those watch chimes that count down the tense seconds to a shootout are perhaps the most memorable moments in this film.

What with this being the letterbox version, the subtitles aren`t visible on a zoomed in picture.

Features

Animated menu, trailer with a stupid voiceover and that`s your lot.

Conclusion

The second in Sergio Leone`s spaghetti western trilogy is in my view the weakest of the three. Lacking the epic stature of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, and while not as tightly paced as A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More is still an admirable western a cut above the rest albeit hindered by a weak story expanded to fill a longer running time. Sergio Leone`s direction and the inimitable cast do much to keep this movie afloat and interesting. That coupled with the brilliant dialogue that is.

Clint Eastwood reprises his `man with no name` role with cigar chewing finesse, and this time he is joined by Lee Van Cleef as Colonel Mortimer. A bit of a straight arrow, he only shows a hint of that playful sadism that made the "Angel Eyes" character so memorable in the subsequent film. Gian Maria Volonté is once again the bad guy. This time his El Indio is firmly psychopathic and has no redeeming features whatsoever. Indeed that is one of the slight detractions to this film. The character is pretty much divorced from the proceedings in this story, and with that there is very little left for the audience to relate to. Another familiar face would be Klaus Kinski as Wild, the hunchback, who joins a whole slew of memorable characters who easily fill the screen.

For A Few Dollars More does overstay its welcome. It`s a succession of moments loosely linked by a storyline. The introductions of the characters are handled separately, and then there is Mortimer and Manco`s first confrontation, the bank robbery, and the finale. All these admittedly brilliant moments are somewhat swamped by a slow and ponderous pace. Also there is one flashback too many for my liking. The bank robbery and escape sees our anti heroes and the villain`s gang all regrouping in a small village, the perfect set up for a climactic showdown, but the film still has half an hour to fill at this point. Though to its credit it does that easily.

But when all is said and done, it is the memorable moments of a Spaghetti Western that make it memorable, and For A Few Dollars More has its fair share, the confrontation between the two anti heroes that sees their hats take the brunt of the punishment, the bleak opening sequence of the film, the stubborn old man living by the railroad, and Manco`s unique take on arithmetic to cite but a few. And while the film does begin to drag, the stunning conclusion, the showdown played to the chimes of a watch does much to redeem the film.

A note of caution though, while the claim to restoration isn`t up to much, the claim to being the uncut version is equally dubious. A quick glance at the Internet Movie Database (The movie reviewers` bible) shows that all the UK versions are missing some 30 seconds of footage after Mortimer and Manco are both beaten by Indio`s gang.

For A Few Dollars More is a worthy entry into the Spaghetti Western genre albeit presented on a woefully under-spec disc. Still the best was yet to come.