A tall, gaunt figure...wearing black...face hidden by a wide brimmed hat..places a cross bearing a name & date of death in the ground.......a creepy opening that is almost completely silent except for the howling wind.......so begins director Sergio Garrone's "The Stranger's Gundown", better known in Europe as "Django The Bastard" (Django Il Bastardo). Obtaining an "X" rating on its initial Italian release....it was released in the U.S. in 1974 as "The Stranger's Gundown" ....& has no connection to Corbucci's original "Django"....none..zip...zilch..nada...bupkis.
Here's a rather traditional revenge plot ....but.....revenge, whose origin lies in a dark secret............... & constructed w/ elements of a horror movie as well as a tale of vengeance.
Steffen portrays the title character... a character popularly considered to have inspired the one Clint Eastwood played in High Plains Drifter...not so much a remake..but the latter film clearly derived inspiration from it.
He is a man of few words - & when he does speak, manages to say very little. He walks slowly - . His expression doesn't change much, if at all. Steffen co-authored the screenplay with director Sergio Garrone....who directed 6 other Italian Westerns...then 'graduated' to a bunch of 'captive women in prison' movies. ....the visual style is unique & effective with its appearance and disappearing appearances of 'Django'..................in one very interesting scene 'Django' becomes a shadow, or melts into a shadow..becoming part of it.........it's quite well done. ......The innovative camera angles, which vary from overhead shots to close-ups to fade-in's to hand-held shots contribute to the creepy atmosphere.
The original version of this film has a precredits explanatory scene. The version released in the UK & the US places this scene, the entire reasoning behind "Django"'s motives in the film in a flashback later in the film.........., roughly half way through the film, rather than before the credits, which is how it is presented in the Italian version. I prefer the US edit.... the prehistory of 'Djangos' revenge campaign, spells it all out for you..& .detracts from the air of mystery & "who is this guy?" that supports & sustains the movie's mood. In a rare case...a US/UK edit of an original Italian Western actually improves the film.
I'm not suggesting that Strangers Gundown will find a place among the top non Leone SW...or jump to the top of anybody's list...but this little low budget affair is a pretty good one to take in...interesting, entertaining...& a little different.
Recommended.
Here's a rather traditional revenge plot ....but.....revenge, whose origin lies in a dark secret............... & constructed w/ elements of a horror movie as well as a tale of vengeance.
Steffen portrays the title character... a character popularly considered to have inspired the one Clint Eastwood played in High Plains Drifter...not so much a remake..but the latter film clearly derived inspiration from it.
He is a man of few words - & when he does speak, manages to say very little. He walks slowly - . His expression doesn't change much, if at all. Steffen co-authored the screenplay with director Sergio Garrone....who directed 6 other Italian Westerns...then 'graduated' to a bunch of 'captive women in prison' movies. ....the visual style is unique & effective with its appearance and disappearing appearances of 'Django'..................in one very interesting scene 'Django' becomes a shadow, or melts into a shadow..becoming part of it.........it's quite well done. ......The innovative camera angles, which vary from overhead shots to close-ups to fade-in's to hand-held shots contribute to the creepy atmosphere.
The original version of this film has a precredits explanatory scene. The version released in the UK & the US places this scene, the entire reasoning behind "Django"'s motives in the film in a flashback later in the film.........., roughly half way through the film, rather than before the credits, which is how it is presented in the Italian version. I prefer the US edit.... the prehistory of 'Djangos' revenge campaign, spells it all out for you..& .detracts from the air of mystery & "who is this guy?" that supports & sustains the movie's mood. In a rare case...a US/UK edit of an original Italian Western actually improves the film.
I'm not suggesting that Strangers Gundown will find a place among the top non Leone SW...or jump to the top of anybody's list...but this little low budget affair is a pretty good one to take in...interesting, entertaining...& a little different.
Recommended.