I'm used to seeing cheap Italian films ripping off popular American movies, but this may be the first time that I've seen it the other way around. In 1973, Clint Eastwood made a film called 'High Plains Drifter', and it's practically the same as this entry in the Django series! Well, I say this entry in the Django 'series' - even though the central character is actually called Django this time; the film still doesn't follow on from Sergio Corbucci's original, and is more of a cash-in on the name. Even so, it's still a worthy Spaghetti western and one that is more than likely to delight said style of film-making's fans. Like Eastwood's later film, Django the Bastard has a streak of horror running through it, which stretches from small things such as the crosses Django leaves to his victims, all the way down to the major plot points. The film follows a mysterious stranger who turns up in a small town. A man who is surprised to see him is promptly shot and killed, and soon we learn that this stranger may not be among the living...
Anthony Steffen takes the lead role as Django and delivers a performance that I don't like very much. The character is obviously meant to be enigmatic and brooding, but Sheffen is really flat and it's hard to believe that this is a man who would even bother to take revenge. After having seen the likes of Franco Nero and Thomas Milian in the lead role, Steffen's performance becomes even less enjoyable. However, the story he finds himself embroiled in more than makes up for the actor's lack of emotion. The small town setting makes for a great claustrophobic atmosphere as Django seeks out and shoots his enemies. The gun battles are impressive, and make for great entertainment. The dialogues can be a little clumsy at times, but you can't go into a film like this expecting great writing. This film may have been a big influence on High Plains Drifter, but in fairness; Django the Bastard does take its own fair share from Eastwood's partnership with Sergio Leone. Several shots of Django are extremely derivative of Eastwood's Man with No Name and it was Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood that were responsible for immortalising the lone drifter character in the first place. Still, this western is well worth seeing for fans of Italian cinema.
Anthony Steffen takes the lead role as Django and delivers a performance that I don't like very much. The character is obviously meant to be enigmatic and brooding, but Sheffen is really flat and it's hard to believe that this is a man who would even bother to take revenge. After having seen the likes of Franco Nero and Thomas Milian in the lead role, Steffen's performance becomes even less enjoyable. However, the story he finds himself embroiled in more than makes up for the actor's lack of emotion. The small town setting makes for a great claustrophobic atmosphere as Django seeks out and shoots his enemies. The gun battles are impressive, and make for great entertainment. The dialogues can be a little clumsy at times, but you can't go into a film like this expecting great writing. This film may have been a big influence on High Plains Drifter, but in fairness; Django the Bastard does take its own fair share from Eastwood's partnership with Sergio Leone. Several shots of Django are extremely derivative of Eastwood's Man with No Name and it was Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood that were responsible for immortalising the lone drifter character in the first place. Still, this western is well worth seeing for fans of Italian cinema.