DAY OF ANGER is a solid addition to the spaghetti western genre, shot in attractive Almeria (as with so many films of this genre) and with fine performances from two leads who made the genre their own. The director behind this one, Tonino Valerii, also handled the popular likes of MY NAME IS NOBODY and A REASON TO LIVE, A REASON TO DIE.
The plot is different to most standard spaghetti western stories. Giuliano Gemma stars as a down-on-his-luck young cleaner who falls in with an infamous gunslinger, played with relish by Lee Van Cleef. Together, the two men quickly clean up the town, but the stage is set for conflict when the pupil outgrows his former master.
DAY OF ANGER has plenty of well-shot action to recommend it, and the cinematography is colourful and lush. The milieu is rather small scale, but the assured performances from the two likable leads make this a film that's hard to dislike overall. In some places it becomes pretty iconic, and it's certainly above average for the genre.
The plot is different to most standard spaghetti western stories. Giuliano Gemma stars as a down-on-his-luck young cleaner who falls in with an infamous gunslinger, played with relish by Lee Van Cleef. Together, the two men quickly clean up the town, but the stage is set for conflict when the pupil outgrows his former master.
DAY OF ANGER has plenty of well-shot action to recommend it, and the cinematography is colourful and lush. The milieu is rather small scale, but the assured performances from the two likable leads make this a film that's hard to dislike overall. In some places it becomes pretty iconic, and it's certainly above average for the genre.