Pulpmovies Reviews

Set in the closing stages of the American Civil War, The Good The Bad and The Ugly is one of the strongest anti-war films made. Through it’s sparse style and superbly realised atmosphere, the film manages to effectively portray this war as being nothing more than a series of brutal and futile skirmishes which cripple the idealists and make the unscrupulous rich. There are no real heroes in this film; for the most part, the characters are unprincipled and motivated entirely by greed - Blondie (Clint Eastwood in his career defining role as the man with no name) is only good in comparison to the calculated viciousness of Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) and the mindless thuggery of Tuco (Eli Wallach).

This mercenary attitude goes much further than the three main characters. It pervades the whole film in which, for the most part, people see the war as either a hindrance to their own activities or an opportunity to cash in - the bar owner, for example who’s support for the new occupying force is motivated solely by the advancing forces have cash to spend and the retreating forces are now penniless. The few people who do think beyond their own immediate advantage are ineffectual and frustrated - these are not people who make a difference, they are people who write reports that won’t be read until it’s too late or who resort to alcoholism.

Visually, the film is stunning. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a film that really does need to be seen in it’s full cinematic glory and if you get the opportunity to see it on the big screen, go for it. And on video or DVD, hunt down the widescreen format because you really will be missing out if you watch this film on pan-and-scan. And this visual style is deftly underpinned by Morricone’s beautifully haunting score - one of the few instantly recognisable film soundtracks.

The dialogue, too, is spartan - especially at the start of the film. There are no huge globs of exposition here, Leone preferring to rely (successfully) on a single stare combined with stop-on cinematography to speak volumes. And again, this approach maintains the tense and brooding atmosphere. Even the humour - and there is a lot of humour seamlessly meshed into The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - is carefully crafted to both provide some relief while still working to enhance the atmosphere.

In short, not only is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly probably the best film of it’s genre, it is also one few truly classic films. With this film, Sergio Leone has provided a textbook exampleof how to make a movie that is both intelligent and entertaining and one that makes the audience think without descending into preachiness. No-one can fail to appreciate this truly legendary film.

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