El chuncho, quien sabe? (1966)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Damiano Damiani

Writers:

Salvatore Laurani (story)
Franco Solinas (adaptation)

Release Date:

September 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Like the Bandit... Like the Gringo... A bullet doesn't care who it kills!

Plot:

El Chuncho's bandits rob arms from a train, intending to sell the weapons to Elias' revolutionaries...

Plot Keywords:

Mexican | Revolutionary | Spaghetti Western | Assassination | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Gian Maria Volontè	...	El Chucho
Klaus Kinski	...	El Santo
Martine Beswick	...	Adelita
Lou Castel	...	Bill 'Niño' Tate
Jaime Fernández	...	General Elías
Andrea Checchi	...	Don Feliciano
Spartaco Conversi	...	Cirillo
Joaquín Parra	...	Picaro
Aldo Sambrell	...	Teniente Alvaro Ferreira
José Manuel Martín	...	Raimundo
Santiago Santos	...	Guapo
Valentino Macchi	...	Pedrito

Also Known As:

A Bullet for the General (USA)
Quién sabe? (Italy) (short title)

Runtime:

135 min | UK:77 min | Spain:107 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 | Spain:18 | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | West Germany:18 (nf) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:M | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

M. C. M.

Quotes:

[last lines]
El Chuncho: [to a beggar he gave money to earlier] Don't buy bread with that money, hombre! Buy dynamite! Dynamite!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Red Dead Revolver (2004) (VG)

watch as political film

I agree with the other viewers how wonderful this film is. However they seem to miss the real point of the film. Made in 1967 during the Vietnam war, this film is really a comment on US policies in the world. It is a classic of the genre of euro intellectual leftist anti imperial US films of the time, beautifully done. Damiano in his films obviously likes and respects Americans, just not the imperial thing.

Regardless of your politics it is important to see this film for what it is really is. For an old lefty like me I kept thinking "where was this film in the early 70's when I was in college". I would have loved it then, as much as I loved seeing it now, almost 30 years after it birth.