IMDb > A Bullet for the General (1966)
El chuncho, quien sabe?
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

A Bullet for the General (1966) More at IMDbPro »El chuncho, quien sabe? (original title)

Photos (See all 7 | slideshow) Videos
A Bullet for the General -- A Spaghetti Western on a par with best of Sergio Leone's work, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (aka Quien Sabe?) is a radical and politically committed film directed by Damiano Damiani (A Genius, Two Partners And A Dupe; Amityville II: The Possession) from a brilliantly powerful screenplay by Oscar nominee Franco Solinas (co-writer of the award-winning The Battle Of Algiers). Less a western and more an allegory on South American politics, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL initiated a whole sub-genre of pro-revolutionary westerns, including Sergio Leone's own "A Fistful Of Dynamite". Scriptwriter Solinas, himself, describes the film as a more accessible version of his screenplay for "The Battle Of Algiers". Violent, stylish and with a refreshingly leftist point of view, the film wears its "Yankee go home!" message proudly on its sleeve. Now fully restored from the original Italian negative materials this forthcoming DVD release from Argent Films is the longest and most complete version of A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL available.

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   1,373 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 307% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Damiano Damiani
Writers:
Salvatore Laurani (story)
Franco Solinas (adaptation)
Contact:
View company contact information for A Bullet for the General on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
September 1968 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Western See more »
Tagline:
Like the Bandit... Like the Gringo... A bullet doesn't care who it kills! See more »
Plot:
El Chuncho's bandits rob arms from a train, intending to sell the weapons to Elias' revolutionaries... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Blu-ray Review: A Bullet For The General
 (From Twitch. 21 May 2012, 7:40 PM, PDT)
DVD Playhouse--May 2012
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 7 May 2012, 3:57 PM, PDT)
Beware The Killer Nun! On Blu-ray This April From Blue Underground
 (From Twitch. 11 January 2012, 9:37 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
Another Spaghetti Western that hits the mark See more (23 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

Gian Maria Volonté ... Chuncho Munos / 'El Chuncho'

Klaus Kinski ... El Santo
Martine Beswick ... Adelita

Lou Castel ... Bill 'Niño' Tate
Jaime Fernández ... Gen. Elías
Andrea Checchi ... Don Feliciano
Spartaco Conversi ... Cirillo
Joaquín Parra ... Picaro

Aldo Sambrell ... Lt. Alvaro Ferreira
José Manuel Martín ... Raimundo
Santiago Santos ... Guapo
Valentino Macchi ... Pedrito - Durango train engineer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Salvatore Borghese ... Bandit
Carla Gravina ... Rosario
Guy Heron ... Pedrito
Richard McNamara ... English narration
Vicente Roca ... Hotelier (uncredited)
Antoñito Ruiz ... Chico - Young Mexican at Train Station (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Damiano Damiani 
 
Writing credits
Salvatore Laurani (story and screenplay)

Franco Solinas (adaptation and dialogue)

Produced by
Bianco Manini .... producer
 
Original Music by
Luis Bacalov 
Ennio Morricone 
 
Cinematography by
Antonio Secchi (director of photography) (as Tony Secchi)
 
Film Editing by
Renato Cinquini 
 
Production Design by
Sergio Canevari 
 
Costume Design by
Marilù Carteny 
 
Production Management
Ferruccio De Martino .... production manager
Ofelia Minaldi .... assistant production manager
 
Music Department
Ennio Morricone .... music supervisor
Bruno Nicolai .... conductor
 
Other crew
William Berger .... English dubbing voice: Lou Castel
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
"El chuncho, quien sabe?" - Italy (original title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
135 min | UK:77 min | Spain:107 min | Argentina:120 min
Country:
Italy
Language:
Italian
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
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) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | USA:M | Germany:BPjM Restricted
Filming Locations:
Almería, Andalucía, SpainSee more »
Company:
M. C. M.See more »

Did You Know?

Quotes:
[last lines]
El Chuncho:[to a beggar he gave money to earlier] Don't buy bread with that money, hombre! Buy dynamite! Dynamite!
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Something to Do with Death (2003) (V)See more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful.
Another Spaghetti Western that hits the mark, 14 October 2000
Author: jbpott from Portland, OR. U.S.A.

I first read about this film in a great book about Spaghetti Westerns wherein every Italian western was presented in complete detail. It was a scholarly approach to the genre and has made me a fan for years. Known in the U.S. as A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, it has a darker mood than Sergio Leone's DOLLAR trilogy and his masterpiece, DUCK, YOU SUCKER! (a.k.a. FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE), more angst ridden than Sergio Corbucci's A PROFESSIONAL GUN (a.k.a. THE MERCENARY) and more bleak than Corbucci's masterpiece, DJANGO (which spawned countless sequels that had nothing to do with the original and the only one worth mentioning is: DJANGO KILL!) which is difficult since the western was awash in a sea of mud that was the stage where the characters ruthlessly slaughtered each other.

I love the Italian approach to westerns because they create an atmosphere where John Wayne is not welcome. If the Duke were to enter their world, he would be shot in the back by some crazed revolutionary/bandit who wouldn't wait for a showdown in the street. Plus the Duke probably wouldn't be fast enough on the draw. A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL has plenty of mood, crazed revolutionaries/bandits, double-crossings, contempt for "gringos" (which makes me wonder about how the Italians think of us--are these films suppose to be "political statements" too?), gun fights and endless desolate landscapes that would make Sam Peckinpah drool with delight. There is no happiness to be found in this film and every fan of Spaghetti westerns would revel in it's excess.

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL is great on this level and should have multiple viewings (check out Klaus Kinski as the bible thumping revolutionary who spouts credo with gunfire and Lou Castel as the cold-hearted gringo who doesn't drink, smoke, look at women but LOVES money). The only Spaghetti Western regulars missing from this one are: Franco Nero and Lee Van Cleef. Director Damiano Daminani has made a Spaghetti western cult classic in his own right. I want to see his other westerns. See it and you won't be sorry.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (23 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Bullet for the General (1966)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Wich version is better? Italian or English dubbed? evileyee
On tonight (UK viewers)... feiner159
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
A Professional Gun Duck, You Sucker The Professionals Tepepa Hunt the Man Down
IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Western section IMDb Italy section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.