Faccia a faccia (1967)

Director:

Sergio Sollima

Writers:

Sergio Donati (screenplay)
Sergio Sollima (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 November 1967 (Italy)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Plot:

History Professor Brad Fletcher heads west for his health, but falls in with Soloman Bennett's outlaw gang...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Outlaw Gang | Rape | Class Differences | Disease

Cast

Tomas Milian	...	Solomon 'Beauregard' Bennet
Gian Maria Volonté	...	Professor Brett Fletcher
William Berger	...	Charley Siringo
Jolanda Modio	...	Maria
Gianni Rizzo	...	Williams
Carole André	...	Cattle Annie
Ángel del Pozo	...	Maximilian de Winton
Aldo Sambrell	...	Zachary Chase (as Aldo Sanbrell)
Nello Pazzafini	...	Vance
José Torres	...	Aaron Chase
Federico Boido	...	The sheriff of Purgatory City (as Rick Boyd)
Guy Heron
Linda Veras	...	Fair woman with Fletcher
Antonio Casas	...	Wild bunch member
Frank Braña	...	Jason

Also Known As:

Cara a cara (Spain)
Face to Face

Runtime:

108 min | Spain:100 min

Country:

Spain | Italy

Language:

Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:13 | West Germany:18 (f) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas

Trivia:

German Import DVD has a Super-8mm Version (German language only), as a special feature on the disc.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Colt Single Action Army Revolvers (Peacemakers), and self-contained cartridges are used. Both did not make an appearance until after the Civil War, where the film takes place.

Quotes:

Professor Brett Fletcher: In pain, eh. You must know that torture is important, Wallace, because it lifts the morale of the torturer. Were you not that at the university? You were trapped by your higher education. It leaves its own smell on you, I know it too well.
Wallace: I know you do and I can't imagine how a man of your background could.
Professor Brett Fletcher: On the contrary, what is surprising is that a man like me could remain all those years watching life as a spectator before he discovered the force that was in him, but... Do you have any idea what can be accomplished here if you're a man of intelligence. Where men who are morons have succeeded in usurping the power.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Spaghetti West (2005) (V)

Dobblegangers, fate, the seductive nature of power & violence.

This is a great western, one of the finest of the spaghetti-genre which has some political overtones. Everyone knows about the Eastwood/Leone movies but this is just the tip of the iceberg, there were hundreds of spaghetti westerns made & this is one of the best. Through a combination of illness & circumstance a mild mannered teacher is introduced to the world of bandit Solomon Beauregard Bennet. Gradually the two men begin to influence each other - for better & for worse - with the teacher becoming more vicious an outlaw than Solomon ever was. Solomon on the other hand begins to see another way of life & the folly of his criminal past.The transformation between the two characters is really interesting & believable, this coupled with some great western scenes, a score by Ennio Morricone, some familiar spaghetti western actors (including the excellent Tomas Milian) & an explosive finale make this a western to rival anything that the more well known Leone offered.