Il grande silenzio (1968)

Director:

Sergio Corbucci

Writers:

Mario Amendola (screenplay)
Bruno Corbucci (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 November 1968 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

A mute gunslinger faces off against a gang of bounty hunters in the great blizzard of 1899, and a grim, tense struggle unfolds.

Plot Keywords:

Mute | Mountain | Revenge | Outlaw | Bounty Hunter

Cast

Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Silence
Klaus Kinski	...	Tigrero / Loco
Frank Wolff	...	Sheriff Burnett
Luigi Pistilli	...	Pollicut
Vonetta McGee	...	Pauline
Mario Brega	...	Martin, Pollicut's Assistant
Carlo D'Angelo	...	Governor
Marisa Merlini	...	Regina
Maria Mizar
Marisa Sally
Raf Baldassarre	...	One-Eyed Bounty Hunter
Spartaco Conversi	...	Walter, Leader of the Outlaws
Remo De Angelis
Mirella Pamphili	...	Saloon Girl

Also Known As:

The Great Silence (USA)
Le grand silence (France)
The Big Silence

Runtime:

105 min | Brazil:101 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound System)

Certification:

Norway:(Banned) (1969) | West Germany:18 (f) | Finland:(Banned) (1969, original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1969, re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (1989,Video rating, cut) | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (2004)

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Adelphia Compagnia Cinematografica

Trivia:

Jean-Louis Trintignant agreed to play in a spaghetti western under the condition that he did not have to learn any lines for the role. That's why the main character conveniently became a mute in the story.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Various spelling mistakes in the title cards.

Quotes:

Sheriff Burnett: Listen to me, friends. Be patient. There'll be an amnesty soon, and you can all go home, so best leave Loco to the law. I guarantee ya', there's food for all of ya' at Snow Hill so go there, and feed yourselves. But take my advice: In the future, go easy on the horse meat; it's not all as tender as mine.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Spaghetti West (2005) (V)

One of the best, most cynical westerns of the sixties

Exciting, gory Italian produced western with Kinski as the sadistic bounty hunter who kills with no discretion. Lots of body mutilation (typical in Corbucci films), interracial sex, and other taboo subjects. With a high quality of actors and nice photography. Corbucci also scored with "Django", but this film is better.