Da uomo a uomo (1967)

Director:

Giulio Petroni

Writer:

Luciano Vincenzoni (story)

Release Date:

1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western

Tagline:

This is revenge... And there's nothing sweet about it!

Plot:

As a child, Bill witnesses the murder of his family by four robbers. Fifteen years later, he embarks on his revenge...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Revenge | Framed | Jump Through Window | Jail

Cast

Lee Van Cleef	...	Ryan
John Phillip Law	...	Bill Meceita
Mario Brega	...	One-Eye (Paco)
Luigi Pistilli	...	Walcott
Anthony Dawson	...	Burt Cavanaugh
José Torres	...	Pedro (as Jose Torres)
Franco Balducci	...	Sheriff
Bruno Corazzari	...	Walcott's accomplice
Felicita Fanny	...	Village girl
Ignazio Leone	...	Shepherd
Carlo Pisacane	...	Holly Spring Station master
Angelo Susani	...	Walcott Henchman
Guglielmo Spoletini	...	Manuel
Vivienne Bocca	...	Walcott Henchman
Walter Giulangeli	...	Mr. Meceita, Bill's Father

Also Known As:

As Man to Man (USA)
Death Rides a Horse (USA)
Vita, morte e vendetta (Italy) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:114 min | Italy:120 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:M

Filming Locations:

Tabernas, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

PEC

Goofs:

Continuity: When we first see John Phillip Law he is practicing his shooting. The first pistol he shoots, a Colt Peacemaker, turns out to be a 9 shooter, and the second is an 11 shooter.

Quotes:

Vigro: They got all my money. But I wanna keep my skin!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Spaghetti West (2005) (V)

Death Rides a Horse': Can you beat that title??

Can you beat a title like that? 'Death Rides a Horse...' Only the Italians could come up with something like that.

Western vengeance tale with John Phillip Law going after those who murdered his family, 15 years after the fact. Van Cleef has a connection to these murders which will become apparent towards the end of the film. I won't give away the spoiler, here.

What must have been shocking and brutal for 1968 was the fact that white men were shown to gun down women and children, something a Hollywood western would never touch unless they were depicting the Indians doing it. That was OK since they were bloodthirsty, heathen savages who had no morals and could be portrayed as such.

But for 'civilized' white men to do so, that was a no-no. No wonder John Wayne hated these kinds of westerns. They threw the 'code of the west' right out the window.

Putting aside Van Cleef's appearance in Leone's westerns, I would rate this one as high as 'The Big Gundown' (1967) and 'Sabata' (1970) as my all-time favorites.

And yes, the Morricone score goes well with the film. Especially the scenes where Ryan (Van Cleef) has just walked out the door of a prison and is buying the horse, and later when he meets Bill (Law) for the first time (as an adult) on his farm. Man, that score is unnerving. If you can track it down on old vinyl or CD, buy it. Nothing beats those soaring choruses or Spanish guitars, jangling tensely in the background.

Get's an 8 out of 10 for sheer entertainment value...