The fine quality of this comic and then very dramatic Coburn & B. Spencer western was a surprise for me.
This heterogeneous and satisfying western is an odd proof that Valerii was an underachiever and that he should of been one of the most respected western directors ever. The movie is, as I said, very heterogeneous; but it also shows a flawless gusto and an unfailing taste for what an action film must be, and has an admirably pure line, there is this purity of the narration that makes it especially likable.
In a few words, it is the Dirty Dozen set during another warin 1862, I think.
It has been noticed that there are some WW 2 action films that are essentially westerns. Well, here we got the symmetrical situation: the Coburn western is essentially a commando flick.
A commando of only eight men, all evildoers (Coburn and B. Spencer are the most familiar faces ) is sent to conquer a fort; the fort is ruled by Major Ward (i.e., Savallas). Savallas and his soldiers are Southerners.
In a too small role, Savallas makes yet another of his outstanding villains.
Coburn's character isn't a lowlife, but a Colonel that wants to conquer the fort that he surrendered to Major Ward.
Most of the film is made in a humorous key. B. Spencer is the protagonist of all sorts of bodily jokes, there are discussions about buttocks, urinating and umbilical region. If you allow me an impious thought, who could imagine Wayne, G. Cooper or Mitchum forcing unsuccessfully to urinate, simulating vainly that they urinate, and complaining about their asses being inflamed by horse-ride? I guess it somehow depends on your particular sensibilities, yet this comic is never displeasing or misplaced or disgusting. It is simply Gargantuan joking.
The very long fight scene is particularly pleasingonce the commando enters the fort, a long battle begins. The movie's end is somehow a twistfor me, it was a twistI expected a duel, etc.. Anyway, Savallas is very good. These three actorsCoburn, B. Spencer and Savallasgive the film a particular charm.
The fight scene is indeed an interesting one, though on another level than the rest of the movieit's like the film suddenly changesthe feel, the style change suddenly, and we get one of the finest fight scenes, like an ultracompact Dirty Dozen!
During this last part of the moviethe fightthe tone becomes intensely and convincingly , seriously dramatic. One could define the film in its entirety as a very funny, comical western, excellently played, and with a long very dramatic fight scene. Coburn meeting Savallas is really chilling and thrillingand Savallas indeed looks as if he was dying when Coburn pierces him with the sword. I dislike disclosing here the endyet Savallas' death was of course foreseeable and on the other hand and much more important Savallas' death scene is so important and finely done and interesting that it of course deserved to be explicitly mentioned here.
A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die is rather short. B. Spencer has most of the screen time. Everything seems to happen very quickly; Eli's (B. Spencer's) sabotage techniques allow for many funny things to be played. Eli and the Colonel are the only two good guys in the film; Eli is as intelligent as the Colonel, and sides with him on every occasion.
The humor is of course manly and also very unsubtle; the naturalness gives charm to the comic strips story, while B. Spencer's sometimes aggressive humor is amusing in his usual buffoonish way. This '72 western comes towards the end of B. Spencer's career in the westernsin '73 he'll launch his Piedone. He alternates placidity with aggressiveness ,having already found the formula of his action roles.
On the other hand, I have to say that, with all its merits and qualities, A Reason to Live remains a modest thrilling funny likable action western, and it's in no way the equal of a film like The Dirty Dozen (where everything was infinitely better, worked much better, etc., there was plenty of action and suspense, the characters had their individuality and the finest actors abounded!).
This heterogeneous and satisfying western is an odd proof that Valerii was an underachiever and that he should of been one of the most respected western directors ever. The movie is, as I said, very heterogeneous; but it also shows a flawless gusto and an unfailing taste for what an action film must be, and has an admirably pure line, there is this purity of the narration that makes it especially likable.
In a few words, it is the Dirty Dozen set during another warin 1862, I think.
It has been noticed that there are some WW 2 action films that are essentially westerns. Well, here we got the symmetrical situation: the Coburn western is essentially a commando flick.
A commando of only eight men, all evildoers (Coburn and B. Spencer are the most familiar faces ) is sent to conquer a fort; the fort is ruled by Major Ward (i.e., Savallas). Savallas and his soldiers are Southerners.
In a too small role, Savallas makes yet another of his outstanding villains.
Coburn's character isn't a lowlife, but a Colonel that wants to conquer the fort that he surrendered to Major Ward.
Most of the film is made in a humorous key. B. Spencer is the protagonist of all sorts of bodily jokes, there are discussions about buttocks, urinating and umbilical region. If you allow me an impious thought, who could imagine Wayne, G. Cooper or Mitchum forcing unsuccessfully to urinate, simulating vainly that they urinate, and complaining about their asses being inflamed by horse-ride? I guess it somehow depends on your particular sensibilities, yet this comic is never displeasing or misplaced or disgusting. It is simply Gargantuan joking.
The very long fight scene is particularly pleasingonce the commando enters the fort, a long battle begins. The movie's end is somehow a twistfor me, it was a twistI expected a duel, etc.. Anyway, Savallas is very good. These three actorsCoburn, B. Spencer and Savallasgive the film a particular charm.
The fight scene is indeed an interesting one, though on another level than the rest of the movieit's like the film suddenly changesthe feel, the style change suddenly, and we get one of the finest fight scenes, like an ultracompact Dirty Dozen!
During this last part of the moviethe fightthe tone becomes intensely and convincingly , seriously dramatic. One could define the film in its entirety as a very funny, comical western, excellently played, and with a long very dramatic fight scene. Coburn meeting Savallas is really chilling and thrillingand Savallas indeed looks as if he was dying when Coburn pierces him with the sword. I dislike disclosing here the endyet Savallas' death was of course foreseeable and on the other hand and much more important Savallas' death scene is so important and finely done and interesting that it of course deserved to be explicitly mentioned here.
A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die is rather short. B. Spencer has most of the screen time. Everything seems to happen very quickly; Eli's (B. Spencer's) sabotage techniques allow for many funny things to be played. Eli and the Colonel are the only two good guys in the film; Eli is as intelligent as the Colonel, and sides with him on every occasion.
The humor is of course manly and also very unsubtle; the naturalness gives charm to the comic strips story, while B. Spencer's sometimes aggressive humor is amusing in his usual buffoonish way. This '72 western comes towards the end of B. Spencer's career in the westernsin '73 he'll launch his Piedone. He alternates placidity with aggressiveness ,having already found the formula of his action roles.
On the other hand, I have to say that, with all its merits and qualities, A Reason to Live remains a modest thrilling funny likable action western, and it's in no way the equal of a film like The Dirty Dozen (where everything was infinitely better, worked much better, etc., there was plenty of action and suspense, the characters had their individuality and the finest actors abounded!).