5/10
¨Long Days of Hate¨is a routine Spaghetti Western with lots of shots , thrills , action , including a spectacular final
17 September 2020
This thrilling Pasta Western packs noisy action , shoot'em up , high body-count and resulting to be fast moving , being quite entertaining and made in American style as well as Spaghetti , approaching increasingly Leone Italian manners , but keeping some details that make it special in this particular genre . Set in 1870 Texas , it deals with a solitary drifter Martin Benson (Guy Madison) working for the army , as he is really a bounty hunter who tracks down gangs of gun smugglers supplies arms, ammunition and whiskey to Indians . Nevertheless , the army still needs the location of the smuggler leader , his hoodlums and their latest hideout and then an Union Major asking for the undercover government agent to carry out a dangerous mission . As Martin Benson wants to retire but the army asks him to find the head of the smugglers , but he finally accepts thanks to a huge payment in gold coins offered to him as an enticement. The army commander arguments that Benson is the best agent for the job even if another undercover agent , Tony Guy , has already penetrated the smugglers' outfit . As Benson agrees to this last assignment and heads out of the army fort and by the way he observes as a group of gun-runners are being hanged on gallows . On the trail , many gun runners and bandits attempt to ambush him and have him killed . In the nearest town , at the Benson farm, a group of smugglers assault and ransack the farm and kill Martin Benson's parents . They also rape his sister, Jenny (Anna Liotti) who results in a shock situation and unable to speak . Meanwhile , the other Benson brothers , little boy Arias , Susy (Lucienne Bridou) and Daniel (Alberto Dell'Acqua) are in town buying supplies . The city is dominated by Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia ) and a corrupt sheriff (John Bartha) . When the siblings go back the farm, they find their parents dead and sister Jenny extremely upsettling and wounded . They also meet an injured man (Peter Martell) in the shed . Jenny seems horrified of him and the siblings assume the wounded man is one of the assailants , possibly the one who raped Jenny . At the beginning Daniel want to kill him but he changes his mind when he realizes that he could extract vital information about the bandits from the injured man . Daniel decides to save the life of the wounded outlaw by all means and force him to reveal the identity of the other band members . Meantime , one posse going after the attackers , as a member results to be the powerful local businessman Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia) who controls the town with his gang , as when the sheriff's posse arrives at the farm, the Benson children conceal the fact there is a wounded bandit in their shed . After the posse leaves the farm, Daniel sends for the town doctor (Silvio Jachino) to come and patch-up the injured outlaw . When Martin Benson finally arrives in town , the older brother is given the sad news about his family's tragedy and subsequently helps his unfortunate relatives who have been gunned down by Graham's murderous bandit band . As he is desperately wanting justice when he finds his family murdered . Along the way Benson is hunting down the vicious outlaw gang , and eventually comes face to face with the villain .

This obscure Spaghetti turns to be a passable Maccaroni western that contains a story full of violence , so-so dramatic pace and slick direction . It follows the Sergio Leone wake , including close-ups , shootouts , choreographic duels and that's why being proceeded in Italian style . It's a thrilling western with spectacular scenes and breathtaking confrontation among protagonist Guy Madison and heartless enemies led by Rik Battaglia , as well as the shocking surprise about the personality of the wounded outlaw . It's a middle-budget Italian film with usual actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . Charismatic interpretation from Paella/Spaghetti's customary actors . The American actor Guy Madison is average in his usual tough role , here as an undercover agent who helps the army to eliminate weapon smugglers while posing as a drifter attempting to know the identity of the man in charge of the gang , but the ruthless cutthroats are on his trail . Good-looking American actor Guy Madison appeared in 'tough' western and drama roles under contract to 20th Century Fox and other Hollywood companies , such as : ¨Bullwhip , Savage wilderness , Jet over Atlantic , Drums in the deep South , Since you went away, Till the end of time¨ . After that , he moved to Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , sword and sandal epics . Then had a solid run as the second lead of several Italian low-budget, cult WWII , Spaghetti and adventure films in the 1960's such as : ¨Special forces , Bang bang kid , Superargo , Five giants of Texas , Cold steel for Tortuga , Place in hell , Apache's last battle , The conquestor and the empress , Executioner of Venice¨ . Here Guy Madison gives a so-so acting as the brave starring who together his brothers and an undercover agent try to thwart the enemy schemes .Secondary cast is decent with B-Spaghetti ordinary actors formed by a lot of familiar faces in this agreeable support cast , many of them under-covered by American pseudonyms , such as : Rik Battaglia as the evil boss who adores Susan Benson but she was never interested in him , Peter Martell pseudonym of Pietro Martellanz , Alberto Dell'Acqua who often used as Robert Widmark , he plays the young impulsive brother who Motivated by vengeance wants to kill the wounded bandit , Attilio Dottesio , John Bartha, Ivan Scratuglia and Franco Pesce . And two Eurotrash gorgeous girls : Lucienne Bridou as Susan Benson and the always attractive Rosalba Neri as a Saloon girl who falls for the starring.

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Claudio Cirillo , though being necessary a perfect remastering . And appropriate and atmospheric musical score in Spaghetti style by Amadeo Tommasi . This motion picture Titled : This Man Can't Die (Canada, English title) Long Days of Hate (United States) Ringo ne devait pas mourir (France) , Deze man mag niet sterven (Belgium) was regularly directed by Gianfranco Baldanello . He was assistant director and subsequently directed some films . Gianfranco made several Spaghettis , such as ¨Uccidete Johnny Ringo¨ , ¨This man cant die¨ , ¨Son of Zorro¨ , ¨The Cry of the Wolf¨, ¨Black Jack¨ and ¨Blood River¨ . And ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" or "Gold Train" .Rating : 5.5/10
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