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A Bullet for the General

Original title: Quién sabe?
  • 1967
  • M
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.8K
YOUR RATING
Gian Maria Volontè and Lou Castel in A Bullet for the General (1967)
A Spaghetti Western on a par with best of Sergio Leone's work, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (aka Quien Sabe?) is a radical and politically committed film directed by Damiano Damiani (A Genius, Two Partners And A Dupe; Amityville II: The Possession) from a brilliantly powerful screenplay by Oscar nominee Franco Solinas (co-writer of the award-winning The Battle Of Algiers).

Less a western and more an allegory on South American politics, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL initiated a whole sub-genre of pro-revolutionary westerns, including Sergio Leone's own "A Fistful Of Dynamite". Scriptwriter Solinas, himself, describes the film as a more accessible version of his screenplay for "The Battle Of Algiers". Violent, stylish and with a refreshingly leftist point of view, the film wears its "Yankee go home!" message proudly on its sleeve.

Now fully restored from the original Italian negative materials this forthcoming DVD release from Argent Films is the longest and most complete version of A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL available.
Play trailer1:39
1 Video
34 Photos
ActionWestern

A band of Mexican gun-runners employed by a revolutionary general accept an American into their gang, unaware of his intentions.A band of Mexican gun-runners employed by a revolutionary general accept an American into their gang, unaware of his intentions.A band of Mexican gun-runners employed by a revolutionary general accept an American into their gang, unaware of his intentions.

  • Director
    • Damiano Damiani
  • Writers
    • Salvatore Laurani
    • Franco Solinas
  • Stars
    • Gian Maria Volontè
    • Klaus Kinski
    • Martine Beswick
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    4.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Damiano Damiani
    • Writers
      • Salvatore Laurani
      • Franco Solinas
    • Stars
      • Gian Maria Volontè
      • Klaus Kinski
      • Martine Beswick
    • 44User reviews
    • 64Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    A Bullet for the General
    Trailer 1:39
    Watch A Bullet for the General

    Photos34

    Lou Castel in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Gian Maria Volontè in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Lou Castel in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Damiano Damiani in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Klaus Kinski in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Martine Beswick, Gian Maria Volontè, and Lou Castel in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    A Bullet for the General (1967)
    A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Carla Gravina in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Gian Maria Volontè in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Martine Beswick and Lou Castel in A Bullet for the General (1967)
    Klaus Kinski in A Bullet for the General (1967)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gian Maria Volontè
    Gian Maria Volontè
    • El Chuncho Muños
    • (as Gian Maria Volonté)
    • …
    Klaus Kinski
    Klaus Kinski
    • El Santo
    Martine Beswick
    Martine Beswick
    • Adelita
    Lou Castel
    Lou Castel
    • Bill 'Niño' Tate…
    Jaime Fernández
    Jaime Fernández
    • General Elías
    • (as Jaime Fernandez)
    Andrea Checchi
    Andrea Checchi
    • Don Felipe
    Spartaco Conversi
    • Eufemio
    Joaquín Parra
    • Picaro
    • (as Joaquin Parra)
    Aldo Sambrell
    Aldo Sambrell
    • Lt. Alvaro Ferreira
    José Manuel Martín
    José Manuel Martín
    • Raimundo
    • (as José Manuel Martin)
    Santiago Santos
    • Guapo
    Valentino Macchi
    • Train Engineer
    Sal Borgese
    Sal Borgese
    • Bandit
    • (uncredited)
    Damiano Damiani
    Damiano Damiani
    • Journalist with Gen. Elías
    • (uncredited)
    Carla Gravina
    Carla Gravina
    • Rosario
    • (uncredited)
    Guy Heron
    • Pepito
    • (uncredited)
    Rufino Inglés
    Rufino Inglés
    • Capt. Enrique Sanchez Compoy
    • (uncredited)
    Vicente Roca
    • Hotelier
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Damiano Damiani
    • Writers
      • Salvatore Laurani
      • Franco Solinas
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      It is rumored --to the point of almost being a legend--that director Damiano Damiani became so frustrated with Gian Maria Volontè and Klaus Kinski, two actors who were notorious for being difficult to work with, that one day they pushed him so hard that he beat them and whipped them on the set until they finally behaved and did as they were told.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      El Chuncho: [to a beggar he gave money to earlier] Don't buy bread with your money! No, hombre! Buy dynamite! Dynamite! Dynamite! Dynamite!

    • Connections
      Featured in L'Oeil du cyclone: Westernissimo (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Ya Me Voy
      (uncredited)

      Written by Luis Bacalov

      Performed by Ramon Mereles

      Courtesy of EMI General Music srl

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    A tale of Mexican bandits (or revolutionaries) and one shady, baby-faced gringo
    RELEASED IN 1967 (but not till 1968 in the USA) and directed by Damiano Damiani, "A Bullet for the General" (aka "El Chuncho") takes place during the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s and involves a gang of gunrunners led by El Chuncho (Gian Maria Volontè) and enlisted by a revolutionary general (Jaime Fernández). They allow a taciturn American gringo into their band (Lou Castel), oblivious to his objectives. Klaus Kinski plays the semi-crazy priest of the bandits (I mean revolutionaries) while Martine Beswick is on hand as the babe of the bunch.

    This is a decent Spaghetti Western focusing on Mexican bandits. The tone is serious and the cast, costumes, dirt and sweat lend to the gritty realism. The opening sequence where a munitions train is forced to stop due to a crucified army captain blocking the tracks is notable. The script respects the intelligence of the viewer and doesn't spell everything else, even while everything is obvious if you read between the lines. Volontè, who plays the filthy, but amicable Mexican protagonist, is best known for his roles with Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) and "For a Few Dollars More" (1965). The score by Luis Bacalov is quite good and was supervised by the inimitable Ennio Morricone.

    THE FILM RUNS 115 minutes and was shot in Almería & Guadix, Spain, with indoor sequences done in Rome. WRITERS: Salvatore Laurani and Franco Solinas.

    GRADE: C+/B-
    helpful•5
    0
    • Wuchakk
    • Dec 20, 2017

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 1968 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • Spanish
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El Chucho Quién Sabe?
    • Filming locations
      • Guadix, Granada, Andalucía, Spain(train station)
    • Production company
      • M. C. M.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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