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IMDbPro

A Bullet for the General

Original title: Quién sabe?
  • 19671967
  • MM
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.5K
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
30 Photos
  • Action
  • Western
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.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Damiano Damiani
  • Writers
    • Salvatore Laurani(story and screenplay)
    • Franco Solinas(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Gian Maria Volontè
    • Klaus Kinski
    • Martine Beswick
Top credits
  • Director
    • Damiano Damiani
  • Writers
    • Salvatore Laurani(story and screenplay)
    • Franco Solinas(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Gian Maria Volontè
    • Klaus Kinski
    • Martine Beswick
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 42User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

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

    Photos30

    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)
    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(story and screenplay)
      • Franco Solinas(adaptation and dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details 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 reviews42

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Excellent Western with two typical Spaghetti actors : Gian Maria Volonte Volonte and Klaus Kinski.
    The movie centers a Yankee (Lou Castel) who joins forces with an outlaw band (whose leader is Chuncho well played by Gian Mª Volonte and his hoodlum performed by Klaus Kinski) during the Mexican revolutionary war by time of the President of Mexico Velustiano Carranza , following the overthrow of the Victoriano Huerta's dictatorial regime in the summer of 1914 . The gang allows him to join them to sell weapons to Mexican revolutionaries ignoring he is double-crossing the band , as he is a traitor working for dark forces .

    It's a magnificent western film with dazzling shootouts between the protagonists and the contenders . The spotlights of the movie result to be the confrontation on the train and the final duel . There is a special remembrance to Sergio Leone's western , because appearing : Volonte , Kinski and Aldo Sambrell who often played the master's Spaghetti films . This picture belongs to a numerous group in which is set during Mexican revolution , called ¨Zapata Western¨ , such as the Italian films : ¨Compañeros¨ , ¨The mercenary¨ , ¨Tetepa¨ and the American movies : ¨The wild bunch¨ and ¨The professionals¨ . The picture blends crossfire , violence , blood , western action and it's fast movement and that's why it is entertaining enough ; besides , there is a thoughtful dialog with a clever writing in leftist trending by Franco Solinas , screenwriter of a notorious film : ¨The battle of Algiers¨ . Colorful cinematography by Antonio Secchi , shot on location in Almeria (Spain) , as usual , and Cortijo De Frailes, Cabo De Gata , San Jose , and Guadix , Granada, Andalucía . Enjoyable musical score in Spaghetti style by Luis Enrique Bacalov , author of ¨The Postino and Pablo Neruda¨ which won an Oscar for the soundtrack and he composed lots of Spaghetti Western scores .

    The motion picture was well directed by Damiano Damiani . Damiani's nice direction is well crafted , here he's mostly cynical and inclined towards violence and too much action especially on its ending part . Damiano is an expert on all kinds of genres as Drama such as ¨Arthur's island¨ , ¨The Most Beautiful Wife" , ¨The witch¨ , ¨Empty canvas¨ based on the Alberto Moravia novel ; Terror as ¨Amytiville 2 : the possession¨ and Historical as ¨The Inquiry¨ . Damiani was specialized on crime-thriller-Subgenre or Italian cop thriller as ¨Confessions of a Police captain¨ , ¨How to kill a judge¨ and ¨The case is closed , forget it¨, and Spaghetti Western as ¨Trinity is back again¨ with Terence Hill and this prestigious ¨A bullet for the General¨ . Rating : Good . Well worth seeing .
    helpful•22
    8
    • ma-cortes
    • Apr 25, 2005

    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
    • 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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