Movie Poster

Get three coffins ready.

My mistake. Four coffins...

# Review

In this iconic plagiarism of Kurosawa's Yojimbo, Clint Eastwood plays an unnamed stranger in a frontier town dominated by two rival families: the Rojo brothers and the Baxters. The stranger plays both families against eachother.

The story is clichéd by today's standards but it's still a fun plot with dramatic betrayals and satisfying reveals. Eastwood's breakout role as the stranger is perhaps one of cinema's most iconic roles and his stoicism, grit, and general nonchalance are always entertaining. The rest of the characters, such as Gian Maria Volonté's Rámon, Marianne Koch's Marisol, and Pepe Calvo's Silvanito, are mostly one-dimensional and archetypal roles. The cinematography focuses on drama, with many tense closeups during standoffs. The score by Ennio Morricone is as iconic as this film.

# Conclusion

An iconic film that took the Western genre in a grittier direction (and overseas).

# Overall rating: 7.8

What does the rating mean?