In this second part of my top four movies on Letterboxd, we're looking at my favorite western:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
Back when I was a kid, I didn't like westerns. I found them boring and uninspired, but in part this is because I knew nothing about the time and place they portray. Then I saw The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and all that changed. I'm still not a huge fan of the genre, but thanks to this movie I have seen and enjoyed quite a few westerns, but this movie is special.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is set during the U.S. Civil War, with the hunt for a great treasure as the central plot item. With a runtime of almost three hours, this movie takes its time getting to where it's going, and even though it might seem lost at times, the director Sergio Leone knew what he was doing. You could accuse him of wasting time, but that would be wrong. A detailed synopsis is impossible, but the plot is a vehicle to explore the characters. The treasure is a MacGuffin, a narrative catalyst to motivate the main characters, beyond that it's irrelevant.
The title characters referred to are The Good, aka Blondie (Clint Eastwood) a morally gray gunslinger who does what he needs to in order to survive. He lies, cheats, double crosses and steals, but he isn't cruel and he won't shoot a man in the back.
The Bad, or Sentenza, aka Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) is a proper villain. There is nothing he won't do to achieve his goal, but he is a professional monster. If he has no business with you he'll just ignore you, but if you have something he wants, you are in real trouble. What makes him really stand out is the fact that he likes being a villain, he really enjoys murder and cruelty.
Finally, The Ugly or Tuco (Eli Wallach) is the middle man between Blondie and Angel Eyes. He is a scoundrel, and a very bad man, but nowhere near as wicked as Angel Eyes. A career criminal through and through, he nevertheless has some scruples left and a much tarnished sense of shame. He is also somewhat of a comedic relief character.
It's important to understand that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly doesn't have a hero. The closest we come is Blondie, but he's in it for himself and not for any altruistic or heroic reasons. He comforts a dying soldier because he feels sorry for him, but he doesn't go out of his way to do this. There is no “I must do this to save the day” motif, it is all about survival, revenge and greed for everyone involved. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is also a study of morals. If Blondie isn't careful he will become like Tuco or even Angel Eyes. Tuco isn't that removed from Angel Eyes to begin with but, to sound melodramatic, his soul isn't damned just yet.
A note about the music is a must. One can't mention The Good, the Bad and the Ugly without everyone hearing the iconic score in their heads. Ennio Morricone scored a perfect bullseye and this score has to be up there with the all time greats.
For me, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the western. No other comes close, not even the other two entries in the Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More) that preceded it. You can argue this point until you're blue in the face, but I don't care. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is imperfectly perfect. It has action, tension, sadness, humor and lots and lots of twists. It is grand and epic but also down to earth and grimy. It also has one of the best pieces of cinematic advice ever: "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk!"
That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!
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