Best Spaghetti Westerns

A Fistful of Dollars

This is the movie that really pushed the Spaghetti Western genre into the mainstream.

If you've seen Yojimbo, Django, Last Man Standing...etc, then you know how the story goes. A lone stranger comes into a town that has two gangs/families that are at war. He wants to play both sides to make as much money as he can off of them, but ends up getting in trouble with both rivals, and has to fight for his life.

It might not be original, but geez its stylish. Between the unconventional soundtrack that Ennio Morricone provided, and Leone's direction, this movie was something special when it came out.

A Fistful of Dollars Poster
A Fistful of Dollars, Italian Movie Poster, 1964
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A Fistful of Dollars

A Fistful of Dollars Poster
Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood, 1964
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Sabata

The Italian title and theme song go "Ehi amico...c'e Sabata, hai chiuso," which translates to "Hey man...here comes Sabata, you're dead." They are not kidding folks. I may hold a bias because I have been a fan of the accountant-turned-actor - Lee Van Cleef ever since I saw him as Angel Eyes, but he can do no wrong. After playing alongside Eastwood as Col. Douglas Mortimer in For a Few Dollars More, and Angel Eyes in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, he would go on to star in his own Spaghetti Westerns. Two of my favorites being Sabata and God's Gun (which also has a young Leif Garret, for all of you 1970s teeny boppers).

Sabata is "The Fonz" of the old west. If he thinks that you're cheating at dice, he isn't just going to accuse you. He's going to shoot the dice and prove that you are cheating. He is possibly the best shot that I've ever seen. And, when he tosses some change to somebody, he throws it direcly into their hands. They do not have to move at all to catch the coin!

Sabata

Return of Sabata

Django

Django is brought to us via another Sergio...Sergio Corbucci. By today's standards, Django isn't that violent, but in 1966 it was considered extremely violent. So much so, that it was banned in Sweden. The character was spun off into dozens of unofficial sequels, and songs.

Django is a travelling loner who is forever carrying a saddle and a coffin. Again, we have one man who is caught between two rival gangs, and he must fight to survive. Django has a secret weapon, and it's not just his ability to win the hearts of every woman that he comes into contact with. I won't ruin it. You'll just have to see it.

It's an admirable contribution to the spaghetti western genre, and if you haven't seen it, then you should give it a watch.

Django

Django

For a Few Dollars More

For a Few Dollars More is the first of the "dollars trilogy" that I saw as a kid, and I love it as much today as I did back then. Eastwood, Leone and Morricone return, and we get the addition of Van Cleef as Col. Mortimer.

Eastwood and Van Cleef play two bounty hunters that happen to arrive in town at about the same time. They are both after the same man, and at first they try to run each other out of town. They eventually conclude that working together would be the best method for capturing Indio, the man they are after.

This is a great movie. Rent it, buy it, steal it...just see it!

The Man With No Name
The Man With No Name
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For a Few Dollars More

For a Few Dollars More Blu Ray

For a Few Dollars More
For a Few Dollars More
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Death Rides a Horse

Death Rides a Horse teams up Lee Van Cleef with John Phillip Law. Once again we have Morricone providing the soundtrack, which is a great addition to the film.

The story is basically about revenge. Both for Ryan (Van Cleef), and Bill (Law). Bill witnessed his father killed, and his mother and sisters brutalized and killed by a group of robbers. Ryan was betrayed by the same group of robbers, and both want to see the gang members dead.

I wouldn't rank this up there with the Leone films, but it's still a good movie. It's fun to watch, and Van Cleef is great, as always. John Phillip Law appears to be an expressionless cardboard cutout at times, but it just adds to the Euro-cheese factor.

Death Rides a Horse

Spaghetti Westerns 20 Pack

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Is The Good The Bad and The Ugly one of the greatest westerns of all time? You could definitely make that argument. There isn't much that can be said about this film that hasn't been said before. Up to this point, this is Leone's largest production, and he did not waste the resources that were available for him. This is grand in ever aspect. Whether you speak of the cinematography, or the acting, and of course the music.

We follow Blondie (Clint Eastwood), Tuco (Eli Wallach) and Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) as they all attempt to locate a treasure that was hidden by a Southern soldier in a cemetery. The men must make their way across a desert, and survive Civil War battles to reach their target. They are constantly working together, and at the same time double crossing each other.

For many, this movie is the Spaghetti Western. It truly is a great movie, and deserves the recognition that it gets. Definitely give it a watch if you haven't seen it. TNT plays it at least once a year for 24 hours of Eastwood.

The Good The Bad and The Ugly
The Good The Bad and The Ugly
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For a Few Dollars More

The Good The Bad and The Ugly Blu Ray

The Good The Bad and The Ugly
The Good The Bad and The Ugly
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The Great Silence

The Great Silence is an interesting movie. We're used to seeing dry desert climate in most Spaghetti Westerns, but in the Great Silence we are in Utah during the winter time.

The story follows a mute gunslinger and a ruthless bounty hunter. Throughout the film they confront each other a few times, but it is not until the end that we have our final conflict.

The Great Silence is definitely darker than the other Spaghetti Westerns that are listed. This is considered to Sergio Corbucci's masterpiece. The ending truly sets it apart from the rest.

The Great Silence

Once Upon a Time in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West is probably my favorite Sergio Leone movie (it's a close call between this and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). Leone was definitely at the top of his game when he directed this classic. We have a complete change up of cast with this film, and it's interesting to see Henry Fonda as the villain. Charles Bronson covers the strong silent stranger that is out for revenge, and he does so excellently.

The music is great. The cinematography is beautiful. We get a female, Claudia Cardinale, that actually has a roll instead of just the occasional interference. It's rare for Spaghetti Westerns to have women play anything more than victims of abuse, or background prositutes.

Of all of the Spaghetti Westerns that I would recommend seeing, Once Upon A Time in the West ranks as my number 1 choice.

Once Upon A Time in the West