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A Fistful of Dollars Customer Reviews (34 - 36 of 37 Reviews)

Aesthetic, artistic, existential....A LANDMARK!
I remember not long ago, there was a time when westerns made me gag... In my eyes, if John Wayne defined this genre, not a single film was worth watching.... Then I saw "High Plains Drifter" and I was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY (nice pun, huh?)...... I fell in love with the Clint Eastwood western, and he became my Western Icon. I HAD to watch the Man With No Name trilogy that I had heard so much about... and I was NOT dissapointed....

If you are a true film lover, and if you appreciate film as the artisitic form of expression that it is, then you love the Man with No Name trilogy with every fiber of your being, and it's opening chapter, "A Fistful of Dollars" will grab you by your neck and draw you into the world of Sergio Leone "spaghetti" westerns.

Eastwood is the aesthetic hero, the existential wanderer motivated by pure self-interest...but he has his own code of honor which he upholds... He is the reincarnation of every solitary warrior that has ever ridden in every age of history. And with his entrancing and supremely fatal skill, he leads us through the desolate landscape of the REAL American frontier; This time we're entrenched in a feud between two rival gangs in a small Mexican ramshackle border village known as San Miguel. As the shopkeeper says "Every woman is a widow"...the only people with jobs are the bell-ringer, who tolls for the dead, and the eccentric old coffin-maker.... Gian Maria Volonte is superb as the murderous Ramon, a person who must have been typical in his day.

This hypnotic film will make you drool for it's sequels, "For a Few Dollars More" (my favorite of the three) and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". It is a true landmark film, unlike anything you have ever seen. Even the title sequence is enticing!

DVD Verison: While the picture quality is far superior to any VHS version, and I imagine, even better than the picture quality of the original theatrical release, it's still not up to par with more modern films. It's the best you can get from this film, though (remember, it was very low-budget!)

As for the sound, it is quite bad when compared to other DVDs. But again, that's the low-budget of the original sound on the original version. But I imagine that this is the best you can get out of the sound quality for this film.

It certainly doesn't take away from your film experience, though!

A Fistful Of Dollars
When a dangerous drifter (Clint Eastwood) is passing through a lawless town with two rival gangs fighting, he finds himself hired by both gangs (most likely because of his accuracy in shooting three bullies as he entered), and decides to take both jobs. As his currency rises (as the title implies), his cover is eventually blown, leaving the nameless drifter to fight for his life.

This western remake of Akria Kurosawa's samurai classic, "Yojimbo" is highly enjoyable and a deviation from most light-hearted western films that came before it (this was one of the first spaghetti western films). With it's fast-paced violent action and darkly humorous dialogue, "Fistful Of Dollars" is a classic. If you don't usually enjoy western films but do enjoy action films, you should see this. If you liked "Yojimbo", this may spark your interest as well.

If you liked this film, I would also recommend "Last Man Standing" with Bruce Willis (it's an updated "Fistful Of Dollars")

Overall rating: 5 stars

Although this film was originally unrated, the MPPA gave it an R-rating with the special edition in the 1990's. This is probably because the film contains stylized violence including a graphic beating, and minimal language.

one of the best westerns ever
The three 'fistful' movies are some of the most masculine movies ever made! Rugged men , wild settings and great music mark these as complete classics! Sergio sates (see the DVD insert)' The west was made by strong men... that has gotten lost in the westerns I have seen .. That is why I make my movies with strong men..'

If you like these fistful type movies I would strongly recommend that you watch the 'Rawhide' television series. The hour long format of the show allows powerful stories to unfold. It's different from the style of these 'fistful' movies, but it is similar in that it is first class all the way and in addition to Clint who is 'Rowdy' there is Eric Fleming who is absolutely amazing and takes the series to a level that will probably never be matched again.

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