Quinto: non ammazzare

"Quinto: non ammazzare" is a low budget spaghetti western by experienced director Leon Klimovsky who is probably best known for horror flicks like "The Werewolf's Shadow". Surprisingly, "Quinto" does not follow the typical paths of the European western wave around 1969. It lacks both the sarcasm and the Eastwood type of antihero. Instead, this movie is almost entirely set in a lonely stagecoach station in a desert, thus this "indoors western" has much in common with a theatre play.

Several bandits arrive at the station. The old station-master, a young man who helps in the kitchen and a couple of women become their captives. The bunch of rogues hides at the station because they committed a bank robbery - but the money is gone. All of them had worn the same kind of mask and one of them must have taken the money, but who? The bandits begin to accuse each other of hiding the stolen money and soon the killing begins...

Good performances by German Cobos, Roberto Camardiel as the station-master and Sarah Ross as Kate, the female member of the gang. But a big problem of this movie is: a hero you can identify with is missing entirely. It's a shame, really: "Quinto" has a good concept. The story and the characters are unusual and interesting. But despite that premise, "Quinto" is not particularly exciting. The poor budget shows, the continuity is a bad joke, and the whole psychological thrill that you depend on if you have less action scenes and more dialogues is not built up well enough. In a nutshell, it's an off-beat western which doesn't work too well but has moments of interest.

This is just an average Macaroni/Tortilla Western filled with intrigue , go riding and thrills, though mostly developing indoors scenarios . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between some cutthroats led by a nasty boss , Alfonso Rojas accompanied by his lover Sarah Ross , who pull off a bank robbery against the protagonists , a timid young , Steven Tedd , and a gunfighter , German Cobos . As several masked men arrive in a little town and carry out a heist bank . But a traitor takes the robbed money and the bandits find out the loot is gone . Later on , they take refugee at a horse station . There meet an old station-master (Roberto Camardiel) , a young man called Bill (Steven Tedd) who helps in the kitchen and some women (Dina Sorel) and prostitutes (Charo Soriano) , all of them become their captives . The outlaws suspect each other of hiding the stolen stash and soon the murders start . Then , the band's leader and his hoodlums (Alfonso de la Vega , José Marco) kill and mistreat the prisoners . In order to defend the group of people ambushed by the desperadoes the nervous as well as naive Bill learns to shoot thanks to a veteran Pistolero Sucre (German Cobos) .

It is an Italian/Spanish made western that came to the big screen when the top time of the genre was falling down . In fact, the late sixties and 'seventies' is not the best time to find out good spaghetti westerns . But "Quinto: Fighting Proud" is not so bad , it drags at times , balancing in ups and downs ; turning out to be entertaining enough . It's a simple but otherwise earnest little story of a group of rogues hides at a station because they committed a hold-up , there meet a shy man , Steven Tedd , turned gunslinger that finds himself in the middle of a fight between member of the violent bunch for a loot . Recently deceased German Cobos gives a subdued performance but adequate to his character , a two-fisted but upright gun-shooter . Cobos played a lot of Paella/Chorizo or Tortilla Western filmed in Spain such as : ¨Hombre De La Diligencia¨ by Jose Maria Elorrieta¨, ¨Fuerte Perdido¨, ¨Secret of Captain O'Hara¨ by Arturo Ruiz del Castillo , ¨Wanted¨ by Giorgio Ferroni and ¨Blood calls to Blood¨ by Luigi Capuano . Both of whom are fine , they ravage the screen, kill , shoot , hit and run . There is plenty of thrills and action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . Furthermore , there appears usual Italian/Spanish Western secondaries as Alfonso Rojas , Alfonso De La Vega , Roberto Camardiel , Jose Marco , and Raf Baldassarre . The film blends violence , high body-count , intriguing events and quite entertaining . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , as in the ending gunfights and the customary showdown conclusion . It also feels kind of flat , with not only with not enough action, but the action there is being quite sub par for the genre . Interesting as well as suspenseful screenplay filled with twists and turns by Manuel Martinez Remis who wrote various Macaroni/Chorizo Westerns such as "God Was in the West, Too, at One Time" , ¨"Il Magnifico Texano"¨ and ¨Reverendo Colt¨ , in fact , the latter film with whom bears remarkable resemblance , being even shot at the same location . There are fine technicians and nice production design , creating an acceptable scenario with barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and an atmospheric set on the little town and the stagecoach station . The musician Piero Umiliani composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted . Striking cinematography by Giuseppe De La Torre in Eastmancolor, with negative regularly processed , being necessary a perfect remastering . Interior filmed at Ballesteros Studios (Madrid), Elios Studios (Rome) and outdoor sequences filmed at Colmenar Viejo , Manzanares Del Real and Madrid surroundings .

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Leon Klimovsky . The Argentina born but nationalized Spanish , Leon Klimovsky was a craftsman who directed all kind of genres , as Terror for Paul Naschy ( Marshall of hell, Rebellion of dead one, Orgy of vampires , Werewolf shadow, Dr Jekill vs. the werewolf), Warlike (June 44 attack force Normandy , A bullet for Rommel , Bridge over Elba) and Western (Badland drifter , Some dollars for Django, Torrejon city , Death knows no time , Two thousand dollars for Coyote , A dollar for Sartana) . Rating : 5.5/10 ; regular but entertaining .