Ringo ne devait pas mourir

I never thought I'd live to see the day when there was a good spaghetti Western. Most of the ones we have rammed down our throats are those goofy ones Eastwood was in, the ones where men are classified into gods who can't miss, demi gods who can only miss gods, and mortals who just fill graveyards. Yawn provoking one dimensional caricatures they think can pass off as caricatures because they don't shave.

But this one combines the elements of credible characters with entertainment and an actual story line.

It helps to have Guy Madison, too. No doubt he had a large say in keeping this one from being a cartoon cardboard cut out.

Not saying it is realistic. This is a shoot em up. But the circumstances are more thought provoking and believable, because the characters actually have motivation. In the spaghetti flops that clowns like Leone directed, he simply made everyone a certain degree of a sadist to explain their actions. In this film we are spared that cliché of the modern movie. The gun play is far more believable than anything Leone ever did. There are a few clownish fight scenes with people doing flips, but not many.

Like most good Westerns, the minor characters and their treatment with dignity make this stand above the lesser ones. Again, one sees this a lot with Guy Madison, so either he had a large hand in it, or he was careful in the selection of the role.

This is entertainment.

Very well made Eurowestern with Guy Madison (almost unrecognizable) as Martin Benson. The plot may be a familiar one to Eurowest fans, but the director gives a standard plotline a fresh new look. No overacting in this film, which sometimes is the case, just straightforward acting from the entire cast. I would give the film at least five stars (maybe more)!

This thrilling Pasta Western packs noisy action , shoot'em up , high body-count and resulting to be fast moving , being quite entertaining and made in American style as well as Spaghetti , approaching increasingly Leone Italian manners , but keeping some details that make it special in this particular genre . Set in 1870 Texas , it deals with a solitary drifter Martin Benson (Guy Madison) working for the army , as he is really a bounty hunter who tracks down gangs of gun smugglers supplies arms, ammunition and whiskey to Indians . Nevertheless , the army still needs the location of the smuggler leader , his hoodlums and their latest hideout and then an Union Major asking for the undercover government agent to carry out a dangerous mission . As Martin Benson wants to retire but the army asks him to find the head of the smugglers , but he finally accepts thanks to a huge payment in gold coins offered to him as an enticement. The army commander arguments that Benson is the best agent for the job even if another undercover agent , Tony Guy , has already penetrated the smugglers' outfit . As Benson agrees to this last assignment and heads out of the army fort and by the way he observes as a group of gun-runners are being hanged on gallows . On the trail , many gun runners and bandits attempt to ambush him and have him killed . In the nearest town , at the Benson farm, a group of smugglers assault and ransack the farm and kill Martin Benson's parents . They also rape his sister, Jenny (Anna Liotti) who results in a shock situation and unable to speak . Meanwhile , the other Benson brothers , little boy Arias , Susy (Lucienne Bridou) and Daniel (Alberto Dell'Acqua) are in town buying supplies . The city is dominated by Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia ) and a corrupt sheriff (John Bartha) . When the siblings go back the farm, they find their parents dead and sister Jenny extremely upsettling and wounded . They also meet an injured man (Peter Martell) in the shed . Jenny seems horrified of him and the siblings assume the wounded man is one of the assailants , possibly the one who raped Jenny . At the beginning Daniel want to kill him but he changes his mind when he realizes that he could extract vital information about the bandits from the injured man . Daniel decides to save the life of the wounded outlaw by all means and force him to reveal the identity of the other band members . Meantime , one posse going after the attackers , as a member results to be the powerful local businessman Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia) who controls the town with his gang , as when the sheriff's posse arrives at the farm, the Benson children conceal the fact there is a wounded bandit in their shed . After the posse leaves the farm, Daniel sends for the town doctor (Silvio Jachino) to come and patch-up the injured outlaw . When Martin Benson finally arrives in town , the older brother is given the sad news about his family's tragedy and subsequently helps his unfortunate relatives who have been gunned down by Graham's murderous bandit band . As he is desperately wanting justice when he finds his family murdered . Along the way Benson is hunting down the vicious outlaw gang , and eventually comes face to face with the villain .

This obscure Spaghetti turns to be a passable Maccaroni western that contains a story full of violence , so-so dramatic pace and slick direction . It follows the Sergio Leone wake , including close-ups , shootouts , choreographic duels and that's why being proceeded in Italian style . It's a thrilling western with spectacular scenes and breathtaking confrontation among protagonist Guy Madison and heartless enemies led by Rik Battaglia , as well as the shocking surprise about the personality of the wounded outlaw . It's a middle-budget Italian film with usual actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . Charismatic interpretation from Paella/Spaghetti's customary actors . The American actor Guy Madison is average in his usual tough role , here as an undercover agent who helps the army to eliminate weapon smugglers while posing as a drifter attempting to know the identity of the man in charge of the gang , but the ruthless cutthroats are on his trail . Good-looking American actor Guy Madison appeared in 'tough' western and drama roles under contract to 20th Century Fox and other Hollywood companies , such as : ¨Bullwhip , Savage wilderness , Jet over Atlantic , Drums in the deep South , Since you went away, Till the end of time¨ . After that , he moved to Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , sword and sandal epics . Then had a solid run as the second lead of several Italian low-budget, cult WWII , Spaghetti and adventure films in the 1960's such as : ¨Special forces , Bang bang kid , Superargo , Five giants of Texas , Cold steel for Tortuga , Place in hell , Apache's last battle , The conquestor and the empress , Executioner of Venice¨ . Here Guy Madison gives a so-so acting as the brave starring who together his brothers and an undercover agent try to thwart the enemy schemes .Secondary cast is decent with B-Spaghetti ordinary actors formed by a lot of familiar faces in this agreeable support cast , many of them under-covered by American pseudonyms , such as : Rik Battaglia as the evil boss who adores Susan Benson but she was never interested in him , Peter Martell pseudonym of Pietro Martellanz , Alberto Dell'Acqua who often used as Robert Widmark , he plays the young impulsive brother who Motivated by vengeance wants to kill the wounded bandit , Attilio Dottesio , John Bartha, Ivan Scratuglia and Franco Pesce . And two Eurotrash gorgeous girls : Lucienne Bridou as Susan Benson and the always attractive Rosalba Neri as a Saloon girl who falls for the starring.

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Claudio Cirillo , though being necessary a perfect remastering . And appropriate and atmospheric musical score in Spaghetti style by Amadeo Tommasi . This motion picture Titled : This Man Can't Die (Canada, English title) Long Days of Hate (United States) Ringo ne devait pas mourir (France) , Deze man mag niet sterven (Belgium) was regularly directed by Gianfranco Baldanello . He was assistant director and subsequently directed some films . Gianfranco made several Spaghettis , such as ¨Uccidete Johnny Ringo¨ , ¨This man cant die¨ , ¨Son of Zorro¨ , ¨The Cry of the Wolf¨, ¨Black Jack¨ and ¨Blood River¨ . And ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" or "Gold Train" .Rating : 5.5/10

Things are getting complicated in the Benson family. Older brother Martin is out tracking down and destroying gun runners, while back at home a bunch of jerks have just turned up at the ranch, killed Ma and Pa, and raped sister Jenny! Revenge is on hand, but only the wounded guy the Benson family find on the ranch can tell them who set the attack up. That man can't die!

At first you've got a split film, as you have Guy Madison as the more violent Benson brother wasting his way through the bad guys before he even knows what has happened back home. In fact, his girl Rosalba Neri can't get a word in to tell him what's happening while he's all over her like a rash, Elsewhere, you have the rest of the Benson clan keeping it together and trying not to let the world know that one of the attackers is still alive. Plenty of twists happen and thankfully although the film drags here and there things pick up with the gunfights at the end.

There's a pretty good gunfight in a burning house and an even better one in a bar. For the most part this plays out like an average Western but has enough in there to stand out at least slightly from the pack. Rosalba Neri helps. Of Course.

In Gianfranco Baldanello's third (of 6) Italian Western...Guy Madison stars as a mercenary undercover agent for the military... in this minor..but on the whole pretty well done western.

Martin Benson hasn't quite made it home from the war..rather working undercover & gaining a reputation as an outlaw. As 3 bad guys he helped to capture are hanging in the wind..he's offered a substantial amount of gold to find the leader of the gun & liquor smuggling operation he's helped to take a bite out of..even as.....gang members are out to get him..& target his family as well. His parents are killed..younger sister raped..& he & his younger brother set out for revenge...also trying to stay alive..as the remaining family members (2 sisters..2 brothers) are still being stalked.

Madison, of course, knows his way around sixguns, fistfights & horses..& it shows. He's as comfortable to watch as wearing an old pair of worn in jeans. There are no 'corrida' type showdowns..but some medium to larger gunfights...& probably pretty much how gunfights really were...shooting people anywhere & anyhow you could..in the back..through windows...whatever works.

Amedeo Tommasi's (The House with Laughing Windows ) first & only Spaghetti Western score is imitation Morricone..but good imitation Morricone......strings & horns w/ the dominant electric guitar..& the title vocal tune is a typical catchy Spaghetti Western pop ballad. Overall , among the best Morricone rips I've ever heard.

So what we have here is kind of a mixture of the pre-Leone SW & some post Leone elements......brutality...rape..nudity...& the the usual bloody messes. I don't believe that a widescreen version of this movie still exists...it's showing up on a lot of those 5..20..50 cheapo Movie packs...the fullscreen is watchable...I do recommend zooming it down to 1/2 if you come across the DVD. It's worth a viewing.