User reviews

The epitome of the S.W. is violent , beautifully crafted and exaggerated . This was the first S.W. to receive a major international release . It is a remake of Yojimbo (1961), which itself was based on 1929 novel "Red Harvest" by Dashiell Hammett . It pits ¨Man with no name¨ against two families that are feuding over business : the Baxter (Wolfgang Lukschy , Margarita Lozano) and the Rojo (Gian Maria Volonte , Antonio Pietro , Sieghardt Rupp) . Meanwhile , Eastwood saves a damsel in distress (Marianne Koch) , her husband (Daniel Martin) and son . ¨Man with no name¨ is helped by Silvanito (José Calvo) and an old gravedigger , Piripero (Joseph Egger).

This classic Western contains slow and deliberating filming , elaborate shoot-outs , and portentous close-ups of grime-encrustred faces with bloodbaths included . A remake to Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa , in fact he sued the filmmakers for breach of copyright . The impact of this Spaghetti opened the gate for the huge numbers of Italian-Spanish Western which made fortune for their producers and directors in the sixties and early seventies . This has been described as the first "spaghetti western", but when this film was made , there had already been about 25 such westerns produced in Italy . This one made Eastwood an international star and previously better-known for his running character in TV series ¨Rawhide¨. Leone did revive his career almost instantly on the strength of this film , though the role was formerly offered to Charles Bronson , Frank Wolff , Rory Calhoun , Steve Reeves and Richard Harrison . In fact , Richard Harrison was the one who suggested Clint Eastwood to Sergio Leone when the famed director was looking for the main actor , as Harrison said : Maybe my greatest contribution to cinema was not doing Fistful of Dollars , and recommending Clint for the part . Leone came to the set of ¨Rawhide¨ intending to recruit Eric Fleming for the lead in the upcoming "A Fistful of Dollars" , due to Fleming's off putting personality, Leone looked elsewhere , director Charles Marquis Warren suggested Eastwood as an alternative . As all of Eastwood's later Western and his ¨Dirty Harry¨ movies owe a considerable debt to Leone . Furthermore , here appears Leone's habitual secondaries , acting as ominous hoodlums , such as : Mario Brega , Aldo Sambrell , Antonio Molino Rojo , Lorenzo Robledo , Jose Canalejas , Frank Braña , among them.

It's a slick remake of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo , the plot is mainly ripped off from classic Japanese , as Kurosawa wrote to Leone reclaiming the copyright . Ultimatelly , the Toho (Yojimbo's producer) obtained the rights of exhibition and received 15% of the film's worldwide gross and exclusive distribution rights for Asian countries . ¨Fistful of dollars¨ was filmed in low-budget during seven weeks on location in Golden City (Sierra of Madrid) , and Almeria : Albaricoques and Tabernas ; besides , interiors located on Roman Cinecitta studios . In the premiere the main cast and technicians were replaced by American names as John Welles (Gian Maria Volonte) , master of arms Benny Reeves (Benito Stefanelli), Dan Savio (Ennio Morricone who composed a groundbreaking and streaking soundtrack) , designer production by Charles Simons (Carlo Simi) and even Bob Robertson (Sergio Leone) ; nowadays , justly stay the true names . For Leone enthusiastic with his usual trademarks , it's full of which made his films so memorable, others might find it a bit long but no one can deny its sense of style what achieved a great burst of world-wide popularity .

ALthough in many respects this film pales in comparison with Leone's later films, it is itself a brilliant cinematic achievement. In part, this is because its failings primarily appear to be due to constraints of budget (very small and highly uncertain) and time more than anything else. Even to the extent that the skills of Leone, Morricone, and others hadn't fully flowered yet, this film is incredible at how brilliantly it is handled for what is really a first-time go. Leone had worked on, and even directed, films before, but this is his first real foray in his own direction, and into a genre that he revolutionised and with which he became forever synonymous. Who can imagine westerns without at least thinking of Leone's films, while who can think of Leone without thinking of westerns (even though his last, and arguably greatest, film was a sort of gangster film)? Similarly, one should not criticize this film for being based on Yojimbo, for that film itself was based on an American story while A Fistful of Dollars really is very different in many key respects, not least of all Leone's visual style or his own sense of irony and symbolism derived from Italian precedents and Hollywood westerns.

We also see the nascent Leone visual style here, with the close-up style and contrast of close-ups and long shots appearing. This alone sets it apart from previous films, westerns and non-westerns alike, and still provides for great visual treats that one can appreciate today.

This film also ushered in Leone's obsession with details, hard faces, grungy people, etc., that also revolutionsed the genre.

This films also marks the first brilliant score of Ennio Morricone. It is here that he introduced the lonely whistling, guitar music, chorus, and unusual combinations and styles that developed into the music that has become in the U.S. synonymous with westerns and duels in the same way that Leone's visuals and themes have.

Despite its minor flaws, this is still a great film that is not only revolutionary but still great and fun to watch even today. Like Leone's other films, it is timeless.

One must also admit that it is amazing that in the U.S. an Italian film maker basing his films partly in Italian culture and an Italian composer could come to so define and be synonymous with this genre that Americans had considered so uniquely American, and highlight its underlying universality. That alone reveals the greatness of the films, of which this is the first.

'A Fistful Of Dollars' is a wonderful movie which, despite having an enormous following of fans around the world, sometimes gets unfairly dismissed in my opinion. For two reasons - firstly because the second and third movie in Leone/Eastwood "Man With No Name" trilogy ('For A Few Dollars More' and 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly') are so damn good it's easy to overlook this one. Despite being made on a much tighter budget and being less ambitious than the sequels to follow, it's still one of the greatest westerns ever made in my opinion. The second reason is the Yojimbo thing. Now movie buffs frequently slam 'A Fistful Of Dollars' as being a rip off of Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo', which I think is extremely misleading. I'm not disputing that Leone was familiar with Kurosawa (I have no idea one way or the other), but one name I rarely hear ANYONE mention is Dashiel Hammett. Hammett's hard boiled crime classic 'Red Harvest' was published THIRTY YEARS before 'Yojimbo' and features the same central premise of an anti-hero playing two rival groups off against each other. So if anyone deserves acknowledgement as uncredited inspiration for Leone (AND Kurosawa) it's Hammett. Anyway, this is an absolutely brilliant movie and it launched Clint Eastwood, a popular TV actor, into being a major movie star, and likewise put Sergio Leone on the map. I can't recommend 'A Fistful Of Dollars' highly enough, it's pure entertainment, and very, very cool!

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) in my opinion is the second best one in the spaghetti western series, that is Sergio Leone's first best masterpiece in "Dollars Trilogy", that started all. It is my personal favorite western movie of all time. I love this movie to death and I will always cherish it.

A lot of people are going for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West and of course Eastwood's Unforgiven as their best favorite western films. But no one talks about this one: A Fistful of Dollars, which in my opinion is a classic & Sergio Leone's first masterpiece! This was the third Clint Eastwood's western film that I saw as a kid and I loved it every since. What can I say? Except I love this movie and it is my second favorite Clint Eastwood western movie. This one is in my top 5 Eastwood western films. I just love this movie to death and I love the story and the actors that it is in this film.

This movie is shorter for only an hour and 39 minutes long, which is not boring, it is fast paced and it is filled with classic moments. A Fistful of Dollars is a classic and I can always watch and enjoy it, without been bored. Clint Eastwood stars as the greatest Western character of all time, ever created - "The Man With No Name" in the greatest Western of all time. The story is an unofficial reworking of the Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo from 1961. What I love about this film is Clint Eastwood's character who helps out a young family, who is torn apart from the Rojo's gang, he make sure that the kid goes in to his mom's arms, Eastwood was a heart in this movie. Also you have nice shootouts, Eastwood wears a boiler plate as a bullet proof vest, while Ramón Rojo (Gian Maria Volontè) fires his Winchester '92 rifle at "The Man With No Name" brilliant! Than "The Man With No Name" kills them all with his colt, excellent! Ramón fires the Mitrailleuse machine gun, killing dozen of Mexican Soldiers, awesome! Gian Maria Volontè as Ramón Rojo was a terrific villain and he did awesome job.

The plot start's faster and it is a stone cold classic that started all. Clint Eastwood is the coolest actor in the role playing the famous character of all time, that made him an icon. Every second on screen, he chews up the scenery and even today remains as bad ass as ever. Eastwood's character has been mimicked and copied numerous times over the years and yet he still stands up to modern scrutiny. Despite the character being so cool, there is still humor to be found, like the fact that he ALWAYS has that cigar in his mouth even when he's lying in bed. You also have the classic "Mule" scene which manages to be bad ass and funny at the same time. Sergio Leone directs everything to perfection and considering the film is from 1964, it's extremely well paced with plenty of action. The score was provided by Ennio Morricone, who for some reason is credited as Dan Savio. The music is another element that has been copied by practically every other Western since. It set the standard of what a Western could be and once you watch the film, the tune will go through your head for hours.

Not only that this movie is a classic but two movies ripped off the story from this film: Bruce Willis's Last Man Standing (1996) which completely ripped off the story from this film and Sukiyaki Western Django (2007).

This is the beginning of the Man With No Name series. The visuals are beautiful, the character of the Man With No Name menacing and mysterious, the score is brilliant and the action is a blast. The greatest "spaghetti" western ever. The one that launched a thousand copycat versions, even the wonderful score by Ennio Morricone. A Fistful of Dollars is a legendary, with bullets, as loud as the explosions and close ups extreme. The plot is simple (though not as much as the sequel, A Few Dollars More) but that is what enables Sergio to weave a masterpiece. Iconic score.

A Fistful of Dollars gets a perfect 10 by me and remains my all time best favorite Eastwood Western movie in the series that I absolutely love to death and I love Clint Eastwood's character. It's a genre that doesn't get enough love and it really should as it deals with all the familiar elements of action films, like this one is.

A drifter gunman (Clint Eastwood) arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the border of United States of America, and befriends the owner of the local bar Silvanito (Jose Calvo). The stranger discovers that the town is dominated by two gangster lords: John Baxter (W. Lukschy) and the cruel Ramón Rojo (Gian Maria Volontè – a.k.a. John Wells). When the stranger kills four men of the Baxter's gang, he is hired by Ramón's brother Esteban Rojo (S. Rupp) to join their gang. However, the stranger plots a scheme working for both sides and playing one side against the other.

"Per un Pugno di Dollari" is a milestone in the history of the cinema, since the genre of "Spaghetti Westerns" didn't really exist previous to this movie. Sergio Leone used the storyline of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo", replacing the samurai without a master ("ronin") Sanjuro Kuwabatake performed by Toshirô Mifune and the scenario of the rural Japanese town in Nineteenth Century by the stranger without a name (Clint Eastwood) and a small Mexican town in the border of the Wild and Far West. The result is a magnificent and remarkable movie, and beginning of the trilogy of Clint Eastwood's character Joe, who proves that "a man with a rifle beats a man with .45", completed by "Per Qualche Dollaro in Più" and "Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo", . My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Por um Punhado de Dólares" ("For a Fistful of Dollars")

'A Fistful of Dollars' is the first from Sergio Leone's trilogy about "The Man with No Name". The other two movies are 'For a Few Dollars More' and the famous 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. Although 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' is considered the best this one comes pretty close. It is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' and it comes also pretty close to that movie. It was also the first real Spaghetti Western.

Clint Eastwood is "The Man with No Name" who comes to a small town where two families run the place. Both families hate each other and he thinks he can make a lot of money with playing both parties against each other. This is basically the main story. There are some sub-plots, one of them involves Marisol (Marianne Koch) who is taken by a leader of one of the families. Her husband and child still live in the town.

For me it was not the story that made this movie interesting. It was the whole atmosphere. I like all Leone's westerns for that reason. Of course some are better than others, but they are never boring. The way we see Eastwood kill four man early in the movie is simply spectacular.

This no 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or even 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' but we have the same atmosphere, the same kind of score by Ennio Morricone and a Clint Eastwood at the beginning of a great career.

When watching a film years after its influence has ingrained itself into not only cinema but society as whole, it can be difficult to differentiate what aspects stand the test of time and what were merely blocks for greater works to build upon. A Fistful of Dollars is no different. Its influence is unquestionable but its flaws are also glaringly apparent. The camera work is fantastic and the consistent wide shots transport the viewer into the setting. The score is also great, it matches the feelings of the film nicely. Clint Eastwood does an amazing job playing his character. His portrayal of the (now-classic) nonchalant vigilante is as good as anyone else has done it since. The narrative leaves a bit to be desired but gets better as it goes on. The dubbing is, by modern standards, awful. It is a product of the times and makes it frustrating to watch at times. I can imagine falling in love with this movie if I'd seen it when it came out but that wasn't possible for me. All of the cliches would've been something to see for the first time in context. Overall, it's a good movie whose influence is greater than that of its quality.

I just watched for the 11th or 12th time. I lost count. Of course in the Old West (even the Italian version) you can never lose count of how many bullets left in your gun. That's a fatal error.

Why this is one of the greatest films of all time

1. It is an adrenalin rush to watch. I saw it first run in a theatre. At the 16:00 mark after the first shootout, a guy two rows in front stood up and yelled an expletive. He was that excited.

2. Launched Sergio Leone, one of the greatest and least appreciated directors of all time. See my IMDb review of ONCE UPON A TIME IN America.

3. Launched Ennio Morricone, another top man in his field. I actually purchased the soundtrack to this film, never did that more than three times in my life.

4. It rebooted Eastwoods career WHICH was OVER. He took the cash and forgot the movie, even forgot the title, until he heard he was the #1 box office star in Europe. He was stunned.

5. It created a new genre of movies, something few films can claim. There were several dozen "italian westerns" before the trend expired.

6. Possibly the best adaptation of a Japanese film (Yojimbo) into one of the best western scripts of all times. Like an MMA match, the story just builds and builds and the music carries you along.

7. Launched the anti-hero into the mainstream, something not even the French could do and Lord knows they tried.

8. Introduced Gian Maria Volontè one of the best villains of all time.

9. Created a trope that you can never forget once you have seen the movie. Like the Rope a Dope. Only with bullets.

10. Created a signature "glance" for Eastwood which he used in later films.

11. Showed the world it was possible to have a hit film even with major dubbing.

12. One of the greatest "comebacks" for a hero ever, after a beating, a trope everyone used after that. Look at the Mel Gibson films.

Did I mention this is one of the greatest films of all time?

The first of Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" is now overshadowed by its superior successors, but remains an exciting introduction to this peculiar genre. Clint Eastwood redefined the notion of a hero in this film, a man who seems to operate by a code but doesn't feel the need to explain it. Although the U.S. advertising campaign billed Eastwood's character as "The Man With No Name," a name is one thing he does have - Joe - but almost everything else about him is a mystery except for his deadly proficiency with a gun. Leone's style would be more pronounced in later films, but this one provided the template. Eastwood is superb, of course, as is Gian Maria Volante (billed as Johnny Wells) as his deadly opponent, Ramon Rojo. If it's slow moving at times, the music of Ennio Morricone always takes up the slack.

In the middle '20's, Dashiell Hammett (best known as author of "The Maltese Falcon") wrote'Red Harvest", in which a nameless private eye (also alcoholic, a status shared by many Hammett heroes) is hired to clean up a small town kept in fear by two warring boot-leg mobs.

I believe "Red Harvest" did make it to film in the '30's, but I haven't been able to track that down and never saw it.

In 1961, Akira Kurosawa brought a version of the story to the screen in "Yojimbo', with Toshiro Mifune playing the nameless hero. Kurosawa and Mifune add an earthiness to the hero lacking in Hammett's tension filled original: Mifune's samurai is always scratching, eating, cringing or sneering. Perhaps this is to make up for the subtraction of the element of alcoholism that was the chief weakness of Hammett's anti-hero. But it also has the effect of rounding out the character so that he becomes human to us in a way Hammett's anti-hero is not.

In 1965, an Italian director, not yet credited with completed film, Sergio Leone, was hired to do a typical "spaghetti western" of the era. Instead, he remade 'Yojimbo" (without giving credit to the original, by the way) as "A Fistful of Dollars". The failure to credit "Yojimbo" as inspiration raises some ethical questions - but it must be noted that Kurosawa himself made no reference to Hammett in the credits to "Yojimbo"! In any event, "A Fistful.(...)" is a young director's film, full of flaws; but it has an undeniable black-humor and is crisply directed, with some striking visuals that seem to come out of nowhere, given the genre context in which the film is made. The nameless hero is played with a particular coolness by Clint Eastwood, which undercuts the earthiness- the scratching and scruffiness - that remains from the Mifune version - Eastwood's anti-hero rarely eats, and never cringes or sneers. The pivotal torture scene from Yojimbo remains, given a peculiar brutality by the addition of a pan of the expressionless faces of the onlooking outlaws. This scene - predicated on Eastwood's unwillingness to give up the young family he has saved, is finally what makes him a hero. Is it enough? Well. if not, he's certainly one stinky of a masochist, taking a beating like that for nothing. In a world as corrupt as that in which our hero finds himself, it is the smaller sacrifices that determine the ethics of a man. Remaining silent is sometimes the boldest statement to make; it was good enough for Kurosawa and Leone; it's good enough for me.

e.j. winner

Although "A Fistful of Dollars" was not the first Spaghetti Western, it was the first to bring the genre to international attention. "Spaghetti Western" was originally an insult coined by US critics who were offended by the temerity of Italian film-makers in daring to tackle this quintessentially American genre, but later became a more neutral description of Westerns made in Europe. Actually, as most of these films were Italian/Spanish co-productions, and many of them were filmed in Spain, the title "Paella Western" would have been just as appropriate.

This was also the film that made a major star of Clint Eastwood. It was the first film in Sergio Leone's "dollars trilogy"; Eastwood was to star in the other two, "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". His character in all three films is billed as "The Man with No Name", although here that is not quite accurate as he is referred to in the film itself as Joe, and represents a new breed of Western hero.

Most previous Western heroes, as played by the likes of John Wayne, Alan Ladd or Gregory Peck, were heroic in both senses of the word. They were not only physically courageous but also morally virtuous, standing up for ideals of honour and justice against the villains. Some films had heroes who were morally flawed, such as Howard Kemp, James Stewart's character in "The Naked Spur", but the films themselves still took a moralistic line, with these flaws condemned as moral weaknesses. By the end of "The Naked Spur" Kemp has undergone redemption though a change of heart.

The Man with No Name, by contrast, was deliberately presented as an amoral anti-hero. He is courageous, but does not stand for any idealistic moral principles. He is occasionally capable of altruism, but most of the time is motivated by self-interest. He is a hard-bitten, mercenary, laconic loner. Eastwood also gave him a distinctive physical appearance, characterised by his trademark poncho and cigar. He also sports a beard or stubble, whereas most earlier Western heroes had been clean-shaven.

The plot of "For a Fistful of Dollars" is said to be based upon the Japanese film "Yojimbo", although I cannot comment as I have never seen that film. Joe arrives in the Mexican border town of San Miguel. The town is dominated by two rival families, the Rojos and the Baxters, who make their money out of a lucrative trade in smuggling contraband into the US. Joe, a skilled gunfighter, sees this as a business opportunity, and plays the two sides off against one another, undertaking various jobs for both families while showing loyalty to neither. His mistake comes, however, when he for once performs a good deed. Ramon, the most violent of the Rojo brothers, has taken as his mistress a young married woman named Marisol, forcing her against her will to abandon her husband and young child. Joe helps her and her family to escape, and Ramon vows vengeance.

"A Fistful of Dollars" is one of those films which is perhaps better remembered for its influence on later films than for its intrinsic merits. It is one of the first "revisionist "Westerns", marking the start of a trend towards not only moral ambiguity but also a more realistic depiction of violence, shown not only in the shoot-outs, more messy and less clean-cut than those in many previous films, but also in the scenes where Joe is tortured by Rojos' thugs. This revisionist line was to become commonplace in the Westerns of the late sixties and early seventies; Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" is a good example of a film which shows the influence of Leone's work.

The film was originally shot without sound, with a soundtrack being dubbed on later. This was common practice in the Italian film industry and this time, as it allowed versions to be produced in different languages for the home and foreign markets. (Even in English the film is sometimes referred to by its Italian title "Per un Pugno di Dollari"). The dubbing, however, is not always convincingly done, and it is all too obvious that some of the characters are mouthing words which bear no relation to what we actually hear. The action is also at times over-leisurely and difficult to follow. Although Eastwood shows the talent and charisma which would make him a major star, the film today seems little more than a run-of-the-mill Western. Nevertheless, in the sixties it must have seemed to American audiences like something fresh and exciting. 6/10

Not many will be surprised that "A Fistful of Dollars", the first of Sergio Leone's famous trilogy, is in fact a replica (or if you prefer 'a westernisation of the westernised Samurai genre') of Akira Kurosawa's famed Ronin drama "Yojimbo" (predating this movie by just a few years). The plot will also not come of any surprise, as multiple movies borrowed inspiration from the original Japanese movie. In a town overrun by thieves, crooks and murderers two families rule the wealth and life of its inhabitants: The Rojos and the Baxters. That is until one day an unnamed stranger (The Man Without a Name), concealed within an eternally memorable poncho, arrives on his horse. Offering his services to both sides in an attempt to dispose both of them...

Given how classic "Yojimbo" is and its undying relativity to international cinema, it is almost impossible to not draw any comparisons. And those almost without exception favour the Japanese original. "A Fistful of Dollars" lacks the artistic coherence that Kurosawa effortlessly instills into his movies, whilst at the same time keeping it funny, intriguing and well paced. Despite Leone's best intentions he fails to outdo "Yojimbo" in either of these departments, while the best scenes are almost shot by shot taken out of the Kurosawa original. Meanwhile most script changes or adjustment fail to improve the story. As a stand-alone piece these deficiencies could have been overlooked, but pasting from the master really causes all the flaws to become glaringly obvious. Especially since Kazuo Miyagawa's cinematography vastly overshadows Dallamano's and Larraya's feeble attempts to replicate.

The place where deficiencies are most obvious is in the acting department. Whereas Clint Eastwood's personality and scene presence allows him to go toe to toe with the legendary Toshiro Mifune, the rest of the cast fails to perform and gives some exceptionally cardboard characterisations. Whereas in "Yojimbo" the est ethical experience was a total package.

The sole place where Sergio Leone's movie is a sublime and meaningful improvement is the unforgettable music of Enrio Morricone.

A one man vigilante enters town, proceeds to take four shooters down without a frown, the filling of, a feudal sandwich, allies to both, presents his own pitch, it's not too long before his masterplan is blown. As the barrels start to role and then cascade, cadavers keep the coffin man in trade, the bullets ricochet, will our Joe make his payday, or will the bandits and the smugglers have their say.

It's hard to believe this 1964 western is as engaging as it was when I first watched it as a kid growing up. I've enjoyed its company many times since, as well as that of Yojimbo upon which it was based; the timeless tale of one man doing the right thing, fighting the corrupt and the crooked, just for a fistful of dollars or, in modern parlance, a computer full of crypto - I know which I prefer.

A classic. The first, or one of the first, films to introduce the concept of the Western antihero. Sergio Leone pioneered a lot of things here. The brightness, the oppressive sunlight. The ugly brutality of Western gunfights, that had always been cleaned up in Hollywood. I understand that Leone's occasional framing of the shooter and his victims in the same shot was not allowed at the time in American films. I thought, upon seeing this film years ago, that some characters (Eastwood) spoke in English, and other characters in Italian. Who knows, maybe some spoke Spanish or German. Must make for an interesting acting job. I rarely notice a movie's music, but the original score by Ennio Morricone was so fitting. Probably the best match of film and music up to that time, and only bested by Hugh Montenegro(?) in "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". A very good movie. Grade: A

A+

The first in the famed Man with No Name trilogy, this one is a real treat. Clint Eastwood plays a one-of-a-kind anti-hero. He isn't hesitant to kill and yet also has a kind heart; it's really well done writing. The dialogue is just marvelous to boot, making this character with no name impossible to forget. The Italian actors all do very well, my favorite being Margarita Lozano. There are many familiar faces, with Gian Maria Volonté starring. As you know he would go on to play one of my favorite villains of all time in the next film, El Indio. Mario Brega, the butcher turned actor, also stars, and its funny that in all three movies he ends up biting the big one.

The cinematography is pretty awesome, and director Sergio Leone definitely knows how to shoot a Western. I hear critics initially called the film a blasphemy for portraying an "unromantic" west. Of course now-a-days most of them have admitted their mistakes and acknowledged the film as the masterpiece it is. I love the rugged look of everything. It really sets the tone for the movie.

Another aspect I have to comment on is the score. I saw "For a Few Dollars More" years before I saw this film, back in the 90s and when I watched this one I actually thought the composer was Dan Savio. I was surprised to learn that this was actually Morricone's stage name. Akin to Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone delivers a thrilling and unique brand of music for this Spaghetti Western. . And let us not forget, this was a 1964 film, and should be regarded as the genesis of the genre in itself.

The only way I can sum up this film is by simply saying a BAD-ASS movie.

Having finished viewing Mel Gibson's Filmography in order, I'm now working my way through the legend that is Clint Eastwood's Filmography starting with A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)

Plot In A Paragraph: A stranger (Clint Eastwood) rides into a town torn by war between two factions, the Baxters and the Rojo's. He schemes to play the two sides off each other, getting rich in the bargain.

It's impossible to talk about Leone's spaghetti westerns without heading Ennino Morricone's superb score, so I'll start by saying he sets the tone with what is to come right from the opening credits. It's fantastic and he can be simple or inventive either way it's first class.

In 1964 Clint was an established TV star, thanks to his role as Rowdy Yates on TV's Rawhide, a role he had played for 5 years and 7 seasons, so to say Clint was already at home playing a cowboy would be an understatement. Needless to say, we are a long way from Rawhide here.

Considering what a risk (shooting a low budget Western in Italy and Spain, with a director nobody had heard of, with only one directing credit to his name, who didn't even speak English) this was at the time for Eastwood, he looks great in his now iconic outfit and very confident, We see Clint honing his trademark expressions!! The snarl, the squint and the famous grin!! We also see a rare occasion. Clint take a great deal of punishment in this movie, maybe the most vicious punishment he receives in his entire career.

Grossing $14 million A Fistful Of Dollars was the sixth highest grossing movie and 1964. A Massive success given its $200,000 budget.

The Western genre changed forever with the release of Sergio Leone's landmark Spaghetti Western "A Fistful of Dollars," but not necessarily for reasons you might think when it comes to a movie deemed a "classic."

The story is weak, most of the acting bordering on comical and there's no depth to speak of, but the Akira Kurosawa-inspired style of "A Fistful of Dollars" makes it entertaining and a rather fascinating watch from a stylistic perspective. Leone did things with a camera that Hollywood hadn't seen before (probably … I admit I wasn't there), an approach that made the Western more entertaining yet more dramatic and tense.

Clint Eastwood stars as Joe, or more popularly, "The Man with No Name," in the role that launched the "Rawhide" star's film career. When he comes upon the Mexican border town of San Miguel – where you either get rich or get killed – the anonymous gunslinger puts himself at the center of a bloody feud between the Baxters and the Rojos, playing them off of each other for his financial gain.

The Man with No Name is essentially the Western's first true anti- hero. That's the primary contribution "Fistful of Dollars" makes to the genre – it pushes past the black-and-white cowboy heroes and wanted bandits dynamic. "Joe" has one character-revealing moment when he takes pity on a woman named Marisol (Marianne Koch) and her family, who are captives, in a sense, of the Rojo brothers. Otherwise, he's a troublemaker with money on his mind; we just like the guy because he's a badass who is less slimy than the rest of the characters.

The script annoyingly drifts between too overt and not explicit enough, but eventually it becomes clear that the only dialogue worth paying attention to is the clever quips, and that it doesn't matter how a point of tension or violence is reached, but how it looks and feels when we get there.

Leone isn't at the peak of his powers here by any stretch, which should be obvious given this was his first foray into Western territory and second film ever, but he gets enough right to open the door to a shift in thinking about how these movies are made. "Fistful" is an experimental playground for camera angles and various perspective shots. Cinematographers Massimo Dallamano and Federico Larraya play a lot with lighting, incidentally creating Eastwood's trademark squint. You might argue that Leone and crew stumbled upon greatness and that this movie is a combination of stumbles and sure-footed landings.

The secret weapon is Ennio Morricone. The composer's score feels familiar to modern audiences, but it's his creativity using raw sounds and singular instruments in striking patterns that ultimately redefined the genre. He brings the tension, mystery and swagger to the film. He even recognizes when silence works better than anything he could write. In so many ways, his music really glues this experiment of a movie together.

Movies that rise to the top in spite of their weaknesses by means of style and creativity are extremely rare, and they're usually an indicator of a film that's a game-changer to the art form. "A Fistful of Dollars" qualifies. It's a film that is much more important than it is great.

~Steven C

Thanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

A Fistful of Dollars(1964) is a stylish western that begin the era of the Italian Western as well as being responsible for the rise to stardom for then TV actor, Clint Eastwood. He was not the first choice to play the main character but got the role due to the fact there no one left to offer the role to. Two people who were offered the role of the man with no name were Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda(four years later Charles Bronson takes the lead role in Once Upon a Time in the West after Clint Eastwood was the first choice for the part). A Fistful of Dollars was inspired and remade from Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo(1961). Many crew members from A Fistful of Dollars ended up directing themselves like for instance, Fernando Di Leo, Duccio Tessari, and Massimo Dallamano. Sergio gives a colorful and crude portrayal of The Wild West around the Texas-Mexico border. Both A Fistful of Dollars and Yojimbo are based on an obscure Italian play called "the man with two masters". This was also the film that introduced the cinema world to film musician, Ennio Morricone. Although not as good as later films, A Fistful of Dollars is still a terrific Western

Sergio Leone's "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" aka. "A Fistful Of Dollars" of 1964 could be described as one of the most important movies in the history of motion pictures. The first movie of its kind, it rose the Italian Western to an international level, and if it had not been for "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari", the great genre of the Spaghetti Westerns would probably never have become what it is.

Based On Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Yojimbo" of 1961, "A Fistful Of Dollars" is not a simple remake, but a masterpiece based on another masterpiece (something very rare in film history) that definitely has its very own style. There is no doubt for me that both Kurosawa and Leone are two of the most important and brilliant directors of all time. I love "Yojimbo" as I love "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" and I could not say which one I prefer.

The movie that made the Italian Western what it is, made Clint Eastwood a star as an actor and Sergio Leone a star as a director. It also made Ennio Morricone famous, who is arguably the most brilliant film score composer of all time, and it basically created the Western Anti Hero.

A cigar smoking stranger, the Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) comes to San Miguel, a small town in the Mexican/American borderland, which is terrorized by two rival gangs of outlaws, lead by two families, the Baxters and the Rojos. He plays the two families against each other in order to free the town (his secondary reason) and earn a lot of money (his primary reason.

Clint Eastwood's performance as the Man With No Name (Joe in the credits) is superb. I can't remember any actor who has achieved the coolness of Clint Eastwood in the Dollar Trilogy, and I don't think any actor Ever will. But Clint Eastwood is not the only one who delivers an outstanding performance in "A Fistful Of Dollars". The great Gian Maria Volontè plays the crazy and villainous Ramón Rojo with brilliance, Volontè represents insanity and evilness equally believable and superb as Eastwood represents Coolness.The supporting cast is also great, the beautiful Marianne Koch fits perfectly in the role of Marisol, a young mother who is held captured by Gian Maria Volontè's character Ramón Rojo, who is in love with her. The supporting cast furthermore includes such great Spaghetti Western actors as Mario Brega, Aldo Sambrell and Benito Steffanelli, actors who have gained fame amongst Spaghetti Western fans, for roles such as those in "A Fistful of Dollars".

It is Ennio Morricone's iconic, brilliant score that gives this movie perfection. Morricone's scores are one of the most essential things about Sergio Leone's films, see "A Fistful Of Dollars" and you'll know what I mean.

"A Fistfull Of Dollars" is a superbly directed, violent film about selfishness, greed and hatred, full of black humor and spiced up with great dialogue. A masterpiece that is only excelled by its two successors, "Per Qualche Dollaro In Più" aka. "For A Few Dollars More" and "Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo." aka. "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" (which is my favorite movie of all-time), "A Fistful Of Dollars" is one of the movies that, in my opinion, everybody has to see. Brilliant and timeless, "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" is a masterpiece that seems to get better each time I see it. Essential! 10/10

It's San Miguel, in Mexico. The town's got two bosses; neither likes the other. Both bosses lord over a clan of bad guys. The town is not moral; it's a town of death. Into this gloom rides Joe the stranger (Clint Eastwood). The stranger may or may not be a good guy. But he's a sharpshooter with a .45 pistol, and he uses it, a lot. He sizes up things in San Miguel and formulates a clever plan. This stranger is smart.

Commonly referred to as the first spaghetti western, "A Fistful Of Dollars" evokes a new style: a script with grungy, mean characters; minimal dialogue; a hip protagonist vaguely similar to James Bond. Also, sets, costumes, and music are all highly stylized. I like the style.

The script is engineered for maximum entertainment. There are action climax sequences about every ten minutes. Sounds of gunshots are heightened. We never learn anything about Eastwood's character, which makes him mysterious, indeed.

Outdoor visuals were shot mostly in southern Spain. Cinematography makes use of long camera shots and extreme close-ups. Camera filters are poorly used in day for night shots. Production design is terrific. San Miguel looks pleasantly minimal with its whitewashed adobe dwellings and dirt streets.

The look of the film and the script convey a sense of isolation, mystery, and death. There are references to Easter: a crucifixion, resurrection, a last supper. Though I have never been an Eastwood fan, and would have preferred another actor in his role, the multi-national cast perform their parts well.

Aside from the casting of Eastwood, my main problem is the blurring of villains. With two evil gangs, it was hard to tell who was who, and which side each character was on. Overall, though, "A Fistful Of Dollars" is an entertaining western. I like its 1960s style much better than the stale, stereotypes of pre-1960 westerns. And that mournful, funereal dirge of Morricone's soundtrack adds enormously to the film's emotional tone.

As much as I loved For A Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) this one is just not of the same quality. So I can't agree with the high ratings it gets even though it's a movie from 1964. The quality of the story is just not there, it's kind of stupid and don't make much sense. A small town with barely twenty houses, two gangs living next to each other, it's just too stupid to be credible. The soundtrack is the best thing about A Fistful Of Dollars, the cinematography isn't bad, neither is the acting but the story just brings the score down. Sergio Leone is the master of spaghetti western and this debut set the tone for what was to come in the future. I think he learned a lot of lessons on how to better his movies afterwards. That said I always enjoy watching Clint Eastwood and those old westerns, but this one is just not my favorite. The ratings are just too high compared to the other masterpieces. This one isn't a keeper but that's only my humble opinion.