User reviews

This moves at an unhurried pace, and you may feel as if you've seen much of it before, especially if you're a spaghetti western fan. But it's worth seeing for the character played by Warren Oates, a former gunfighter whose behavior swings from the sympathetic to the unforgivable and almost back again. In a modest Western like this, it's a pleasant surprise to see ambiguous characters. So that his conflict with Fabio Testi, a younger gunfighter who steals Oates' wife, is full of uncertainty. For all the familiar trappings, you're uncertain how it will end; and that should keep you watching. As the object of desire, Jenny Agutter is constrained by a mumbling Irish brogue and an under-written part. But you can see why Testi is smitten with her. Bottom line: see this for Oates, a great actor in a worthy role.

This one comes very late in the Spaghetti Western timeline, is directed by an American, and plays out like a love story. It's different to say the least.

Fabio Testi is Clayton, a condemned man who is reprieved at the last minute, as long as he tracks down Warren Oates and kills him. Oates used to work for the Railroad and they don't like loose ends, so Clayton has to take him out. A problem arises in the form of Jenny Agutter, Warren's much younger, hot wife whom Clayton first spies skinny dipping. Clayton shacks up at the Oates/Agutter household under the pretence that he's passing through, but Oates is no fool, and Agutter starts making goo-goo eyes at the hunky Clayton.

Not a shot is fired in anger for the first fifty minutes of this film, as Clayton decides he can't kill Oates by he can get it on with Agutter, which leads to Oates attacked her and Agutter retaliating in a surprisingly violent way (she stabs him in the back and brains him with a rolling pin). Clayton and Agutter think Oates is dead and they can be a couple, but Oates wakes up and gathers his numerous brothers for some revenge...as does the Railroad when they find out Oates isn't dead...

As this is a late era Spaghetti Western, the pacing isn't exactly full throttle, but I was surprised to see that the violence was very realistic - people get shot and fall over instead of clutching themselves and spinning around the place, and the violence is very abrupt and sudden, like the accidental shooting of a hooker through a window or two corpses being shot over and over again.

Plus, Testi stands out as the lightening fast Clayton, made weak through his love for Agutter. Apart from her dodgy Irish accent, Agutter does well too and spends a lot of time naked with Testi (I actually gave birth to Testi's child just by watching this film!). Warren Oates stands out too, with his mumbly, tired character.

This must be one of the very last Spaghetti Westerns, and it's worth tracking down if you can find an uncut version of it. Sam Peckinpah makes a surreal cameo too, just to add to the sense of weirdness.

Named after a mysterious signpost in Beaumont, southeast Texas, set between U.S. 90 and the adjacent Southern Pacific railroad tracks, that inexplicably reads "China 9 Liberty 37", with the genre fading quick into obscurity in both sides of the Atlantic, this, Monte Hellman's and Warren Oates' final western, seems to be trying to succeed despite itself, setting pitfalls for itself and falling into them but still somehow remaining a formidable picture, not just worthy of bearing Monte Hellman's name (a vastly under-appreciated American auteur with an incredible run in the early 70's that saddly never took off) but doing justice to it.

If the movie can work despite Fabio Testi's unintelligible Italian accent, then it can overcome almost everything. I say almost because Pino Donaggio's score (a jumbled mess of muzak apart from the fitting opening credits theme that seems to be consciously channeling Morricone) defies overcoming and Hellman's inexplicable fixation to not only squeeze a heartfelt romance out of two actors (Testi and Jenny Agutter) who simply don't have it in them to look "in love" but to go ahead and film not one but two long "making love" scenes, y'know, the ones where the two lovers are lost passionately in each other's eyes, kiss like fishes and rock back and forth in a rhythmic staccato all of which is played to horrible "making love" muzak, threaten to throw the whole thing permanently off.

But just when you think he's lost control, all Hellman needs to do to suck the viewer back in is cut to Warren Oates. A man not only made from that late 60's mold of cinematic badass but also a naturally charismatic actor who gave some truly electrifying performances for Hellman (COCKFIGHTER and TWO-LANE BLACKTOP), Oates, as the grizzly homesteader fighting the railroad company he once worked for that is now trying to steal his land, makes the movie, has the gravitational pull to keep everything together. Even in his early 50's he has so much charisma he can spare some for bland hunk Fabio Testi.

With the spaghetti western dead by 1978 (the last major release was MANNAJA the previous year - and the Italian genre industry moving on to a not-so-eclectic mix of MAD MAX and JAWS rip-offs to sustain itself in its waning years, before the advent of home video and movies opening worldwide killed it off) and Clint Eastwood continuing to carry the American western on his shoulders almost single-handedly, China 9 Liberty 37 is more of a throwback to Hellman's previous westerns, a particular niche unto themselves that take from both national western schools but subscribe to neither, than anything contemporary, certainly not as violent and cynic as most 70's westerns. Seen with regards to an overall oeuvre, China takes its proper place somewhere between THE SHOOTING and RIDE THE WHIRLWIND. More the sum of their author's fixations, clearly works bearing a distinct auteurial mark, Hellman's westerns seem like the late 60's equivalent of Budd Boetticher's Ranown westerns. The minimalism of the plot, the isolated settings, the lone female characters... but that's for another post.

'China 9, Liberty 37' is last of Monte Hellman's westerns, and his weakest attempt in that genre. The film tries to combine elements of spaghetti western with Hellman's usual existential vision. Although entertaining and thrilling at moments, the film falls into mediocrity as there isn't enough spaghetti nor existentialism.

Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is a gunslinger waiting to be hanged, but is given last minute pardon when men from railroad company hire him to kill Matthew Sabinek (Warren Oates) who used to work as a hired gun for same men years ago. Sounds interesting? Clayton rides into the farm where Matthew lives with his young wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter). The younger and faster gunslinger, who has grown weary of the killing, decides not to complete his mission when he starts to like Matthew and two men become sort of friends. And then enters farmer's gorgeous looking wife.

There is the feel of growing tension in the first quarter of the film, that promises to become tense thriller, but then falls flat as generic love triangle and revenge story. Fabio Testi's lack of charisma against the talents and gravely looks of great Warren Oates becomes obstacle that doesn't allow proper chemistry to evolve between two main characters. Monte Hellman's other westerns (or western type movies) weren't always very thick and original on plot either, but they were executed with fascinating ways and ideas.

Recommended to the fans of Warren Oates and Monte Hellman, and when you do, try to get the uncut version as there are some meaty lines (an nudity) to juice things up a little bit.

Also, another great western director Sam Peckinpah treats the fans of the genre with wonderful cameo as an author Wilbur Olsen who wants to write story based on Clayton's life.

Condemned gunman Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) , a pistolero in a Tom Mix hat , is given a last minute by a railway company chief (Luis Prendes) for reprieve freedom on condition he kills rancher Matthew (Warren Oates) . Visiting Matthew's ranch, Clayton is really stalked by Matthew , holding out against the advancing railroad with his trusted rifle and his less than trusty Anglo-Irish spouse .Clayton is unable to bring himself to kill Matthew and leaves, but Matthew's wife, Catherine (Jenny Agutter) , believing she has murdered Matthew during an argument joins Clayton. Then , there takes place the deadliest crossroad as Matthew, still alive, and mad as hell joins Clayton's equally angered partners (Franco Interlenghi , Charly Bravo , Romano Puppo) to hunt down Clayton and wife who has escaped with him .

The plot is usual in Spaghetti Western genre : a merciless vendetta , as a killer is contracted to murder , but the assassin fails to deliver, prompting a revenger to go after him instead . It delivers an absurd parallel within the stereotyped framework of the European Western , and revealing the sheer gratuitousness of traditional roles-types and ordinary mechanisms to create an uproarious genre critique . It provides an acceptable main and support cast . Fabio Testi gives a passable acting as a condemned killer who is hired by a railroad boss to murder an uncooperative rancher . While the gorgeous Jenny Agutter shows his beauty and charming face . As always , Warren Oates , Monte Hellman's regular , steals the show as the relentless avenger hubby . Support cast is formed by notorious secondaries as director Sam Peckinpah , SidneyLassick , Isabel Mestres , and familar faces from Spaghetti or Paella Western as Luis Prendes , Charly Bravo , Luis Barboo, Rafael Albaicin , Romano Puppo , and Helga Line .

Colorful and evocative cinematography by prestigious Giuseppe Rotunno , shot on location in desert of Tabernas , Almeria , andalucia , Spain . And sensitive as well as evocative musical score by Pino Donaggio . The picture was professionally directed by Monte Hellman , though it results to be slow-moving and has several flaws and gaps . After a few years directing in summer theater, Hellman hooked up with legendary "B" movie producer Roger Corman in the late 1950s. Corman helped finance Hellman's production of "Waiting For Godot", the the first time that Samuel Beckett's play had been staged in Los Angeles . Hellman made his film directorial debut with Beast from haunted cave (1959), and directed portions of Corman's The terror (1963). Hellman has directed a few films , some of them are deemed cult movies . As Monte has made : Back door to hell (1964) , Flight to fury (1964) , The shooting (1966) , Ride in the whilwind , Two-lane blacktop (1971) , Cockfighter (1974) , The Iguana and this Clayton Drumm or Catherine or China 9 Liberty 37 , among others .

"China 9, Liberty 37" was a 1978 Italian-Spanish Western directed by the enigmatic American Monte Hellman, who has made few features during his 50-year career. Its recent airing on the Western Channel confirmed its cult status, as it stars Warren Oates, that fine underrated actor frequently used by Hellman, this being their final collaboration before Oates' untimely death at age 53 in 1982. Not having seen it since the early 1980s, and perusing the other 11 reviews on IMDb, I can attest that this is the full, uncut 102 minute version, with all the nudity and some of the most frank, shocking lines you're likely to hear in a Western. The other comments gripe about the poor quality of all available prints, and the accent of leading man Fabio Testi. I have two major complaints myself, in that the film seems much longer due to its meandering script, but what is unforgivable is that the soundtrack, from the footsteps to the chickens, even the music, simply drowns out much of the dialogue. The photography is excellent, the acting is good, and Hellman works wonders with his material, I just couldn't recommend it to anyone hard of hearing. The frustration is eased by Warren Oates, who manages to gain sympathy as the wronged husband, and the lovely Jenny Agutter, who supplies the film's bold nude scenes as the supposedly shy wife who becomes a whore. As the gunman who falls in love, Fabio Testi's accent makes his line readings a real chore to decipher, while small cameos are provided by Sidney Lassick and Sam Peckinpah, the latter playing a wealthy author manufacturing tales of the Old West. There is also an extremely brief appearance by European cult beauty Helga Line as a hotel proprietor. The 15-year heyday of the Spaghetti Western (1964-1979) was nearing its end, and this frank and occasionally bloody example continues to wallow in obscurity, but isn't that a typical fate for any movie directed by Monte Hellman? My favorite Hellman feature remains his first, "Beast from Haunted Cave," a 1959 collaboration with Gene and Roger Corman.

"There ain't no soft-hearted gunfighters" says Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates) to Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) late in Monte Hellman's lyrical western "China 9 Liberty 37" a/k/a "Amore, piombo e furore". The English title reflects the words on a crossroad's sign shown at the start of the film.

Hellman fans will be happy to finally find this film available on DVD, as a 2005 release by Mill Creek Entertainment. Although the IBDb does not yet link to it, Amazon has it listed as "China 9 Liberty 37/Gone With the West". The second movie on the DVD, "Gone With the West" (a/k/a "Little Moon and Old Jug"), is a James Caan-Sammy Davis Jr. western best described as "The Rat Pack on LSD". It is a horrible western made even worse by the condition of the print they used to make the DVD, but it does feature one of the most intense cat-fights in cinema history.

The print for "China 9" is a bit better but suffers from a poor "pan and scan" full-screen treatment and weak audio tracks. It also has some editing glitches, which probably resulted from the need to cobble together a decent print for transfer to DVD. And I suspect the original release was longer than this 98minute version.

Hellman and Oates also collaborated on "The Shooting" and if you enjoyed that effort you should really like "China 9". In "China 9" Oates plays a retired gunfighter mining gold on land he refuses to sell to the railroad. Testi (the best of a long line of English-challenged pretty-boy European actors who worked in the western genre in the 60's and 70's) is hired by the railroad to kill Oates. But the two gunfighters hit it off and Testi refuses to complete the job. In the meantime Oates' wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter) comes on to Testi. They run off together believing she has killed Matthew, but he survives and begins to hunt them down. To add additional complications to the story, the railroad recruits a squad of gunfighters to kill both Matthew and Clayton.

Clayton Drum is good western hero. Although he drinks a lot of cocaine based tonic, he maintains his professional integrity and refuses to sell out to the wild west show promoters or the dime novelists. The world may be changing and making him irrelevant, but he sticks to his principles. "My life is not for sale".

Fans of "The Hunting Party" will find a familiar storyline, Fellini fans will find a nice homage to their favorite director, and Sam Peckinpah fans will find an actual appearance-while a small speaking part it is more than just a cameo.

The action sequences are extremely well staged, although the effects are on the cheap side. The action in the big final showdown scene is totally credible and leaves one wondering why other directors can't exercise their imaginations and come up with equally plausible shootouts. Plus there is an extremely nice twist to the story's resolution that you don't see coming. Finally, Hellman goes out on a slick "mise en scene" shot that actually advances the story a final notch.

"China 9" is an absolute must-see for fans of Jenny Agutter. Hellman liked to give his films an overexposed grainy look (as if the film stock was pushed a couple of steps in processing). Combined with minimal makeup this gave his heroines a strikingly haunting and earthy beauty, check out Millie Perkins in "The Shooting" and "Ride the Whirlwind". Like Perkins, Agutter has never looked better and is more than credible as the catalyst of this love triangle.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

A somewhat odd spaghetti Western. I am not familiar with this Monte Hellman, but at first I thought he was trying to be Sergio Leone. Later, I thought he was trying to outdo Leone. I am not sure if the setting is supposed to be southeast Texas, even though there are towns named China and Liberty there, but the countryside there is wooded, and even a bit swampy. Excellent photography of the arid Spanish landscapes. The sound was awful, though, with score and background noise often drowning out dialog. Fabio Testi was the wooden anti-hero, with a serious Italian accent. Warren Oates was the only really well-developed character. Jenny Agutter was oh, so beautiful. But she was alternately reserved and wanton, so it was hard to figure out her character. (You really have to see the uncut version. It is available if you search hard enough for it.) There were a few anachronisms and plot holes but not terribly so. A pet peeve of mine is people suffering grievous wounds, like gunshots and stabbings, and seemingly having no ill effects after three days. I know it moves the narrative along, but sheesh. Anyway it was OK, and just a bit better due to Agutter.

A rancher standing in the way of the railroad getting his property is slated for killing by a convict who will escape the hangman's noose if he does the job. Instead of doing the hit, the con takes off with the rancher's wife, creating a big manhunt and many deaths. There was a big shoot-out at the end of the picture and a few high points along the way, but overall this film was a loser. Too many pointless sex and nudity scenes, not enough action. Slow and dull.

"China 9, Liberty 37" sounds like the final score of a high school girls' basketball game, but it is the American title of this spaghetti western. Fabio Testi plays the part of Clayton Drumm, a gunslinger who avoids the hangman's noose by agreeing to take on a job--the murder of a man, Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates), whose land is desired by the railroad. He rides to the man's property and insinuates himself into the household. Like Clint Eastwood, he is the quiet, deadly type and the lady of the house, Catherine (Jenny Agutter) takes a hankering to him.

During his stay on the property, Drumm's emotions are stirred and he questions his decision to murder the man.

A large part of the story is a romance. But most of the characters are driven by pride or greed, so you know love will probably suffer in the crossfire.

Better known for such films as "Walkabout" and "Logan's Run", Jenny Agutter does a credible job as the object of men's desires. Nudity is a sizable part of her role. Testi, as the strong silent type is enough to stir a frontier woman's imagination. Oates, as usual, plays a scruffy, steely-eyed guy.

I found the story interesting, but technical issues--like imbalanced sound and choppy editing--sometimes get in the way.

Maybe it was just the copy I got but I had trouble understanding anything said, the sound was just terrible. Despite that, I plodded through it hoping something would happen to make it worth the time. Unfortunately, it just didn't grab my attention at all. The characters were uninteresting, their motivation confusing, and I found myself wondering how much time was left long before it was done.

The intended love connection was contrived and seriously under-developed. I've heard of love at first sight but when a married woman and the man intending to kill her husband are supposed to 'feel the burn', a little indication beyond eye contact is required to convince this viewer.

I probably shouldn't complain because I did only spend 38 cents but being free wouldn't be enough to help raise the rating on this one. I give it a 4 because it had some potential and I have seen worse but it's more of a 3.5 rounded up...

But that's just my 2 scents. ;)

China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)

** (out of 4)

Condemned gunman Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is saved from the noose but he must track down farmer Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates) and kill him since he refuses to sell his valuable land to the railroad company. Clayton goes to do the deed but ends up falling in love with the man's wife (Jenny Agutter), which just adds more problems. This Italian/Spanish co-production from cult director Hellman has a few decent moments but in the end this is a pretty boring affair from start to finish. I know Hellman has a strong cult following among some film fans but I can't say I'm one of them. This film here is yet another Spaghetti Western that tells a rather familiar story but Hellman puts his own spin on things and these spins actually hurt more than help. This film has a lot of problems including letting the viewer know who we should be cheering for. The film starts off with Testi being the bad guy and we're given Matthew to like. At around the thirty-minute mark we switch sides as it turns out Matthew is a real jerk who abuses his wife and the director has decided to put us in a love story. The love story between Testi and Agutter never works for several reasons. One reason is that the two have no chemistry and one can't help but roll their eyes at the love banter they give at each other. The screenplay mentions that Agutter is shy and "changes her clothes in the barn" but that doesn't keep her from being nude in this thing at least six different times. The nude scenes are only available in the R-rated cut (most boots are of the TV print) and are the main reasons to watch this thing. Agutter is an incredibly beautiful woman so seeing her nude is about the only thing that keeps this sucker moving. However, even the sex scenes are messed up by Hellman as he decides to film them in a slow-motion fashion with an incredibly bad score over them and a couple even has some sort of weak pop song. Why on Earth Hellman decided to do this is anyone's guess but it doesn't work. I also didn't believe Testi in his role too much but then again this could be due to the fact that Hellman seemed more interested in showing off his body than anything else. Oates is always dependable and he turns in a good performance even though the screenplay does him no favors. Agutter's role is pretty thankless but she gives it all she can. Look quick for Sam Peckinpah as a writer.

It's 1881. Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is given a last-minute opportunity to escape the hangman's noose by the railway men. He has to kill a rancher named Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates) who owns land wanted by the railway company. Matthew lives in the middle of nowhere with his wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter).

This is mostly for Agutter fans. Warren Oates has been in many superior westerns and I don't know Testi. This is more a romance novel than a spaghetti western. The movie should have stayed on that dirt farm until one of them is dead. The End. That's the movie. The story loses steam once it moves away from the farm and the tension from the isolation. It's not great but some of it is still interesting.

If you've watched the Clint Walker series "Cheyenne" this movie plays like a softcore episode. Fabio Testi comes across very much like Clint Walker in a storyline that is as much a romance as a western.

Almost every version of this I have seen suffers from fuzzy, blurry visuals and murky dialogue. Otherwise it's a good "spaghetti western" from Monte Hellman. And anything with Warren Oates is worth watching.

The fact that this "tuchia" gets 6 stars on the IMDb scale and Two Lane Blacktop rates only 7.2 is proof how meaningless these aggregate scores are. I do sometimes wonder how much is lost in the pan-and-scan releases that these B movies get but I don't think anything could raise this film above bad and pretentious. Whether this is the fault of the producers or the director is usually a tale untold. My guess is that the producers wanted Agutter naked for half the film (bad) and that Hellman thought it would be cool to have Peckinpah mumble a few lines (pretentious). One interesting note is that this is the only screen credit for Jerry Harvey, the ill-fated programming genius behind Z channel in LA during the 1980's.

One of the few (only?) westerns where sex is the main motivator, a wonderful spaghetti western with Fabio Testi and Jenny Agutter, with Warren Oates and a rare performance by Sam Peckingpaugh. An important film in the ouvre of Monte Hellman, quintessential 70's cult director; a man who has made more great films than Coppola yet remains mostly unknown in his home country. See "Two-Lane Blacktop," "Cockfighter," and "The Shooting."

Compared to the pared-down, bleak economy of Two-Lane Blacktop or The Shooting, this film comes over as a flabby, conventional affair. There is not nearly enough attraction between the two romantic leads; the plot wanders and the direction frequently lags; even Warren Oates is not at his quirky best here. The characters are not observed, they are merely filmed.

By way of compensation, some of the cinematography is actually quite interesting. The director of photography was Guiseppe Rotunno who worked on many of Fellini's films, and in many of the exterior shots he and Hellman achieve a singular chiaroscuro effect; the foreground characters are often in deep shadow while an intense, golden morning or evening light illuminates a stunning backdrop of cliffs or mountains.

Many of the interior shots are also carefully lit, again with strong use of shadow; but the main characters just aren't interesting enough to engage the attention. The sudden intensity of Sam Peckinpah's brief appearance points up the shortcomings of the rest of the film; the way Jenny Agutter focuses on him makes you realise how little chemistry there is between her and Fabio Testi.

Hard to recommend, especially with the truly dismal quality of the available prints.

When the spaghetti genre was all but dead in the late 1970s, the last gasps brought some of the most interesting examples of the genre, including this one. Actually, I am not sure if it qualifies as being a "spaghetti western" because it was helmed by an American director (Monte Hellman) instead of an Italian. It's probably because of this that the end results don't always play out like a typical spaghetti western. It's quite slow at times, and its atmosphere, instead of being action-packed, is pretty serious. In fact, it's almost arty at times. The movie is also interesting in that the main character of the movie, played by Fabio Testi, is not all that sympathetic. Speaking of Testi, his thick accent makes some of his dialogue difficult to understand. But the movie has some strengths as well as weaknesses. There's not much action, but what there is is fairly exciting. There's a good musical score (kind of a mix between European and American western music). And while the movie is slow, it does get you interested in sticking around to see what will happen in the end. If you are into Italian westerns and want to see something a little different - and have some patience to sit through some slow and/or clunky moments - this movie does have some interest.