The Hellbenders

a special western. because the classic ingredients of genre are only details. because the theme of illusory dream becomes, scene by scene, more dramatic and complex. at the first sigh - the film of Joseph Cotten proposing an ambiguous hero. in fact, few interesting performances - Norma Bengell and Julian Mateos are the most easy to name - , a story who is far to be predictable, a powerful end who has the mark of period but who transforms entire story in a kind of parable. a film who is different by basic expectations. and that fact does it special. because it has not exactly genre apart, the theme is more profound by fights, love stories and line between good and bad guy, the meetings with different people, from the original sin to the desire of justice of the Indians , the memorable performance of All Mulock as the beggar, are steps to the verdict of viewer. a waste trip, madness of lost cause, justice or simply destiny. a film with many touching scenes. and with an useful message.

This film (which I saw as "The Hellbenders") is not much like the average western. As you watch, it is not easy to decide if we are supposed to be rooting for or against the main characters. Even when it becomes apparent which side of the good/evil line most of them stand on, Jonas (the real focus of the story) remains in a grey area. In the end, wether he is a hero or villain depends on the ideals of the audience. That is what I found most refreshing about this film. It lets you make up your own mind, rather than forcing one opinion of what is virtuous on you.

A Sergio Corbucci's brand new box come out this mouth on Brazilian market, three pictures spotlessly restored, I've pick up "I Crudeli" which I've never saw, mainly by famous Brazilian pretty actress Norma Bengell who co-starring this Spaghetti, by the way I didn't expect too much shall I tell, having the veteran actor Joseph Cotten coming to Europe due he is no longer was asking for by the American filmmakers, thus I went to watch with a foot behind.

Elapsed a half hour I'd change my early thoughts, Corbucci implies an American style, including the audio allowing the English language, sustained by a far-reaching screenplay the story flows so easy, about a Confederate General Jonas (Joseph Cotten) let down for lost the war against the Yankees, settles a daring plan assisted by his three sons to ambush a calvary's convoy that has a large money shipment which would be used in the reboot of the Confederate issue under his leadership, thereafter a successful bloody massacre, the next step is passing through of the Yankee territory to reach at Mexico, the scheme is quite resourceful, aided by his drunkard mistress Kitty (Maria Martin) pretends be a widow carrying back the corpse of his late husband a Confederate hero Captain Ambrose, instead it in the coffin has the stolen money, dully escorted by them.

Tragically the hard-drinking Kitty waver in the first Yankee's barrier, the cold-blooded Col. Jonas gets rid of the unstable woman, hence to keep the previous plan ahead Jonas demands that his most reliable son Ben (Julian Mateos) got a woman on the nearest city to replace as the late widow, Ben sees on the Claire (Norma Bengell) a clever poker player that should fit perfect in the widow role, promising to her two thousand dollars for the job, soon Claire envisages that is in jeopardy due the lewd Jeff (Gino Pernice) tries rape her, also the greedy Nat (Angel Aranda) upon the compliant eyes of Col. Jonas which just slapping them occasionally for others reasons only.

The craftsman director Sergio Corbucci build up a solid storyline stitched by multi-colored characters of several shades, mixing hate, tyranny, greediness and filthy behavior and even human kindness, a movie that stands of test of time, sounds fresh and deserves be discovered by newest generation of the worldwide cinephiles, Corbucci never let me down!!

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

Sergio Corbucci's Western is packed with noisy action and lots of violence. Italian-Spanish co-production financed by Jose G. Maesso and Albert Band with full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and drama. This is a surprisingly low-key Spaghetti Western set in the post-Civil War era in which a washed-out confederate Colonel (Joseph Cotten) and his band of three sons (Julian Mateos ,Guido Pernice, Angel Aranda) lead a hearse and taking on a variety of problems and risks with the aim to go on the rebel cause. As three diverse characters and their father who call themselves ¨The Hellbenders¨ joining forces to carry a stolen currency and weapons. The crazed ex-Confederate Cotten plans to utilize it to reorganize Confederacy and rekindle the war but finding numerous complications .

This entertaining picture contains a twisted plot, Western action , crossfire and bits of campy and refreshing events with twists and turns. An improbable blending of standard Western with pursuits, high body-count and it's fast moving as well as quite entertaining. An interesting casting full of usual Spaghetti faces make this oater well worth the watching. Delightful Western in which the violent family uses their wit, breaking all the rules and kicking virtually every cliché in the pants, as the group relentlessly deceives, plunders, robs and kills. Decent but sometimes lumbering Western goes on and on about the same premise , as minutes are superfluous, it has quarter hour of excess , as it pack some moments turn out to be dull and tiring . Furthermore, here appears ordinary secondaries of Spaghetti/Paella Western, such as: Julián mateos, Ángel Aranda, Aldo Sambrell , Ennio Girolami, Jose Canalejas , Alvaro De Luna, Simón Arriaga, Rafael Vaquero and Benito Stefanelli who is also master of arms and stunt. The musician Ennio Morricone or Leo Nichols composes a nice soundtrack with catching leitmotif and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds with use of harmonica , trumpets and guitar. Striking cinematography by Enzo Barboni or E. B. Clucher (author of Trinity series with Terence Hill, Bud Spencer) who does an adequate cinematography with barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and photographed in Eastmancolor with negative regularly processed, that's why results necessary an urgent remastering . Interiors filmed at Italia , Cinecitta studios , and outdoor sequences shot on outskirts of Madrid La Pedriza , Colmenar Viejo , and of course , at Almeria, Spain, as usual. In addition , there are many fine technicians and good helpers, intervening as assistant direction Ruggiero Deodato, future director of ¨Cannibal Holocaust¨ and evocative Art Direction by Perez Cubero and Galicia.

The direction by Sergio Corbucci (along with the uncredited Albert Band) is well crafted, here is more cynical and less inclined towards humor and contains too much action, but especially this attractive western contains ample violence. Therefore the film contains shootouts, bloody spectacles and fist fights. Sergio Corbucci filmed his first Western in Spain, explaining the following: ¨I saw that in Spain there were these magnificent horses, these extraordinary canyons, this desert landscape that looked a lot like Mexico or Texas, or rather how we imagined them. So, when Sergio Leone and I were filming 'The Last Days of Pompeii' (1959), we often said to each other: "Wait a minute, we could make an incredible Western here, right?" Corbucci was an expert in Spaghetti Westerns, but also in comedies, his Western scores were usually composed by Ennio Morricone, and the comedies were frequently composed by Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis. The other Sergio made several Spaghetti classics as ¨ Django¨, ¨The great silence¨, ¨The specialist¨ , and Zapata Westerns as ¨The Mercenary¨, ¨The Compañeros¨ and ¨What am I doing in middle of the revolution¨ . In addition Sergio directed other other less successful S. W. such as: ¨Far West story¨ ,¨Johnny Oro¨, ¨The white the yellow an the black¨ and ¨Minnesota Clay¨. It's an offbeat , surprising and uneven Western but will appeal to Corbucci aficionados . Rating : 7 , riotous Western in which there's too much action and violence and excitement enough.

Under the pretense of escorting a body back east for burial, ex-Confederate Joseph Cotten and his sons transport a coffin full of stolen cash meant to be used to re-start the Confederacy and begin the second Civil War. However, robbing and killing a military transport was the easy part for Cotten and sons.

There's lots of great moments of suspense and double-crossing treachery in this slightly offbeat, above average spaghetti western, featuring director Sergio Corbucci's usual flair for excessive violence (for the 60's) and a good, more subtle than usual music score by the great Ennio Morricone.

Cotten, (who's great) in an appropriately cruel and domineering performance, heads a cast of familiar European faces, including a great cameo appearance by Spanish actor Aldo Sambrell as a sweaty Mexican bandit.