Django Defies Sartana

If you are familiar with the spaghetti western genre, you have probably correctly guessed that "Django Defies Sartana" was a cash-in, naming its protagonists after the heroes of past popular spaghetti westerns. Actually, the Sartana character in this movie does have some resemblance to the original Sartana character, though the Django character does not (no machine gun, among other things.) But I didn't care if the movie was a rip-off or not, I just wanted it to be entertaining. The movie does get to a slow start, with the plot not starting until a quarter of the running time has passed. But when the plot kicks in, the movie does manage to keep some interest in the viewer, with some action and various plot twists. I'm not saying this is a GREAT spaghetti western, but fans of the genre will probably find it decent enough. And it's the closest we'll ever get to uniting Django and Sartana in the same film!

Django (Tony Kendall) is in a search party hunting down the criminal Carlos. Meanwhile, Sartana (George Ardisson) arrives in his town, and the bank owner Philip Singer (Bernard Farber) asks his clerk Steve (John Alvar), who is Django's brother, to offer three thousand dollars to Sartana for him to leave the town. Sartana does not accept the offer and Steve leaves his hotel room and meets a prostitute to party with her. When Singer and his niece are kidnapped on the road and the bank's safe is found empty, the locals believe that Sartana and Steve robbed the bank. A group of vigilantes catch Steve, hang him and leave his corpse in the rain. Then Django returns, he meets his mute friend (José Torres) and finds the body of Steve. Django buries Steve and heads with Mute to seek out Sartana. They fight each other and Django learns that Sartana is innocent and has neither kidnapped Singer and his niece nor robbed the bank. Django, Sartana and Mute team-up and look for the real thief.

"Django sfida Sartana" is a spaghetti western with a simple storyline of revenge, but very entertaining. Like other Italian western from the 70's, the edition is poor, the acting is wooden and the weapons do not need to be recharged. But who cares, the film is not bad and amuses. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Django Desafia Sartana" ("Django Challenges Sartana")

The most dangerous gunman Sartana is in town, everybody expects the worst after he spectacularly taught a young wannabe a lesson. And to nobody's surprise, within a few days the bank has been robbed, Sartana disappears and Django's younger brother Steve as suspected to have helped him. Steve is hanged by the enraged citizens, although he swore he was innocent. Django follows Sartana to avenge his brother and find out the truth about the bank robbery...

This is a rather good movie, not one of the best, but among the upper half of the countless Django flicks. Especially Ardisson impressed me as Sartana - a professional, cold as ice! Django is portrayed more emotional by Kendall. The wild, jazzy music by Umiliani is almost over the top sometimes. "They call him Django" is a rather traditional title song, though.

Django (Tony Kendall) returns to his hometown of Tombstone to find his brother, local banker Steve, hanging from a noose. Steve has been executed following accusations that he had teamed up with Sartana (George Ardisson) to empty the safe of the bank, and had assisted his new colleague in the murder of bank manager Mr Singer (Bernard Faber). In reality, Singer had entrusted Steve with the task of confronting Sartana, and paying him to leave Tombstone rather than raiding the bank. A disgusted Sartana refuses this offer.

Believing his brother to be innocent, Django sets out in pursuit of Sartana to discover the truth. The two heavy-weight protagonists stand face to face in combat, before learning that all is not as it seems with Singer's murder, and team up on a quest for justice and revenge.

On locating a copy of "Django Against Sartana" I was immediately convinced that it would be a low budget, fairly average flick, name-checking the established characters in a vain effort to generate interest. But there is no denying that my squinting eyes display the threatening figures of Django and Sartana in front of me. It must be said however, a recent visit to the opticians had highlighted that I have clearly needed glasses for sometime (yet my vanity had prevented it). Reaching for said specs soon confirmed my original expectations - this Django is certainly no Nero (and not even a Hill or Steffen), and Sartana is no Garko. We are talking Z-list Django and Sartana here! Only the vague costume resemblance provides a hint to the identity of these feared gunfighters.

Despite my obvious mickey-taking, I must say that I did really enjoy this film - probably largely because it was such an unintentional parody of the genre to which it belongs (it certainly wasn't for the wooden character acting!). The story did provide some great entertainment though, even if it was fairly predictable. I did also enjoy the effect of the freeze-frame grand entrance of the main characters.

However...... I couldn't hold my hand to my heart and recommend it to anyone. And I guess, truth be told, I never thought I would be able to.

(1970) Django Challenges Sartana/ Django defies Sartana/ Django sfida Sartana DUBBED SPAGHETTI WESTERN MYSTERY

Written and directed by Pasquale Squitieri that has Django (Tony Kendall) and his posse taking on Cuervo and his gang. And when news hits, Django becomes the talk of the town just as soon as Sartana (George Ardisson) comes into town. Head banker, Phillip Singer (Bernard Faber) asking one of it's employees, Steve Farrell (John Alvar) who happens to be Django's brother to personally deliver $3,000 over to him so that he won't rob the town's bank. Sartana becomes insulted and kicks Steve out of his rented room. And when the head banker, Phillip Singer gets shot, and the banks money goes missing, it is then assumed Sartana conspired with Django's brother to steal the town's money. Leading the entire town to lynch and hang Steve by the townspeople. By the time Django shows up, and finds out what happen he vows retribution assuming that that was exactly what may have happened. What ends up happening is that the head banker, Phillip Singer was alive all along and that it was a scheme to steal the town's money. All he did was change his name to Don Fellippe, both him and his wife succeeded in fooling the townspeople. Django seeking retribution to what happened to his brother with Sartana wanting to clear his name coming with them is a mute named Loco (José Torres).

Watchable quickie mess that consists of an interesting set up that gets bogged down with uninteresting shoots outs and a mediocre fisticuff sequence between Django and Sartana. And like if that was my brother who was falsely accused like Django's brother was, beside the head banker and his wife, I think I'd also go after some of the townspeople who participated in that lynching via "Hang Em High", I assumed the writer and director of this movie by the name of Pasquale Squitieri may not have seen that movie.