Because hundreds of Italian westerns were made, they couldn't all be classics! In fact, a bunch had to fall in the at best mediocre range--and "A Bullet for Sandoval" certainly is that. Despite a starring role for Ernest Borgnine, this wasn't enough to elevate this movie to anything other than a time-passer for those obsessed with the genre.The film begins with an idiot being told his girlfriend is about to give birth to his baby. Despite this being during the Civil War and the man being in the Confederate army, he just runs away--and so it's hard to really empathize with the guy even though he wants to return and marry the lady and do the right thing. When he arrives, however, he finds that his girlfriend is dead! And, her father threatens to kill him unless he leaves and takes the baby with him! He and his partners leave and try to find lodging and food, but because a Cholera outbreak has occurred, folks are very unfriendly and refuse help. The baby soon gets sick and dies and the man vows to make the towns and the baby's grandfather pay. Now this was actually a pretty good idea for a film (despite the whole AWOL angle). However, the man and his friends went far beyond exacting revenge--the gang grew and they terrorized EVERYONE. Because of this, you really had no empathy for him or his nihilistic cause. On the other hand, the father (Borgnine) wasn't exactly likable...and in fact NO ONE in the film was the least bit likable or multi-dimensional. They were all either scum or victims! Because of this and the film's not taking advantage of a decent plot idea, I found myself happy when the whole thing ended (and on a very, very downbeat note).

I had been always told this was a great film. What I found when I finally saw it was that it's a messy film.It's about a southern soldier who deserts to marry his girl who is about to give birth during a cholera epidemic. Eventually making it home he is refused permission to marry by the girls father. She dies, the baby survives and the father rides off with a friend and the baby. Picking up a monk they travel a short while before the baby dies. Dad swears revenge and after picking up some other bad man goes after the father of his dead lover.Things happen and only enough is explained to move things along. As I said to dad, I'm watching simply to see if they pull it out in the end. It never did.On some level the pieces work but as a whole this film just doesn't work.

Saturday continues with another Spaghetti western with Ernest Borgnine and George Hilton.The story takes place during the Civil War. Hilton got Borgnine's daughter pregnant, and she died delivering. Hilton comes back to marry her, finds, out she's dead, and takes the baby, who dies because no one would defy Don Pedro Sandoval (Borgnine) and give him milk.After the baby dies, he flips and gathers some murderers to get revenge on all who were responsible, particularly Sandoval.Great knife fight between the two of them at the end, and I assure you it wasn't a bullet that did him in.Good action throughout.

Bullet for Sandoval, A (1969) *** (out of 4)Interesting Spaghetti Western takes place during the Civil War when a soldier (George Hilton) gets word that his pregnant girlfriend is dying. By the time he reaches the house she has died and her jealous father (Ernest Borgnine) makes him leave with their newborn son. Without the resources to take care of the child, it dies and soon the soldier sets out for revenge. This film has a great revenge story going for it but by the time it ended I was pretty mad at the movie because it could have been so much better. The film has several subplots and none of them are as interesting as the revenge story so these subplots get in the way and in the end they really pull the film back some. The film's main story is still good enough to make this worth watching as it features some great action sequences as well as two good performances by the leads. Hilton is very good in his mainly silent role and Borgnine delivers a maniac style performance. The ending is very strange and bizarre but it works well with the film even though the revenge takes a few different turns.