A band of Mexican gun-runners employed by a revolutionary general lure an American mercenary into joining their gang, unaware that he is targeting their general.Damiano's film has been called a "serious statement about the Mexican Revolution" and has been recognized as an accomplished blend of "tension, action, politics and history". Now, I'm not sure what the "serious statement" is. That Americans would intercede? That bandits could be radicalized? The soundtrack is from some of Italy's best, but the music is unfortunately not that notable. What draws many people to the film is Klaus Kinski, who is great, but the bizarre dubbing makes him seem fake and unable to really provide his presence to the screen.

This is one of my favourite films. I can't quite say why but it has a more powerful effect on me than most films. On the one hand the film is blunt and lacking in subtlety - the executions it starts with and Nino's (lack of) reaction, his disdain for Mexico and Mexicans and the dilemma with the captain on the tracks. Maybe the subtlety is lost in translation but it's pretty clear there are points being made.But then there's the scene where the bandits are massacred and Adelita just leaves when these days you'd expect floods of tears.The soundtrack obviously deserves a mention particularly the way it's blended into the film a couple of times at the start (guitar player on the train and Chuncho banging his drum).I'm sure this film should get higher ratings than it does. I wonder if the fact that it's overtly anti-American is responsible for that: if I was American I'd probably feel a bit put out by the end of the film.

In the late 1960's, the radical sentiment of the times spurred many an Italian filmmaker to make like Ambrose Bierce and get lost in the Mexican revolution, blissfully unaware (or uncaring) that it ended with an outcome best described by a lyric from The Who, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." and prompting Sergio Leone (a political moderate) to preface his own addition to the revolutionary sub-genre, A Fistful Of Dynamite, with a quote from Mao, reminding the viewer that a revolution was an act of violence, lest we forget.Still, this exuberant, violent leftist fantasy is impossible to resist, thanks to breakneck pacing, a zesty performance by Gian Maria Volante (who was kicked out of Italy's communist party for being too radical!), excellent production values, direction, and cinematography.Also, Martine Beswick is nice to look at and it's always great to see Klaus Kinski in anything he's in. However, paired with Volante, he seems more restrained than usual.One real flaw in the film's ideology (at least in my opinion), is that often times the heroes here seem to act as fascist as the villains, executing people without trial, killing an unarmed priest, sexual assault etcetera, all the things that make the movie interesting, that would now be categorized as human-rights abuses!Interestingly enough, director Damiano Damiani went on to make Amityville II: The Possession!

"A Bullet For the General", exceeded my expectations, and is the best of five DVDs in the "Once Upon a Time in Italy" set. There is no mistaking that this is Gian Maria Volonte's movie. He has way more screen time than in either "A Fistful of Dollars" or "For a Few Dollars More". Klaus Kinski admirers might be disappointed as his screen time is limited in a supporting role. Lou Castel's character seems to barely be breathing in what can only be described as the lowest key performance ever. Martine Bestwick is somewhat livelier, but her appearance is flawed by a Mexican makeup job that can only be described as dreadful. The Ennio Morricone score is above average. Though not quite as good as "The Big Gundown", "A Bullet For the General" must be considered one of the better non-Leone "spaghetti westerns". - MERK