This brilliant movie is haunting and beautiful. The directing by Sergeo Leone, the music by Ennio Morricone are genius, but the performances by Rod Steiger and James Coburn are rich and moving and unforgettable. This movie is a must see. It's in my top ten favorite films of all time.

Sergio Leone sums up the entire Italian film industry by starting the film with a beautifully framed and composed shot of...Rod Steiger pissing on some ants. And thus starts his fifth and final Spaghetti Western that some people declare a classic while others declare it a failure. Sure, it's got virtually no plot and just sort of meanders along for two and a half hours, but it's got Rod Steiger as a Mexican and it's directed by Sergio Leone - it's great!Rod plays Juan, a bandit leader who tricks his way onto a lush carriage full of rich folk who treat him like he's some kind of disease (amazingly acted by Steiger as he plays up to their bigoted expectations), before turning the tables on them and robbing them of everything they have - including the carriage. It's not long after that Juan meets Sean (or John), who of course is an ex-member of the IRA and loves blowing everything up. Sean/John is played by James Coburn who is literally dressed from head to toe in dynamite, and Juan has a religious experience when he realises that Sean is the key to the bank that Juan has always wanted to break into. The problem these days is that the Mexican revolution is going on and there's soldiers everywhere...and Juan does not want anything to do with no revolution...Although Leone takes his sweet, sweet time digging a plot out of this one, it's such a delight to watch Rod Steiger being Mexican. He slides from wide eyed peasant innocence to rage and his interactions with Coburn are hilarious (usually because Coburn tells him to shut up most of the time). And the cursing! Eeh - the language!Speaking of Coburn, he's having a problem with flashbacks throughout the film - Irish flashbacks involving David Warbreck! Warbreck would go on to be a leading man in Italian films shortly but here he just seems to be involved on some confusing romantic love triangle mixed with paramilitary business. Were they sharing that woman or were they all into each other?There's no iconic gunfights here but there are some large scale battles and a lot of epic tracking shots that depict the carnage of the revolution. Italian minatures master and awesome director in his own right Antonio Margheriti provides the tiny train special effects.I haven't mentioned a story because there isn't one.

My first spaghetti western is a classic, one that seems long by looking at the running time, but grabs you immediately and does not let go. A Mexican bandit hooks up with an Irish revolutionary and gets more than he bargained for as he ends up becoming a hero to his own people reluctantly, not even wanting to be. At first glance, Rod Steiger seems an odd choice to play the Mexican, but he is not only convincing, but extremely funny and likable even playing a rather disreputable character. Teamed with James Coburn, he's fiery, while Coburn is passionate but subtle as the Irish revolutionary who shows him more than a thing or two about carrying a fistful of dynamite.The film starts off with Steiger as a passenger in the carriage heading over the Mexican wilderness, and the sudden arrival of Steiger's familia, presented in a way that is fast, furious and funny! Yes, it's violent and cruel, ending up with surviving naked men and one scantily clothed woman heading back in the wilderness with the open wagon suddenly tossing them over, a symbolism of the ghastly poor getting it over on the cruel and idle rich. But then along comes Coburn as a man on his own mission, telling Steiger and the gang, "Duck, you sucker", blowing things up in the cleverest of ways.If other spaghetti westerns are as entertaining as this, I'm about to go on a spree, especially those directed by Sergio Leone. I'm glad that Clint Eastwood is not in this one, having pretty much been a part of the beginning of the genre, but not right for any of the roles here. Steiger and Coburn are as different as can be, but they play off of each other nicely. This is an exciting adventure and buddy film that brings two culturally different men together to share common ideals that may seem foreign to the common man not into fighting a revolution, but remaining potent and stirring nearly 50 years later.

This film is a masterpiece it was also released as Fistful of Dynamite. Several versions of this film are floating around,some TV versions are butchered,thus it unfairly got some bad reviews.The best way to view it is BUY the UNCUT long version on DVD.If you are able to pick up the uncut version you are in for a real treat.Everything about it is sensational the cinematography,the soundtrack,the story, the acting,tremendous action scenes, it also makes great use of flashbacks and slow motion shots.This movie is just is as good as Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good Bad and the Ugly. It was poorly released in two versions and as stated most TV versions are edited so much you can hardly figure out some parts of the movie.Because of the weak theatrical release and butchered TV versions many people have neverseen or heard of this movie,believe me if you like Sergio Leone you will love this movie.It is James Coburn's best film.Haunting soundtrack that you will never forget.I have seen this movie 7 times it is one of the best westerns ever made !!! Eli Wallach was suppose to get the Rod Steiger role but the studio wanted a bigger name.