There are few Italian westerns that have more satisfaction for the viewer in my mind than 'Faccia a Faccia' does, Intelligent, fluid characterizations with shifting moral sands, there is nothing typical or predictable about this film. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Morricone's soundtrack is one of his best as well.Volante & Milan both are excellent but it's really Volante's character arc that drives the narrative & he is top notch in every respect. Highly recommended film that should be on every serious spaghetti western film fan's top 10 list IMO. It's a fairly complex film for the genre & challenges the viewer on many levels. Intelligent film making within the confines of the genre. Don't miss it!

Spaghetti with Chorizo Western co-produced by Italy (Alberto Grimaldi , P.E.A Productions , which financed ¨¨The Dollars trilogy) and Spain (Arturo Gonzalez who co-produced ¨For a few dollars more) . This is the original second installment from Cuchillo trilogy and again an awesome Tomas Milian accompanied by an extraordinary Gian Maria Volonte . Very good S.W. about a relentless and exciting confrontation set against spectacular scenery of Almeria . History teacher named Brad Fletcher (Gian Maria Volonte) heads Texas for his health, but falls in with Soloman Bennett's (Tomas Milian) bandit group . Fascinated by their way of life , Fletcher finally takes over the band , leading a sad event and cruel happenings . Turned into a ruthless outlaw Fletcher makes rush deeds , showing that not always a good action produces good results . Solomon 'Beauregard' Bennet is a roguish thief and being pursued by Charlie Siringo (William Berger) . Charlie chases the band called ¨Manada Salvaje¨ ; as the solitary , self-reliant Siringo tracks down Solomon . It will be a long and dangerous pursuit with continuous escapes and double-crosses . The relentless chase is set against strong environment, risked mountains and hazardous trails .This is the second part from Sergio Sollima trilogy , starred by Tomas Milian as the roguish ¨Cuchillo¨ and formed by ¨La Resa Dei Conti¨, or ¨The big Gundown¨ or ¨ The hawk and the prey¨ with Lee Van Cleef and ¨Run Cuchillo run ¨ with Donald O'Brien and this one , all of them belong among the best Spaghetti . It deals with Solomon , splendidly performed by Tomas Milian , he is fine as the hero/villain of the story . Tomas Milian is very nice , he ravages the screen, he jumps, bounds and leaps, hit and run , besides receives violent punches, kicks and wounds . His performance is astonishing , above average to level of these films . The story is wrapped in an aura of sadness , a tragic event on the metamorphosis of Fletcher , a good man turned into a crazed psychopath , being magnificently interpreted by Gian Maria Volonte . Worthwhile watching for a demonstration of the strange relationship between Tomas Milian and Gian Maria Volonte with some looks that say it all . William Berger is the tough but upright law-man and although he doesn't reaches the level of Milian , is also quite restrained . Charlie Siringo was an actual personage who really existed and did what the character in the film does , as he worked as an agent for Pinkerton , being well played by William Berger . This Western is superior than subsequent entry because it packs stirring adventures , shootouts, riding pursuits , treason and is pretty amusing . It's an exciting SW with breathtaking showdown between the protagonists Tomas Milian , Gian Maria Volonte , William Berger and the hoodlums enemies as Rick Boyd , Goffredo Unger , Ivan Scratuglia , Alfonso Rojas , Aldo Sambrell , among others . Aldo Sambrell plays a cruelly baddie role as a traitor killer is terrific , subsequently the would play similar role in other Spaghettis . Furthermore, there appears usual secondaries of Italian/Spanish Western as Italian actors as the femme fatal Jolanda Modio as Maria , Gianni Rizzo as Williams , Rick Boyd as nasty Sheriff , Nello Pazzafini ; as well as Spanish players : Angel Del Pozo as Maximiliam , Jose Torres as Aaron , Antonio Casas , Lorenzo Robledo , Francisco Sanz , Alfonso Rojas and of course Frank Braña in his ordinary role as a bandit . The film blends violence, blood, tension, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing shootouts or stunts every few minutes . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and excellent production design by Carlo Simi , Sergio Leone's usual , he creates a magnificent scenario with barren outdoors, dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the final scenes . Being spectacularly filmed on location in Almería, Andalucía, Spain ,Alto de la Morcuera, Madrid, Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Hoyo de Manzanares, La Cabrera, Madrid, La Pedriza, Manzanares el Real, Madrid, Spain and interiors in Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy(studio). As always , the musician Ennio Morricone, supported by Bruno Nicolai , compose a nice Spaghetti soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds and emotive score . Sergio Sollima's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and too much action. Colorful and evocative cinematography by Emilio Foriscot and Rafael Pacheco , reflecting marvelously the habitual Almeria outdoors . Director Sergio Sollima achieved in "Face to face" possibly one of his bests works of a modest career , with some memorable scenes and good camera movement such as the bank hold-up and the ending duels ; all of them make only can say that this movie seemed to be a true surprise . The picture was well directed by Sollima and following directing successes as Pirate films such as ¨ Sandokan ¨ and ¨ Black Corsario ¨ . Rating : Better than average Western . Essential and indispensable watching .

This is a nice little spaghetti western, but the acting is sub-par. I have seen approximately 4 Thomas Milian spaghetti westerns and generally find that he tends to over-act. Gian Maria Volonte apparently fel the need to measure up to Milians over-acting as well. Volonte looks rather pasty in this film to as if he was freshly dusted with talcum powder before every scene.For classic Gian Maria Volonte see The Sergio Leone movies. To see Thomas Milian in a better performance, well, there really isn't one, because he just isn't that good of an actor.I like the story but found it unbelievable due to poor dialogue and dubbing.Overall a lesser Spaghetti in my opinion.

As indicated by the title, Sollima and star Tomas Milian's follow-up to THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966) is another confrontation/collaboration between two disparate characters: Milian here plays a more mature version of his "Cuchillo" Sanchez characterization from the earlier film - Solomon "Beauregard" Bennett, the leader of an outlaw gang - and alongside him, this time we have Gian Maria Volonte' tackling his most interesting and complex role within the genre (this was his fourth and last Spaghetti Western). Obviously, Volonte' (later a prominent figure in politically-oriented Italian films) is a stronger actor than Lee Van Cleef and, therefore, the film's tone differs considerably from that of THE BIG GUNDOWN; while it may not have the earlier film's scope and isn't as elaborately plotted, it's certainly a more ambitious undertaking with extra care given to individual characterization (and not merely that of the two leads).Volonte' is a meek, tubercular American college professor sent out West by his doctor for health reasons; he meets convicted Milian, whom he unwittingly helps escape and is consequently taken by the latter as hostage. He tags along with Milian, saves his life on a number of occasions and eventually joins his re-assembled gang; like the Lou Castel of KILL AND PRAY (1967), Volonte' too takes easily to gunplay and a life of crime - but his transition is much more convincing here! Another interesting character who turns up - ably played by Euro-Cult stalwart William Berger - is one Charlie Siringo (meaning hypodermic!), a Pinkerton detective (it appears that he really existed!) who manages to infiltrate Milian's gang and eventually betray them.Like THE BIG GUNDOWN, it's filled to the brim with colorful characters, including Angel Del Pozo - the spineless aristocrat and true child-murderer/rapist of GUNDOWN - is a gang member who has taken time out during the Civil War by acting as his true self, a foppish landowner; Aldo Sambrell as Milian's right-hand man and who is eventually 'bought' by the authorities into leading a posse to decimate the harmless community of old-style Westerners (overtaken by the ongoing progress) who have taken to the mountains, and among whom Milian's gang occasionally finds refuge (a plot element which anticipates THE WILD BUNCH - also, incidentally, the name of Milian's gang - by two years!); Carole Andre' as Milian's rather annoying tomboyish girlfriend, etc. While the massacre in itself isn't shown, the unrelenting mob still pursues the survivors trekking through the desert and mows down a group which have been left behind after being forced to abandon one of their wagons; it's not hard to discern here parallels with Vietnam and, indeed, the entire film is redolent of the general political awareness which came to the fore during the 1960s.Still, the film's most impressive element - one might call it its raison d'etre - is the way that the characters of Volonte' and Milian are gradually inverted (inspired, perhaps, by Joseph Losey's THE SERVANT [1963]?): from a bookish and peace-loving man, an obviously intelligent Volonte' evolves into a genuine criminal mastermind (his 'moment of truth', as it were, is brilliantly achieved by having him 'take' the woman he desires in the absence of her man, whom he later confronts and kills!); Milian, on the other hand, seeing his role as leader of the gang being disputed and also by observing The Professor's increasing megalomania, eventually develops a conscience! The climax is, once again, magnificent: Berger - who has seen the error of his ways and had earlier turned down the chance to lead the posse himself (as had the captured Milian) - faces off with Sambrell, with the former emerging triumphant; the by-now deranged Volonte' comes forward to finish Berger off but Milian intervenes and shoots Volonte' instead (who expires regretting not being able to accomplish the many heists he had been devising!); Milian is all ready to give himself up to Berger, but the latter lets him go because, as he tells Milian, "the old Beauregard is no more". Besides, Ennio Morricone contributes yet another wonderful - and gloriously dissonant - score.