Wanna see what Tarrantino ripped off for Hateful 8, then this is for you. It's got great vistas, a super downer ending, and some great characters in an unconventional setting. See it!

"The Great Silence" is a western entirely taking place in the snow and freezing cold. That alone makes it worth a viewing, because the setting and weather conditions are unique for movies in this genre! And co-writer/director Sergio Corbucci makes extraordinary great use of this original snow-aspect. He introduces the unusually harsh Utah winter conditions and heavy blizzards as an extra cast-member with an almost equally essential role as the lead characters played by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Klaus Kinski. But there are several more genius aspects in "The Great Silence", of course, as this is one brilliant wholesome and simply put one of the most powerful and memorable spaghetti-westerns ever accomplished. The non-stop cold and snow in and around the little town of Snow Hill has caused all outlaws to come down from the mountains. But in town they're killed off by the sadistic and truly evil bounty hunter Tigrero, who collects the sum on their heads from the corrupt banker Pollicut. Then the black widow of one of Tigrero's innocent victim hires the intelligent and mute gunfighter Silence to end the carnage. I might be biased, as I'm a gigantic Italian cult fanatic, but "The Great Silence" is a masterfully compelling western adventure that kept me gazing at the screen with my eyes and mouth wide open. Just like "Django", that other Sergio Corbucci masterpiece, this movie has it all: a thoroughly grim atmosphere, a strong and suspenseful script, extreme notions of violence not for the faint-hearted, amazing music (Morricone, of course) and perplexing acting performances. Trintignant is immensely charismatic as the righteous avenger Silence (and the flashback explaining how he obtained his name is genuinely nightmarish) and also Frank Wolff and Luigi Pistilli are terrific as respectively the intelligent new sheriff and the sleazily corrupt Pollicut. But once again, and unsurprisingly as far as I'm concerned, it's Klaus Kinski who delivers the most mind- blowing performance of them all. As depicted by Kinski, the character Tigrero belongs in the top 10 most evil cinematic villains of all times. Tigrero is a sick, heartless, cynical and utterly repulsive individual and I don't think anyone but Klaus Kinski could have played him. And then just when you assume that the film couldn't possibly get any better anymore, Sergio Corbucci reveals the ultimate unexpected surprise that he still had in store: the ending. I don't want to spoil, naturally, but the climax of "The Great Silence" is one you will never forget. The ending is guaranteed to upset, shock and haunt you for several days/weeks after you've finished the film. The ending is also further proof that the Italians made the finest cult movies in the entire world.

One of the more thought-provoking spaghetti westerns of the 1960s/70s. Set in a winterscape that adds to the sombre, almost melancholy tone, each character is on the surface either good or evil; but as the film progresses, these notions of become less distinct, and perhaps more genuine. This adds a depth to the film that other such westerns do not ordinarily have, even if this depth only becomes apparent after the film ends and one reflects on the characters and story. The film seems to me a product of its time and Italy's history, in a political sense - what is right, what is wrong? - a fight between the (perverted) use of the law to get results as against morality, a fight between emotions and indivdualism (i.e. fascism as against indivualism and liberalism). But which one is which...?. Watch, enjoy. The musical score is integral to this film as well, particularly the Love Theme which plays in the deneoumont. A film worth seeking out and buying on DVD, particularly as an antidote to the Segio Leone westerns. As someone else has commented, this is to the spaghetti western as Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" is to the Hollywood western. Perhaps a true western, truer to life than the romanticism of others in the genre.

When asked what my favorite Spaghetti Western is I usually place Corbucci's Django at the top of my list but truth be told The Great Silence is far superior; it's a mesmerizing masterpiece overflowing with Roman violence and French nihilism. Corbucci isn't interested in presenting us with "good" or "bad," instead he introduces characters with very real human flaws such as greed, lust and the thirst for revenge. These men with their deep emotional scars, and monetary motivations, use the laws of the land to oppress religious freedom and justify murder. There's obviously more lying beneath the surface of this film for those interested in sharpening their analytical chops.If Django's theme was mired in the muck and mud, The Great Silence's theme was buried beneath the frozen snow. Perhaps I'm looking too hard but it would appear to me that Corbucci's film portrays the snow almost as a living entity, as if it were a character witnessing the atrocities of Snowhill. The film's locations combined with the snow (actually shaving cream) and fog created a sense of isolation and an atmosphere of dread-inducing stillness.French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant (Questi's Death Laid an Egg) is perfect as the infamous Silence, a character that mocks the "silent anti-hero" stereotype of Spaghetti Westerns by being mute! Speech isn't the only thing Trintignant resists, he also carries a Mauser pistol with detachable wooden stock instead of the traditional six-shooters or repeater rifles used in pretty much all Westerns. To say he was different from other Spaghetti Western bad asses would be a slight understatement.I won't say much about the finale but it was incredibly dark and depressing; I was angry and saddened as the film ended on a reflection so powerful it'll remain with you long after the film is over. Forget hand-holding, Corbucci lops hands off at the wrist. I cannot recommend this film enough, seek it out and add it to your collection.