Tagarchief: Franco Nero

Double Bill #08: Die Hard & Die Hard 2

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

The greatest Christmas Double Bill in history! Bruce Willis stars in the role that made him a super star: John McClane is an old style hero: smoking cigarettes, cracking jokes and killing bad guys. The first Die Hard (1988) is considered the greatest action film of all time. Why is that so? I tried to analyze it and came up with this. First of all; it is really, really tense. John McClane (Willis) is locked up in a building with a bunch of heavily armed and completely ruthless German terrorists. What are the odds of survival? Minimal. This is survival action optimally done. It is fun to watch a guy – who is not really scared of death, but definitely no narcissistic psychopath either – face impossible odds. Secondly, the screenplay is intelligent and the casting is terrifically done. Part 2 is off course (this is the sequel after all) BIGGER! It takes place at an airport, which is taken over by terrorists who want to free a South American dictator (Franco Nero) who is landing soon. Groovy! In a magazine article on an airplane read by one of the characters, a picture is shown of Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) in Lethal Weapon 2. This is a sequel that was indeed even better than the original. Die Hard 2 is not, although you could argue for it. Film critic Roger Ebert thought so and wrote a terrific review about the sequel (he curiously gave the first movie only two stars out of four). I understand his point of view about the sequel, although the story is even more unbelievable than the first, Finish director Renny Harlin, who took over from John McTiernan from the first, did a great job. It misses the claustrophobia of the first one, taking place at an airport rather than a high-rise office building. However, this creates new tense situations as the terrorists can take down airplanes and do so. The horror of a plane crash is captured perfectly in the second one as the terrorists purposefully let a passenger airplane crash. Thereby, they make the main baddie – William Sadler – even worse than Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in the first one. Still, Die Hard 2 loses momentum a little bit during the second half (especially after the clever plot twist) and therefore I still think the first movie is superior. The endings of both movies give you this very warm Christmas feeling indeed. In part 1, John meets his pal Al for the first time, and then Al kills Karl and proves he is ready again for joining the force (he got a desk job after accidentally shooting a thirteen-year old kid with a fake gun). In the second movie, John blows up the plane with terrorists and thereby creates landing lights for all the other planes that were close to crashing, including the one that carries his wife. Then he tells her he loves her so much and they carry off in a modern sledge accompanied by Frank Sinatra’s ‘Let It Snow’. It makes me all warm inside and the same goes for the fantastic first part ending.Therefore, Die Hard is just the greatest Christmas movie ever. Die Hard 2 adds to the fun.

Compañeros

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Sergio Corbucci
Written by: Sergio Corbucci, Massimo De Rita, Fritz Ebert, José Frade, Dino Maiuri
Cast: Franco Nero, Tomas Milian, Jack Palance, Fernando Rey

Year / Country: 1970, Italy / West Germany / Spain
Running Time: 120 mins.

In a country torn apart by revolution, an unlikely duo teams up. The not too bright Mexican bandit Vasco (Tomas Milian) and the very polite arms dealer ‘The Swede’ (Franco Nero) go on a mission for the money hungry General Mongo. Their goal is to free Mongo’s pacifistic opponent Professor Xantos from a Texan jail because he knows the combination of a loaded safe. The two hate each other, so there is plenty of double-crossing along the way.

This spaghetti western, directed by the other Sergio, is an early buddy movie featuring two of the most established spaghetti western actors. The music is – of course – composed by Ennio Morricone and Jack Palance plays a very interesting supporting role as marijuana addicted gunslinger.

The movie misses the sharp humour and emotional depth that made genre films such as Django and the Dollar-trilogy so enjoyable, but it is certainly not the worst spaghetti western. The two strong leads fight, joke and shoot their way through a series of engaging adventures. The many last minute rescue scenes become kind of repetitive, so Corbucci could have been doing some heavier cutting. But, like the Mexican revolution, the movie ends in a massive shoot-out which is certainly worth the wait. Viva la Revolution!

Rating:

Biography: Sergio Corbucci (1926, Rome – 1990, Rome) is, alongside Sergio Leone, one of the most renowned directors of Spaghetti Westerns. He played a pivotal role in popularizing the genre, particularly through landmark films such as Django (1966) and Il grande silenzio (1968). Corbucci often collaborated with actor Franco Nero, creating some of the most iconic works of the genre. His films, often categorized as B-movies, are distinguished by their unflinching brutality, surreal and apocalyptic production design, dark humor, and politically left-leaning themes. A committed Marxist, Corbucci infused many of his works with a sense of revolutionary despair, reflecting the futility of social upheaval. Despite his significant contributions to cinema, Corbucci remained rooted in Italy throughout his career, with most of his films receiving limited international distribution. He passed away in Rome in 1990.

Filmography (a selection): Foreign Earth (1954), Water’s Love (1954), Supreme Confession (1957), Angel’s Sky (1957), Duel of the Titans (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), The Son of Spartacus (1963), Grand Canyon Massacre (1963), Django (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Mercenary (1968), The Great Silence (1968), Compañeros (1970), Bandera Bandits (1972), The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), The Payoff (1978), Super Fuzz (1980), My Darling, My Dearest (1982), Days of Inspector Ambrosio (1988)

Django

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Sergio Corbucci
Written by: Sergio Corbucci, Bruno Corbucci, Franco Rossetti
Cast: Franco Nero, José Bódalo, Loredana Nusciak, Ángel Álvarez

Year / Country: 1966, Italy / Spain
Running Time: 88 mins.

In 1964, Sergio Leone, an Italian director, redefined the western genre with A Fistful of Dollars, a groundbreaking remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. Starring a then-unknown Clint Eastwood, the film introduced audiences to the now-iconic figure of the nameless gunslinger, a drifter who arrives in a town torn apart by a bitter private war. Playing both sides against each other, he emerges victorious, setting the template for the spaghetti western genre.

The overwhelming success of Leone’s film inspired a wave of imitations, varying in quality. Among these, Django (1966) by Sergio Corbucci stands out as one of the best and certainly the most famous. The film borrows heavily from A Fistful of Dollars but adds its own distinctive twist. Instead of a nameless drifter, we meet Django, a mysterious stranger trudging through a desolate landscape while dragging a coffin behind him. His identity is memorably introduced through Louis Bacalov’s haunting theme song, which passionately proclaims his name: Django!

The story follows Django as he rescues a prostitute named Maria from a gang of ruthless outlaws. He escorts her to a ghostly, near-abandoned town where he intends to settle an old score. There, he finds himself caught in a deadly conflict between Mexican revolutionaries and a band of racist Southern renegades led by his arch-nemesis, Major Jackson. Initially siding with the Mexicans to deal a crippling blow to Jackson, Django’s motivations soon come to light, setting the stage for an explosive and tragic finale. By the film’s end, only Django and Maria are left standing amidst the carnage, with the rest buried – literally and figuratively.

What elevates Django almost to the level of Leone’s masterpiece is Corbucci’s skillful execution of the genre’s defining elements. Franco Nero delivers a magnetic performance as the titular anti-hero, rivaling Eastwood’s cool and detached gunslinger. Bacalov’s score, while perhaps not as iconic as Ennio Morricone’s, is equally evocative, setting the perfect tone for the film. The supporting cast adds depth to the world, and the stylish, gritty action sequences ensure the audience remains captivated throughout.

Of course, Django is also notorious for its graphic violence, which was shocking for its time. Though modern audiences might find it less visceral compared to contemporary standards, the film doesn’t shy away from bloodshed. That said, the lack of squibs – a result of budgetary constraints – dampens some of the impact, as the gunplay often lacks the visual punch of more modern films.

The film’s pacing does falter slightly in the middle act, where the tension and momentum dip after the gripping opening sequences. However, Corbucci makes up for this with a thrilling and memorable climax that reaffirms the film’s status as a cult classic.

In conclusion, Django is a quintessential spaghetti western and a must-watch for fans of the genre. With its unforgettable protagonist, striking visuals, and bleak tone, it stands as a testament to the creativity and enduring appeal of Italian westerns.

Rating:

Biography: Sergio Corbucci (1926, Rome – 1990, Rome) was, alongside Sergio Leone, one of the most prominent directors of spaghetti westerns. Born and raised in Rome, Corbucci played a crucial role in popularizing the genre, particularly through his iconic films Django (1966) and The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio, 1968). He frequently collaborated with actor Franco Nero, crafting memorable characters and stories that helped define the genre’s unique style. His B-movies are characterized by brutal violence, surrealist and apocalyptic production design, black humour and politically left symbolism. Corbucci was a fanatical Marxist and many of his films show the hopelessness of the revolution. He kept working in Italy throughout his career and most of his films were barely released abroad. He died in Rome in 1990.

Filmography (a selection): Foreign Earth (1954), Water’s Love (1954), Supreme Confession (1957), Angel’s Sky (1957), Duel of the Titans (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), The Son of Spartacus (1963), Grand Canyon Massacre (1963), Django (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Mercenary (1968), The Great Silence (1968), Bandera Bandits (1972), The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), The Payoff (1978), Super Fuzz (1980), My Darling, My Dearest (1982), Days of Inspector Ambrosio (1988)