It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

"Navajo Joe" is an Italian-produced western starring Burt Reynolds. It was his only appearance in a 'spaghetti western' and, according to Reynolds, it's a terrible film. I wouldn't call it a terrible film, though seeing him sporting a black wig that makes him look a tad like Frankenstein--THAT'S terrible!The film begins with a gang of scum killing Navajo Joe's wife. Soon, this gang arrives in a nearby town and begin killing and burning the town--just because they can. Next, they plan on robbing the train-- but by then, Joe has shown up and he's ready to kick butt. He makes Rambo look like a pussycat by comparison and stabs and shoots the gang and saves the train. So are the locals happy? Nah...they hate Indians and Joe is treated pretty badly. And, ironically, they treat a beloved town member quite well--even though, he's secretly in league with the gang. Oops. What's next? See the film for yourself to see.If you aren't familiar with this genre, you will probably be surprised by all the killing--far more than you'd see in American westerns up until "The Wild Bunch" (1969). Because of this, the film is, at times, pretty mindless. However, compared to other Italian westerns of the day, it's about average and worth a look. However, you'll no doubt hate Ennio Morricone's theme song "Navajo Joe". In fact, it is one of the worst western songs I have ever heard. It's so repetitive and the words so silly that I think it severely detracted from the film. While his themes for films like "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" are considered classics, "Navajo Joe" is no classic! This song, and the wig, give some credence to Reynold's contention that it's a terrible film...but overall it's still not bad...and better than the Cannonball Run films!By the way, pay attention during the scene where Joe is beaten up by the gang. Despite punching him a half billion times in the face, Burt's face is still pretty and unbruised! And, judging by the sound effects, both his face and the attacker's fist should have looked like hamburger! This is a very odd counterpoint to Reynold's excellent stunt-work throughout the film.

For money, for pleasure, for revenge , he doesn't care why he kills or how ¡ . The sole survivor , named Navajo Joe (Burt Reynolds who wore a black toupe hairpiece), of a slaughter and atrocity executes a single-handedly revenge , as he slashes, burn , ravages and kills each person involved in the massacre . He is relentless in his vendetta , deadly in his violence . The conflict is a simple one between avenger Indio and oppressors , nasty bandits (Aldo Sambrell , among others). Meanwhile , Navajo Joe aids an unappreciated although terrorized little town called Esperanza City in the process . The town is inhabited by important people as the banker named Blackwood (Angel Alvarez of Django) , the priest(Fernando Rey of Return Magnificent Seven) , the doctor (Peter Cross) and a gorgeous mestizo girl (Nicoletta Machiavelli) , among others. Navajo is submitted a tempestuous trap and is caught up and he suffers incredible tortures .It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Burt Reynolds and the enemy Aldo Sambrell and his hoodlums. Burt Reynolds is fine , he ravages the screen , he jumps, bounds and leaps, hits and runs ; besides receiving violent punches , kicks , lashes and is ultimately hung . Reynolds told this one is his worst film but I think it turned out to be a good Spaghetti Western . Producer Dino De Laurentiis made this with the intention of replicating the success of For a fistful of dollars (1964) after that movie had become a box-office hit . De Laurentiis wanted to find an American actor to rival Clint Eastwood's popularity. Reynolds had appeared in TV westerns and was part Cherokee Indian . De Laurentiis persuaded Reynolds to sign on. Aldo Sambrell as a cruelly baddie role is terrific , this is his only acting as starring , subsequently the would play very secondary or minimum characters . Furthermore, there appears usual secondaries Italian/Spanish Western as Alvaro De Luna , Simon Arriaga , Rafael Albaicín ,Lorenzo Robledo, and , of course , Fernando Rey in his ordinary role as priest . 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 as Ruggero Deodato, future Cannibal Holocaust, and production designer Eduardo De la Torre Fuente who creates an excellent scenario with barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the Indian cemetery . The musician Ennio Morricone , Lee Nichols, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds and Indian screams. Striking cinematography by Silvano Ippoliti in Technicolor, Techniscope with negative well processed . Interior filmed at Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica, Studios Rome and outdoor sequences filmed at Torremocha, Colmenar, Guadix and of course Almeria, Spain.Sergio Corbucci's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and too much action, other Westerns he filmed contained broad comedy . He made several Spaghetti classics : ¨ Django¨, ¨The great silence¨, ¨Hellbenders¨, ¨The specialist¨ , and Zapata Western as ¨The Mercenary¨, ¨The Compañeros¨ and ¨What am I doing in middle of the revolution¨ . In addition Sergio directed other inferior S.W. as ¨Far West story¨ ,¨Johnny Oro¨, ¨The white the yellow an the black¨ and ¨Minnesota Clay¨ .

Though admittedly the film doesn't have much of a reputation within the Spaghetti Western genre (the "Leonard Maltin Film Guide" rates it a mere *1/2), given director Corbucci and co-writer Fernando Di Leo's involvement, this still turned out to be a watchable example of its type – albeit a surprisingly second-rate and rather dreary affair! For one thing, the two main plot threads (an Indian avenging himself on the men who massacred his townsfolk and a hated Indian sacrificing himself to save the lives of white people besieged by a group of bandits) is too similar to, respectively, the Charles Bronson vehicle CHATO'S LAND (1972) and HOMBRE (1967) with Paul Newman – for the film to be particularly distinguished in this regard! Besides, Burt Reynolds is no Clint Eastwood (or Franco Nero, for that matter) and feels positively miscast as the titular redskin – especially decked-out with a hairy wig; this, however, didn't prevent him from appearing in further Westerns on his home turf – by the way, apparently, Reynolds signed on for this project because he was under the impression that Sergio Leone (and not Corbucci, whose equally seminal DJANGO [1966] probably hadn't been released yet Stateside) would be directing! Even the casting of the other central roles is disappointingly below par: Aldo Sanbrell makes for an uncharismatic chief villain, Fernando Rey is wasted in the role of an ineffectual priest, peplum regular Pierre Cressoy appears as a treacherous doctor, while Nicoletta Macchiavelli (who does well enough by what little she's given to work with!) is the only female character of any consequence as a half-breed naturally sympathetic to "Navajo" Reynolds. As expected, the various action scenes (including one in which the star makes away with an entire train from under the bad guys's noses!) are the highlights of the show – albeit still insufficiently remarkable to elevate this above mere average (apart, perhaps, from Sanbrell's come-uppance via a hatchet in the face).The real saving grace of the film, then, unsurprisingly emerges to be the score provided by Ennio Morricone (bafflingly credited as Leo Nichols here!) – with a theme tune full of wailing screams, and a memorable five-note riff that was even lifted by Quentin Tarantino for KILL BILL VOL. 2 (2004)! For the record, NAVAJO JOE (1966) was recently released by Fox on R1 DVD along with a bunch of other Westerns, which is how I got to watch it (dubbed in English).

"Navajo Joe" is certainly not be as great as Sergio Corbucci's masterpieces "Django" and "The Great Silence", but it is still a highly entertaining, if cheesy, Spaghetti Western. Like most Westerns by Corbucci, Navajo Joe has a sociocritical message, as it portrays racism and the genocide of the Native American population. Predominantely, however, Navajo Joe is a very entertaining Spaghetti Western with an excellent score by Ennio Morricone.A gang of unscrupulous bandits led by Duncan (Aldo Sambrell) ride through the American Southwest and kill every Indian they can find for the one-dollar reward on an Indian scalp. Joe (Burt Reynolds), a Navajo warrior and merciless avenger, starts haunting the scalp- hunters and soon becomes their worst nightmare.Burt Reynolds is decent enough as the eponymous hero. Reynolds is certainly not a great Spaghetti Western antihero, but he fits the role better than one would suppose. Nicoletta Macchiavelli does a good job as Estella, a beautiful half Indian half white woman who lives in a white community. The best performance in this movie, however, comes from Aldo Sambrell in the role of the scalp-hunter Duncan, a despicable man who is nothing but greed and concentrated hate. The score by Ennio Morricone is brilliant as always, Quentin Tarantino used some of it for Kill Bill Vol.2. If you like Spaghetti Westerns, you have to love Sergio Corbucci. Navajo Joe is not quite as brilliant as his masterpieces "Django" and "The Great Silence", but it is without doubt a more than worthwhile Spaghetti Western and recommended to every fan of the genre.