Touches You

Too much of everything

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I like the popular review titled, "A better film that I think it is". Spot on. It is truly unique, and if you collect and like the "Zapata Spaghetti Westerns", and the political undercurrent, then this is a must see. I'll leave it at that. Austin Fisher has done a great job analyzing it in his book on the subject. Good review of it here. He does better than I can, but, suffice to say, still waters run deep."http://tinyurl.com/oaqmdr7"One problem may be the release. I didn't like watching it in Italian with English subs, since one imagines the action being in English, and the English dubs are really bad. The most important line, the last one in the movie is completely left out! So, perhaps I liked it because I did my own edit with the English track, the Italian subtitles, English subtitles and the HD Italian vid track, so you can mix and match to your heart's content. Yeah, I don't know I'd give it over a 6 if I had to watch the dubbed English version.

On a trip to Dallas, the president of the United States (Van Johnson) is the target of a sinister cabal, led by Fernando Rey, intent on his assassination and the installation of the easily manipulated vice-president as their patsy. Disgraced former soldier Giuliano Gemma, whose father was murdered by the conspirators, attempts to stop them.The Kennedy assassination transplanted to the old west, this throws out all the facts and re-casts the assassin's role with that of a more convenient, politically correct villain, exactly as Oliver Stone did twenty years later, taking a few easy swipes at America along the way.Undoubtedly ambitious, this is held in high regard by many spaghetti western fans and critics. Personally though, I find it a bit too sanctimonious for it's own good, especially from a country electing Fascists less than a quarter of a century before and filmed in a country that was still under Fascist rule!However, action and suspense are competently handled. The production values are good. As pure fiction, it's not too bad.

Clearly inspired by the assassination of JFK, this impressively bold and imaginative spaghetti Western offers a fierce critique of the corruption and dirty double-dealing that's an intrinsic component of American politics. A handful of rich folks led by slimy wealthy jerk jerk Pinkerton (splendidly played to the hateful hilt by Fernando Rey) plot to assassinate President James Garfield (a fine performance by Van Johnson) when he visits Dallas, Texas. It's up to noble gunfighter Bill Willer (an excellent portrayal by Giuliano Gemma) and his black friend Jack Donovan (solid Ray Saunders) to stop them. Director Tonino Valerii, working from an audacious script by Massimo Patrizi and Ernesto Gastaldi, relates the gripping story at a steady pace, creates a good deal of tension, maintains an appropriately hard and serious tone throughout, and stages the stirring shoot-outs with considerable skill and gusto. This film further benefits from bang-up acting from an able cast, with especially praiseworthy supporting work by Warren Vanders as the president's loyal aide Arthur McDonald, Maria Cuadra as the president's proud wife Lucretia, and Benito Stefanelli as mean, crooked Sheriff Jefferson. Stelvio Massi's polished cinematography boasts a lot of tight close-ups and smooth pans. Luis Enriquez Bacalov's twangy, harmonic, and dynamic score hits the rousing spot. A very gutsy and enjoyable movie.

In post civil war America the President, (Van Johnson), travels to Dallas and is assassinated by corrupt officials and businessman interested in installing the vice President whom they can blackmail due to incriminating documents. A gunman (Guiliano Gemma) convinced that his black friend is wrongly accused of the assassination aims to uncover the truth. Tonino Valeri directed this fascinating, if flawed film which obviously is an allegory for the Kennedy assassination. The film may wrongly present blacks as slaves working on plantations in Texas but the film is nonetheless enjoyable and presents an interesting interpretation - that Kennedy's death was the result of a coup de tat- which many Americans could not accept at the time. Oswald's murder is replayed here as the black accused of the assassination is murdered by the men responsible, on route to Fort Worth prison. This moment in the film is more melodramatic than Oswald's death with his various escorts shot down before his over the top death scene. Nonetheless this is definitely one of the more interesting and worthwhile spaghetti westerns. Worth a look!