Supposedly one of Quentin Tarantino's favourite westerns, Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown is an entertaining old school flick. It focuses on a prolonged pursuit between Lee Van Cleaf's Texas lawman and Toma Milian's accused child-murderer, as he attempts to escape to Mexico. It's a classic Hero and Villain chase set-up, only for things to unravel as it gradually becomes clear that Milian isn't as guilty as we've been led to believe.
This being a spaghetti western, there's a lot of fun to be had. Cleaf is noble but ruthless, while Milian's roguish escapades have an almost Looney Tunes-esque zaniness about them. As the chase unfolds, there's a string of setpieces to enjoy; the blazing gunfight at a widow's ranch is an early highlight, but there's also a wild brawl at a Mexican brothel and a tense desert showdown as well.
Plus there's the monocle-wearing German villain, crooked rail prospectors and a whole host of people being slapped around the face. The bodycount reaches double figures and it never slows down enough to become boring, zipping quickly from one action scene to the next.
True, it does take too long to reveal Milian's innocence which makes it difficult to root for him in the early going. And make no mistake, this is a fun genre pick, not a forgotten rival to classics like The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
However, it is a fast-paced, blood soaked romp through the west. Lee Van Cleaf is a classic manly man doing manly things and Milian is a charming antihero. It's definitely one for genre fans but as a whole, The Big Gundown is one of those "don't make 'em like this anymore" flicks for dads everywhere.
This being a spaghetti western, there's a lot of fun to be had. Cleaf is noble but ruthless, while Milian's roguish escapades have an almost Looney Tunes-esque zaniness about them. As the chase unfolds, there's a string of setpieces to enjoy; the blazing gunfight at a widow's ranch is an early highlight, but there's also a wild brawl at a Mexican brothel and a tense desert showdown as well.
Plus there's the monocle-wearing German villain, crooked rail prospectors and a whole host of people being slapped around the face. The bodycount reaches double figures and it never slows down enough to become boring, zipping quickly from one action scene to the next.
True, it does take too long to reveal Milian's innocence which makes it difficult to root for him in the early going. And make no mistake, this is a fun genre pick, not a forgotten rival to classics like The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
However, it is a fast-paced, blood soaked romp through the west. Lee Van Cleaf is a classic manly man doing manly things and Milian is a charming antihero. It's definitely one for genre fans but as a whole, The Big Gundown is one of those "don't make 'em like this anymore" flicks for dads everywhere.