The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo) is a 1966 "Spaghetti Western" film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood (Blondie, the Man with No Name or The Good ), Lee Van Cleef ("Angel Eyes" Sentenza or the Bad), and Eli Wallach (Tuco Benedito Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez or The Ugly). The film is set in 1862 New Mexico (USA) during the New Mexico campaign of General Henry Hopkins Sibley, an officer of the army of the Confederate States of America (CSA), in the American Civil War. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly tells of three men seeking a fortune in buried gold. It is particularly known for its sparse but haunting soundtrack, created by Ennio Morricone, and for the climactic showdown in a graveyard between the three principal characters. Many people claim the film to be allegorical in nature, with the three characters representing Christ, Satan, and Humanity, though Leone never indicated that his film was to be taken in anything but the literal sense. The film was shot in Techniscope by the award-winning cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli. The film is frequently in the Top 10 of the IMDB Top 250 List of movies, which is based on user ratings.

Related Topics:
1966 - Spaghetti Western - Sergio Leone - Clint Eastwood - Lee Van Cleef - Eli Wallach - 1862 - New Mexico - New Mexico campaign - Henry Hopkins Sibley - Army - Confederate States of America - American Civil War - Gold - Ennio Morricone - Allegorical - Christ - Satan - Humanity - Techniscope - Tonino Delli Colli - IMDB Top 250 List

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The film contains many of Leone trademarks, such as the sparse dialogue, long scenes that slowly build to a climax (for this film, in the form of a Mexican standoff) and contrasts between sweeping long camera shots and extremely tight closeups on eyes and fingers. The first ten minutes of the film have no dialogue.

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The film is part of a loose trilogy with Leone's earlier films A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. Eastwood stars in all three, with the same clothing and mannerisms, so the role is popularly dubbed "The Man With No Name." In lieu of a "name," the character is addressed by three different monikers: "Joe," by one character in the first movie; "Manco," only once in the second movie; and "Blondie," regularly in the third. These monikers have led some people to state that the "Man With No Name" was in fact named, but all three of these names served merely as placeholders and nicknames. "Joe" is used in a similar fashion to "Mack," as a way to address a stranger; "Manco" in Spanish is a term used to refer to a man with an amputated arm, and Eastwood's character constantly hides his right hand beneath his serape; "Blondie" is not only Tuco Ramirez's nickname for his light-haired partner, but is also a Mexican slur for Americans.

Related Topics:
A Fistful of Dollars - For a Few Dollars More - The Man With No Name

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Many see The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as a prequel to the earlier two movies?as Eastwood's character acquires his trademark poncho toward the end of the movie. However, there is no solid continuity between the movies to deduce an absolute link or order.

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The film was mostly filmed in Spain using 1,500 local militia members as extras for a cost of $1,600,000. It was released on December 23, 1966 in Italy and in the USA on December 29, 1967.

Related Topics:
Spain - December 23 - 1966 - Italy - USA - December 29 - 1967

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Since the film's release, "the good, the bad, and the ugly" has become a common phrase (helped in part by Robert F. Kennedy's use of the phrase in campaign speeches). The Italian title translates as "The Good, the Ugly, the Bad."

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