A Fistful of Dollars
Director: Sergio Leone
Year Released: 1964
Rating: 3.0
A nameless strong, silent type (Clint Eastwood in iconic mode) - the kind to shoot first and ask questions much later (as Tuco would later advise) - situates himself in-between two nasty warring factions in an unnamed Mexican town with the ultimate goal of milking both of their money (and playing both against each other). It's a little too gruff and unrefined to match Kurosawa's masterpiece Yojimbo, but Eastwood is just as maliciously self-interested (and intelligent) as Toshiro Mifune and both pictures have a very dark sense of humor. The adjective "great" would have to wait for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, although this is a good beginning; the score, by Ennio Morricone, is nothing if not great.
