The Best Spaghetti Westerns? [Part 2]

The Chicago Tribune

June 15, 2021

 

Best spaghetti Westerns | In the 1960s and ’70s, a new style of film began to emerge in Europe: the spaghetti Western. On the surface, these films mirror classic American Westerns like “3:10 to Yuma” and “High Noon.” However, a closer look reveals that they are actually quite different. Aside from the language element, many of these foreign-born films have more action and less dialogue than their U.S. counterparts. An expressive musical score — come to be epitomized by Ennio Morricone’s orchestrations — and an abundance of violence also characterize the genre. To provide a closer look at this subgenre of film, Stacker compiled data on the top Westerns of all time, narrowed the scope to spaghetti Westerns (Italian-produced Westerns from 1964-1978), and ranked them by IMDb user ratings, with ties broken by votes. To qualify, the film had to have at least 1,000 votes on IMDb. Whether or not you believe Westerns are your thing, read on to see our list of the best spaghetti Westerns. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite! (Canva)

[Maybe better put the most popular Spaghetti Westerns TB]

16. Keoma (1976) | Director: Enzo G. Castellari - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Runtime: 105 minutes | One of the last true spaghetti Westerns, “Keoma” follows a half-Native American, half-white Union soldier, Keoma Shannon. Keoma seeks to save his hometown from the iron grip of the evil Caldwell and his band of thugs — which just happens to include Keoma’s three half-brothers. Director Enzo G. Castellari has said that this film, which was largely improvised and shot in eight weeks, is his personal favorite. (Uranos Cinematografica)

 

 15. Death Rides a Horse (1967) | Director: Giulio Petroni - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Runtime: 114 minutes | Lee Van Cleef does it again in “Death Rides a Horse,” playing an aging gunfighter who forms an alliance with a young man who seeks to hunt down the bandits that killed his family. A truly terrible film in regards to production quality and acting abilities, critic Roger Ebert placed the movie in the so-bad-it’s-good category. (Produzione Esecutiva Cinematografica (PEC))

 

 

 

14. Face to Face (1967) | Director: Sergio Sollima - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 111 minutes | Not to be confused with the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name, this “Face to Face” follows a history teacher (played by Gian Maria Volonte) who falls in with — and eventually takes over — an outlaw gang. A personal favorite of director Sergio Sollima, the film has long been perceived as a commentary on the rise of fascism in Europe. (Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA))

14. Face to Face (1967) | Director: Sergio Sollima - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 111 minutes | Not to be confused with the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name, this “Face to Face” follows a history teacher (played by Gian Maria Volonte) who falls in with — and eventually takes over — an outlaw gang. A personal favorite of director Sergio Sollima, the film has long been perceived as a commentary on the rise of fascism in Europe. (Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA))

 

13. The Mercenary (1968) | Director: Sergio Corbucci - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 110 minutes | A revolutionary disguised as a rodeo clown, a Polish mercenary with a penchant for stealing, and a peasant woman are the main characters in “The Mercenary.” Told largely through flashbacks, the story focuses on the trio’s adventures during the Mexican revolution. Several well-known actors of the genre, including Franco Nero and Tony Musante, make appearances. (Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA))

 

 

12. Django (1966) | Director: Sergio Corbucci - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Runtime: 91 minutes | The inspiration behind Quentin Tarantino's “Django Unchained,” the original “Django” is decidedly lower budget but tells an equally fun story. In this film, a coffin-dragging gunslinger named Django saves a local prostitute named Maria from being burned at the stake. The duo finds themselves hunted by both a rogue group of white supremacists and a gang of Mexican revolutionaries, and they must fight their way out if they wish to survive. Upon its release, “Django” was considered the most violent movie ever made, and the film was either banned or given very cautionary ratings in several countries. (B.R.C. Produzione S.r.l.)

 
 

11. Companeros (1970) | Director: Sergio Corbucci - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Runtime: 115 minutes | In “Companeros,” a Swedish arms dealer and an incompetent Mexican revolutionary team up to save a professor imprisoned in an American jail who has something they both want. A follow-up to “The Mercenary” (though not necessarily a sequel, as it has its own stand-alone storyline), the film is full of comic misadventures but still manages to make its political message heard. (Tritone Cinematografica)

 

 

 10. Trinity Is Still My Name (1971) | Director: Enzo Barboni - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Runtime: 117 minutes | A sequel to “They Call Me Trinity,” “Trinity Is Still My Name” follows two brothers who are trying to live as outlaws, but whose plans are continually thwarted by their hearts of gold. A massive success in Italy, the film sold 14,554,172 tickets, making it one of the country's most popular and highest-grossing films of all time. (West Film)