CBR
By Dante Santella
December 3, 2024
Among the most acclaimed westerns to ever hit the silver
screen, Sergio Leone’s 1966 Italian epic spaghetti westernThe Good, the Bad and
the Ugly displays ingenious filmmaking, brilliant storytelling and terrific
performances. Hailed for its effective action and vast scope of the Old West,
the film manages to craft a tale of battling gunslingers seeking hidden gold
all while set during the American Civil War and always keeps the audience
engaged. With the sheer amount of unforgettable moments throughout the film,
viewers often forget that all films have scenes that get left on the cutting
room floor, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
With a master like Sergio Leone, the film still maintains
its integral structure and never misses a beat in entertaining the masses,
although The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s few deleted scenes help flesh out the
narrative even further. Spread out before or after the film’s pivotal plot
points, the deleted scenes give viewers a whole new perspective on The Good,
the Bad and the Ugly and within each sequence lies a fun takeaway for the
audience to appreciate the film much more.
6 A Greedy Bandit Seeks a Quick Solution
Tuco Gets Directions From a Confederate Soldier
After Tuco learns about Bill Carson’s gold, the bandit
races off to get medical attention for Blondie, who is the only one who can
complete the puzzle of the treasure’s whereabouts. In a deleted nighttime
scene, Tuco stops by a Confederate camp looking for help while both he and
Blondie are in disguise. The cut sequence helps establish the Confederate side
within the film and also showcases Tuco’s ability to lie at all costs.
With a lack of music, the scene effectively captures the
quiet atmosphere until Tuco arrives in a hurry, where the sequence cuts between
a Confederate soldier and Tuco conversing. The quick cuts to each character
keep the discussion going, while the soldiers in the background add to the
relaxed mood; coupled with the impressive lighting reflected from the campfire.
As Tuco’s hurried pleas for medical aid are answered, with directions to a
nearby missionary, the audience gets to see Tuco’s desperation and conniving
mind. It is in the little moments like this scene that showcases why the film
works, where the character’s unabashed selfishness and desire to find Bill
Carson's gold at any cost, reveal to the audience how “Ugly” Tuco can be. The
representation of Tuco’s scheming personality is perfectly captured in the
scene and further solidifies him as a scoundrel.
Upon Clint Eastwood’s character Blondie recovering from
dehydration, he and outlaw Tuco set course to find Bill Carson’s coveted gold.
The cut scene features the duo riding off on a stagecoach and trying to chart
the right path to the hidden treasure, where the purpose of the short sequence
evokes a clear dynamic between the two unlikely partners. As The Good, the Bad
and the Ugly previously established Blondie & Tuco’s fraught relationship,
the deleted scene reintroduces them as business partners again, only with much
higher stakes.
As Ennio Morricone’s iconic theme kicks off the scene,
the camera frames the galloping horses on track through the open landscape
before cutting back to Blondie and Tuco. The close-up shot of Tuco’s hands
tracing the map symbolically brings the viewer in on the mission with two
determined men. At the same time, the camera cuts to roadside carnage of both
fallen Union and Confederate soldiers, thereby expressing the danger of the
mission, while also shooting the conversation between Blondie & Tuco as
short but layered. In a few words, Blondie and Tuco reestablish a partnership
built on forced trust, where each man needs the other to find the gold.
Moreover, Blondie’s sarcastic but meaningful delivery on the state of the war,
highlights to audiences the meaningless violence and also displays how Clint
Eastwood’s character is more than meets the eye; unlike Tuco who is only
interested in himself.
4 Vengeance Can be Methodical and Viciously Cruel
Tuco Taunts Blondie in the Scorching Desert
Upon Clint Eastwood’s character Blondie recovering from dehydration, he and outlaw Tuco set course to find Bill Carson’s coveted gold. The cut scene features the duo riding off on a stagecoach and trying to chart the right path to the hidden treasure, where the purpose of the short sequence evokes a clear dynamic between the two unlikely partners. As The Good, the Bad and the Ugly previously established Blondie & Tuco’s fraught relationship, the deleted scene reintroduces them as business partners again, only with much higher stakes.
As Ennio Morricone’s iconic theme kicks off the scene, the camera frames the galloping horses on track through the open landscape before cutting back to Blondie and Tuco. The close-up shot of Tuco’s hands tracing the map symbolically brings the viewer in on the mission with two determined men. At the same time, the camera cuts to roadside carnage of both fallen Union and Confederate soldiers, thereby expressing the danger of the mission, while also shooting the conversation between Blondie & Tuco as short but layered. In a few words, Blondie and Tuco reestablish a partnership built on forced trust, where each man needs the other to find the gold. Moreover, Blondie’s sarcastic but meaningful delivery on the state of the war, highlights to audiences the meaningless violence and also displays how Clint Eastwood’s character is more than meets the eye; unlike Tuco who is only interested in himself.
4 Vengeance Can be Methodical and Viciously Cruel
Tuco Taunts Blondie in the Scorching Desert
Following Blondie’s betrayal, Tuco eventually catches up
with his former partner and delivers some brutal punishment, where Tuco holds
Blondie hostage and forces him to traverse the desert without water, letting
the audience witness Tuco’s ruthlessness and penchant for revenge. In the
deleted scene, Tuco displays absolute joy from Blondie’s despair and adds more
discomfort by efficiently torturing Blondie’s will to live. Among the many
scenes of action throughout the film, the cut scene displays a different kind
of pointed violence.
Beginning the scene without any music lets the viewer
experience the same discomfort as Blondie, where the audience gets to hear his
pain as the camera follows him crawling through the sand. Moreover, the
close-up shot of Blondie reaching toward a boot and the following cut to Tuco
washing his feet in a bucket laughing, equally presents a piercing form of
torture. With Tuco’s taunting mixed with Clint Eastwood’s look of pain, the
sequence connects with the film’s other exhibitive scenes of violence. Beyond the
literal visualization of torture in the scene, the final few shots also reflect
a symbolic meaning of how Tuco overpowers Blondie. As Blondie crawls away from
Tuco before rolling down a dune, Tuco emerges at the top of the hill from the
background with Blondie up close to the camera. The framing evokes a sense of
dread as Tuco represents the figure of death while Blondie is helplessly on the
verge of defeat.
3 The Audience Gets to See an Antagonist’s Past
Tuco Recruits Three Bandits to Kill Blondie
Before catching up with Blondie, Tuco aims to assemble a
posse of outlaws and exact revenge against the man who betrayed him. The cut
scene imbues a sense of lively energy and also gives some new context to Tuco’s
backstory, which is perfectly portrayed by actor Eli Wallach. With only a few
key sentences, Tuco rallies his former associates and lets the audience in on
who he hopes to be. Sergio Leone builds up the scene by letting Ennio
Morricone’s upbeat music commence the pitch by Tuco and also frames the wide-open
hideaway as a vast set for the audience to experience. The chicken that Tuco
offers to his former gang serves as a sign of peace but also acts as a metaphor
for wealth that Tuco promises should the gang kill Blondie, and the bandit’s
mocking of boiled potatoes evokes how he has become a man of prosperity and
opportunity.
At the same time, the skylight above the set with the
descending ropes and close-up shots of each gang member, reveals how money
drives the criminal’s lives. Lastly, the deleted scene also displays Tuco
yearning for friendship and reminiscing about his old gang & brother, where
Eli Wallach delivers a great display of character building for Tuco. Within the
film’s abundant collection of great scenes, this deleted sequence expresses an
interesting backstory for Tuco and further explains how determined the bandit
is to finish Blondie once and for all.
2 A Determined Killer Learns Some New Information
Angel Eyes Goes to a Confederate Outpost
Among the trio of gunslingers searching for Bill Carson’s
gold, Angel Eyes, played by actor Lee Van Cleef, receives his own deleted
scene, which also helps establish the Confederate side within the film.
Arriving at a Confederate outpost, Angel Eyes views the carnage around him
while trying to get answers about Bill Carson. The cut scene is a beautiful
display of cinematography and also highlights the effects of war plaguing the
soldiers throughout the film.
Taking Ennio Morricone’s score into account, the scene
maneuvers as a showcase for the wounded soldiers and also reveals the expansive
set. Following Angel Eyes, the camera frames the villain emerging from the
darkness as he sees the surrounding destruction, while panning around his head;
until the hired gun walks through the fortress and interacts with the wounded
soldiers. By speaking with the Captain, Angel Eyes learns of a Union base and
sets off to infiltrate the prison, which viewers later see in the film. As
Sergio Leone constructs the scene to reveal the true nature of war, audiences
get to marvel at the camerawork, while also feeling dismayed by the ongoing
conflict. Being a clear master of his craft, Sergio Leone can say so much in
just a few minutes and gets to pull out more material from his characters
without using long exposition in the process.
1 The Good Is Always Ready for a Fight
Blondie Kills Angel Eyes’ Henchmen While Camping
Etching closer to the final act of the film, this deleted
scene features all the main characters and highlights where each one is headed
regarding Bill Carson’s gold. With Tuco being forced onto a prison train while
Blondie and Angel Eyes leave together to find the treasure, the cut scene also
reveals a dynamic between Blondie & Angel Eyes that mirrors the final duel.
Framing Blondie as the quickest shooter among the three leads gives the deleted
sequence cache for foreshadowing Angel Eyes’ fate.
After Tuco gets taken away on a Union train, the scene
fades to Angel Eyes sleeping by a campfire near a resting Blondie, with both
men’s guns at the ready. The scene then quickly devolves when a rustling noise
occurs, where a quick cut to Blondie shooting and killing a man in the distance
surprises Angel Eyes. The scene then follows Angel Eyes’ men emerging from
hiding, where Blondie warns the outfit to stay away from him; while also
revealing that his gun has six bullets. Lastly, the cut scene ends with multiple
shots of each man’s face as Blondie surmises that he has a bullet waiting for
each man. By letting the deleted sequence build, Sergio Leone positions the
action to its natural conclusion and also frames Clint Eastwood as the true
action star that he is. Moreover, the cut scene also gives the audience an
indication as to who will ultimately claim Bill Carson’s gold, as Blondie has
managed to outmaneuver almost every obstacle thrown his way during The Good,
the Bad and the Ugly.
