(1966) Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffre,
Mario Brega, Luigi Pistilli.
Sergio Leone’s sprawling spaghetti western has buried teasure at the
core of the film, and three main characters (Eastwood, Wallach, and
Van Cleef) are out to seize it — for themselves! Everyone is treacherous,
yet, Eastwood is the lesser of the two other evils in the amoral universe
of the supposed old west during the Civil War.
Eastwood (the “good”) helps Wallach (the “ugly”) escape a hanging,
and then brings him to justice to collect the reward money. Again helping
Wallach escape, the two of them divy up the cash and their sneaky tricks
against the law continue. But when the stakes get higher with the buried
treasure out for grabs, the working relationship is dissolved and it’s every
man for himself! Van Cleef (the “bad”), also searching for the loot, is
ready to kill for it. With the Civil War breaking out all around them, the
greedy three ar not inhibited. Ultimately they wind up meeting in the
cemetery where…………………………………………………