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A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS

A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS

Music Box Chicago

1964, 99min, DCP, 03/23/2024 at 12:00pm

Sergio Leone

Seen it before, 1st time on big screen

 

Travel

It’s early, I didn’t have breakfast, I know my stomach will rumble in the theater especially at the silent bits. I get a coffee, maybe, I can’t remember, no I don’t, I wanted to. The theater is not even open, I am the first one there, I then wait with others.

 

Thoughts on Movie

I always knew I wanted to watch the Dollars Trilogy back to back in one day when I got this pass. This is what I did. A Fistful of Dollars is classic, it’s a solid rip off of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. Leone’s film is better of course. Eastwood gives an iconic performance. It gives me the chills when the opening credit sequence begins. Oh man! The red, the shooting, the music. You are entering a Leone western, you think you know what you are in for, you have no idea. I have goosebumps.

 

A Fistful of Dollars is a great first in the trilogy and stand alone film, it works as both. Eastwood here is a soloist, it’s a one man mission, a lost tale of the stranger Joe. An unconventional hero. 

 

The Score

I can’t explain it but there is something out of body here with the score. It’s like a live action cartoon. The music adds so much to the genre of westerns. It’s groundbreaking. A cultural shock. Now this is a movie and the music has so much to do with it’s success. I can’t even articulate what this film does for me. There is an energy that is created by Morricone. This movie is as much Leone as it is Morricone. 

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