No one seems to have reviewed Wild East's DVD of Beyond the Law (which also includes Lee Van Cleef's The Grand Duel) so I guess I'd better take up the challenge. Unlike all previous American video releases, Wild East's disc is correctly letterboxed and includes some scenes previously only available on European prints, which immediately renders all the bootlegs and pan and scan sell-throughs redundant. The film itself is a modest affair involving Van Cleef, Lionel Stander, Bud Spencer, and the still active Herbert Fux in a caper to abscond with a silver shipment. Though the film was rather blandly shot by cinematographer Enzo Serafin--whether intentionally or otherwise, it's drenched in browns and yellows, lending it a rather dusty appearance--the proceedings are immensely improved by Riz Ortolani's majestic score. Though Beyond the Law is overlong and drags at times, a spectacular finale involving caped villain Gordon Mitchell enlivens the third act and will leave spaghetti fans satisfied.
Review of Beyond the Law
