This 1968 Sergio Corbucci western completely shattered the mold of all Hollywood or Spaghetti westerns that came before and after it. To my knowledge it is the only western set in a wintery frontier and offers some of the best location shots of the Dolomite mountains meant to double as Utah. The characters are strong and well acted. Silence is a mute gunslinger out to avenge those who cannot for themselves, Pauline the widow of one of the bounty corpses who later becomes Silences love interest, is played with strong conviction. Loco is the head bounty hunter played expertly by the one and only Klaus Kinski who looks to have enjoyed playing this character. You also have a group of outcasts waiting for amnesty so they can return home and you do sympathize with them. This is one of the more violent westerns I've seen and leads up to probably the most un Hollywood macabre endings of it's genre, but probably more realistic. If you purchase the 50th anniversary Blu-ray it offers two alternative endings #2 of which may have also worked. Another memorable score from Ennio Morricone. This film is one that will leave a lasting impression and one of the few that depicts good doesn't always triumph evil. 5/5.
Review of The Great Silence
