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For a Few Dollars More

Per qualche dollaro in più

The man with no name is back.

Rating: 9/10

Running Time: 132 minutes

On DVD

Clint Eastwood reprises his role as the Man With No Name – although in this one he has a name and it is Monco, so it’s no wonder he got rid – who is spending his days as a wandering Bounty Hunter. Monco arrives into a small town at the same time as fellow Bounty Hunter Colonel Mortimer (Van Cleef) and a gang of mischievous bandits headed by El Indio (Volonté) who plan to rob a bank. Monco and Mortimer have some outrageously childish fisticuffs before teaming up to infiltrate El Indio’s gang and relieve them of their well-stolen money.

With a bigger budget and more confidence, legendary Director Sergio Leone’s second instalment of his Dollars trilogy, is more complex and rousingly sweeping than the original but a tad less vastly epic than the classic The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. For a Few Dollars More is certainly the middle child of the threesome. There are many spaghetti Western staples, including expertly executed set piece gun battles, memorable characters, offbeat humour and comical dubbing.

The sweeping visuals are accompanied by Ennio Morricone’s rousing yet jokey score, of the sort that made him a household name – a rareity for a movie score composer. Lee Van Cleef is excellent and he complements the ubercool but monosyllabic Monco extremely well. He looks the part and his character holds the film together. El Indio is madder than a bag of spanners. Gian Maria Volonté portrays the villain with such an unsettling intensity and he has the kind of laugh that could send you mad if you’re exposed to it for too long – you try and watch him and his buddies do their crazy laughing routine without feeling a shiver down your spine.

It's Got: Marvellous set pieces, trademark Leone humour, Klaus Kinski in a surprising early role

It Needs: Eli Wallach.

DVD Extras The Special Edition version is a little trailer-heavy but it does include all the following: Fully restored with extended footage, Audio commentary by Sir Christopher Frayling, 'A New Standard' - Sir Christopher Frayling on Sergio Leone, 'Back For More' - Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 'Tre Voci' - Interviews on Sergio Leone, 'For A Few Dollars More: The Original American Release Version' - featurette on alternative versions, 'Restoration notebook' 'Location comparisons', Rare Double-bill trailer, Original theatrical trailer, Collector's gallery, Radio spots DVD Extras Rating: 8/10

Summary

This perfectly executed and rousing Spaghetti Western from Sergio Leone makes for an engrossing watch.