Il ritorno di Clint il solitario aka The Return of Clint the Stranger (1972)

[The Firecracker]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069184/

http://www.spaghettiwestern.altervista.org/ritorno_clint.htm


A better sequel than the mediocre 1967 original but it still lacks that oomph!
George Martin directs this one and he doesn't do a bad job. The opening 5 minutes are especially great (there is a red tinged flashback that is reminiscent of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE's flashback sequence) but the rest of the film does not reach the same level as the opening except for a few scenes here and there.


The movie doesn't manage to be anything more than a remake of the first film. Yes, it takes place several years after the first but the premise is the same and the same events happen which lead me to wonder if any of the characters suffered from deja-vu(?).

Shortly after the events of the first film Clint's brother is killed on the night of his honeymoon and his sister in law is raped/murdered in the process. Clint leaves his family to avenge his brother. Many years later he comes upon his prey and kills mercilessly. He returns to his home where he finds that he is no longer welcome by his own son who feels his father abandoned him. His wife is a bit more sympathetic and she offers him to stay only if he quits the gunslinger life for good.
But once again his wife has really bad timing because they are being forced off their land by a banker and his nasty lackies. To top it off there is a bounty hunter (Klaus Kinski) hot on Clint's trail.


This is a more entertaining movie than the first. Better action scenes, performances and music (Morricone scores ripped from Hellbenders and Companeros).
Some sadism is thrown into the mix this time and it comes in the form of a bizarre torture sequence. Unfortunatly this scene is frustrating because Martin has no idea where to place the camera so you never get to see how the torture works.


Kinski once again puts out an entertaining performance but is given little to do.

Reviewer on IMDB is a little bit over excited that Kinski is in this and even goes as far to say that this is his best western performance
Rubbish.

From what I read on Italian DB it doesn't seem like it has that much to say (Titoli please help me out on this).


Slightly above average italian western.

[titoli]

It says the story is not original, but Kinski, Morricone and the action scenes make it worthwhile anyway.

[The Firecracker]

"Storia non proprio originale"

[O'Cangaceiro]

I found "The Return of Clint the Stranger" a very watchable SW. The story is clearly based in Shane, and the flashbacks are undoubtedly taken from FOFDM. The musical score is from Morrincone (Hellbenders, Companeros, Tepepa and possibly another movie I don't recall right now). That makes The Return of Clint the Stranger quite un-original, but it's nevertheless above average, with a pretty good cinematography and quite good acting.

7/10