The showdown dilemma

[poderator]

I watched this movie again and again, but only recently I realised something. I always thought that "final trio" duel is marvelous, but I always felt that I am missing something important for the plot development. And it strikes me:
We have this great scene: After "Ecstasy of gold" Tuco is at the cemetery, and he is digging (Arch Stanton grave). Then Blondie came and we have their conversation.
The most important moment; Angel Eye arrived at the cemetery, and he has the gun. He is in a better position then Blondie, not to mention poor Tuco.
My question is this; Angel Eye- Why didn't he killed Tuco? Let us look at the facts; Angel Eye tortured Tuco in military prison. Tuco tells him everything. Everything that has to do with his part of the secret. And he told AE that other part of the secret (name of the grave) wich only Blondie knew.
So when AE arrived at that cemetery he knew this; 1.Blondie knows his part of the secret, name. After Blondies reply "You want see the cent of this money", he can't kill Blondie because he need him in order to get the name and gold with it.
2.Angel Eye knows this: Tuco told him everything he knew, and he knew the name and the place of that cemetery. But now, AE knows it too.
So AE doesn't need Tuco anymore. But he still left him alive. Tuco doesn't have any kind of "shield", he didn't have any "hidden cards" at this point. WHY DID ANGEL EYE LEFT TUCO ALIVE? He doesn't need to. He has sent him into prison camp before, that means that he find out everything he wanted from Tuco. And now at the cemetery, AE knows everything that Tuco knew, perhaps even more, and he left him alive.
I mean Tuco is probably least dangerous oponent in this duel (only in this!), but this is inconsistent with AE's character. He doesn't need Tuco, in fact Tuco will be one of the rivals in his pursuit for gold, along with Blondie. But he needs Blondie. Next logical thing would be: arriving at the cemetery, waiting for the conversation, after "You wan't see the cent.... sentence he would realize that he need Blondie, and the fact that he doesn't need Tuco any more. So logicaly, he had to kill him.
Instead, he left Tuco to participate in this duel, and as the result he couldn't concentrate on just one oponent. He had to watch out for Tuco too. That is why he died. I cannot believe that AE didn't follow his ruthless nature to his very end.
I would like to hear your opinions

[The Peacemaker]

If he killed Tuco, there wouldn't be a grand finale.   

[dave jenkins]

Well, two can dig better than one. And when he finds he doesn't need Tuco to dig (because they're at the wrong grave), AE can't suddenly shoot Tuco without risking a bullet from Blondie. The whole thing makes sense to me.

[moviesceleton]

Yeah, everything depends on whether Blondie would revenge if AE shot Tuco, or not. Even more important, does AE believe he would? If we believe that AE believes so, then the whole problem is solved. But would he really revenge?

[dave jenkins]

It's not merely a question of that, it's also a matter of self preservation. In the split-second it takes AE to shoot Tuco, Blondie may respond instinctively and fire back. If he has time to think, he may also decide that he has a very brief window of advantage, and since he doesn't need AE, may decide to deal with him sooner rather than later. AE, who still needs Blondie to show him where the grave is, may hesitate just long enough to receive Blondie's fatal shot.

[moviesceleton]

But if Blondie shot AE, wouldn't there be a possibility that AE shot back before he falls down? Oh, of course Blondie would shoot him in the head . OK, problem solved (if there ever really even was a problem).

[Jill]

Hm... Tuco is so lovable fellow, even he's greed. I would be a pity if he died... 

But: Blondie needed 2 shots to kill AE. Where was AE shot first? It doesn't seem - the second to his face, that's right. But the first?

There are many shots in Leone films who we don't see the bullett hole. Where was Indio shooted? Yeah, by Frank we see it.

[poderator]

Angel Eye needs Blondie, but I think that he had oportunity to kill Tuco without been shot by Blondie. Remember that scene where Blondie said ; gun....? If I remember correctly at that moment Blondie's hands were full; he had rock in one hand and the pencil in another. Tuco was on his knees, helpless. Angel Eye could easily use this moment to kill Tuco, and at the same time, he knows that Blondie can't harm him. AE made huge error; he left Tuco alive, and he just made his life little more complicated.
I realise that "trio duel" is better then duel with just two oponents. I just cannot understand the fact that AE somehow forgot the fact that he doesn't need Tuco in order to reach Confederation gold.  AE knew what kind of oponent he is against.
1.AE knows this: Tuco managed to escape from his sergeant (and from what we see in this movie he was no joke)
2.Tuco and Blondie anihilated all of his gang members. Just two of them, against what... five or six AE's men.
3. At this point AE had to know one thing. Tuco and Blondie had somekind of weird relationship, love/hate relationship. He saw Blondie when he was prepared to cut the rope around Tuco's neck, and Blondie has rather teamed up with Tuco then with him.
So AE must know,  at least in the back of his mind, that they would shoot at him first, and then it it "resa dei conti" between two partners. I just wanna say AE was so superior trough the entire movie, and then he made fatal mistake.
I guess it is true what Dave Jenkins said:  when badass  loses against the good guy, good guy becomes even more heroic (if it is even possible in Sergio's movies!)
Man, this movie rocks!