Western Books

[Novecento]

I have just received the first edition of this (with the title in the singular) and read it at a sitting.     

I'd never noticed that before. Bizarrely mine says "Conversation" on the cover but then "Conversations" on the inner title page.

[Novecento]

so, in other words, you're saying Leone was lying?

Have had a bit of free time recently (as exemplified by my numerous postings which will decline again in number soon) and have been reconsidering this topic. This is particularly due to Simsolo's comments in his interview regarding other authors putting Leone in a bad light.

Leone's words in Simsolo's book are "J'ai mis en scène le début, la bataille et le duel final." Notably he uses the verb "mettre (en scène)" here rather than "tourner" which he uses regarding the introductory scene of "Genius": "j'ai tourné le prégénérique où l'on voit l'attaque des faux Indiens".

Now I need Noodles_Leone's help here regarding my interpretation of the French but I am thinking that the photographic evidence of Leone helping Valerii with the battle and the final duel is solid support of this "mise en scène" but this does not necessarily imply to whom the verb "tourner", regarding the camera, can be applied and when. Consequently, I think that Leone must have been breathing very heavily down Valerii's neck during the introductory sequence (particularly due to it being a send up of OUATIW) which would allow him to classify himself as having done most of the "mise en scène". This does not, however, necessarily mean he was ever behind the camera.

So no, I do not think Leone was lying but I think his statement is easily open to misinterpretation.

So I just want to know more about Valerii's style and how it's so distinct in My Name is Nobody.. in other words, how can you be sure that he directed the barber shop scene?

I am watching the barber's shop scene right now. I know Jenkins wants me to elaborate here too, but I'm not sure how to express it. I may well be fooling myself into believing I can see something which I cannot, but I really do not find it to look like a Leone directed scene. The camera just doesn't seem to me to move in the way it does when Leone is at the helm. I am, of course, quite possibly wrong in all of this but like to think I'm not  .   

[stanton]

I don't think so.

At least Valerii never did a scene in his 4 previous westerns which was half as good as the Nobody opening scene. Compare his lousy 1972 SW A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (also written by Gastaldi) with Nobody, and you know who was responsible for MNIN's qualities.
Valerii was only an average director, and his 2 better westerns are as good as their screenplays.

[Novecento]

At least Valerii never did a scene in his 4 previous westerns which was half as good as the Nobody opening scene. Compare his lousy 1972 SW A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (also written by Gastaldi) with Nobody, and you know who was responsible for MNIN's qualities.
Valerii was only an average director, and his 2 better westerns are as good as their screenplays.

Dubbing James Coburn into English in the full length version of "A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die" is absolutely ridiculous. I didn't finish the movie cos I just couldn't take it! I'd need to watch it again to give it a fair shot but I certainly wasn't enjoying it enough to ignore the dubbing.

What about "The Price of Power"? I've always quite enjoyed that one. Plus it has an excellent score which isn't Morricone's for once! I think the man who directed that could easily have directed the barber's shop scene. Valerri also has some nice touches elsewhere: How about the horseback duel in "Day of Anger"?

[stanton]

What about "The Price of Power"? I've always quite enjoyed that one. Plus it has an excellent score which isn't Morricone's for once! I think the man who directed that could easily have directed the barber's shop scene. Valerri also has some nice touches elsewhere: How about the horseback duel in "Day of Anger"?

Both are good SW, but also are far from being great or original. Both would have needed a better director to become really interesting. Valerii was at best only a routine copyist of Leone's style, a copyist who lacks a deeper inspiration.

The barber shop scene, and many, many more scenes in MNIN, have an atmospheric and visual beauty I couldn't find in any of Valerii's previous westerns, which all look rather flat.
MNIN has some conceptual problems, mainly in the integration of the comedy elements to the melancholic twilight western themes, but the directing is mostly superb. There are only a few less inspired looking shots.
How did Valerii come to this superior style after an astonishingly unstylish western he made just before? And how did he manage to loose this class again shortly thereafter by making such a lousy film like Sahara Cross?

My only explanation: Valerii was in the directing chair for most of the film, but Leone was the creative force behind him. Just like he originally planned it to do for Giu la testa. Ask Peter Bogdanovich.


But I will rewatch the barber shop scene one of the next days.

[uncknown]

What about "The Price of Power"? .... it has an excellent score which isn't Morricone's for once....

Not officially.
There is no doubt he ghost wrote most of the score.
If you listen to the action music it sounds nothing like Ennio. The rest is unmistakably him.

[Novecento]

Not officially.
There is no doubt he ghost wrote most of the score.
If you listen to the action music it sounds nothing like Ennio. The rest is unmistakably him.

I remember you fighting a losing battle over this on the SWDB: Who really wrote the music for 'The Price of Power'? It sounded a lot like my main argument regarding the barber's shop scene

I'm not really a musician so it's hard for me to judge. Really nice score nonetheless: Il Prezzo del potere.

[uncknown]

I remember you fighting a losing battle over this on the SWDB:
.

Whaddya mean "losing"
My mule might think you are talkin' about him!

[Novecento]

I didn't say you were wrong, just that no one was agreeing with you. And I do empathize...

[uncknown]

whaddya expect from a gang of no-good, sun baked, dusty, addle-brained varmints!

ahahahahahahahha!!

[uncknown]

I didn't say you were wrong, just that no one was agreeing with you. And I do empathize...

hey Nove!
you dirty rat ;you double crossed me over at the Spagheeti western Forum

anybody who doublecrosses Uncknown and lets him live; he understands NOTHING about Uncknown

[uncknown]

amigos,

i have an extra copy of Frayling's leone Bio STDWD
that i am willing to sell for a reasonable price

combrm@yahoo.com if interested

[Novecento]

hey Nove!
you dirty rat ;you double crossed me over at the Spagheeti western Forum

anybody who doublecrosses Uncknown and lets him live; he understands NOTHING about Uncknown

 

Well after my posting, I thought I would give your argument a thorough consideration. Respectfully I must disagree, although I do believe it still to be theoretically possible if there were solid evidence. However, as I mentioned before, I'm not much of a musician.

[uncknown]

Well after my posting, I thought I would give your argument a thorough consideration. Respectfully I must disagree, although I do believe it still to be theoretically possible if there were solid evidence. However, as I mentioned before, I'm not much of a musician.

I can tell you that Luis & Bacalov had a personal and professional relationship. In fact, they COWROTE SOME SCORES!
Circumstantial evidence, yes, but it adds more credibility to my conjecture>

[Novecento]

I can tell you that Luis & Bacalov had a personal and professional relationship. In fact, they COWROTE SOME SCORES!
Circumstantial evidence, yes, but it adds more credibility to my conjecture>

Nice interview with Bacalov here where he talks about his relationship with Morricone.