Thoughts on this film

[cigar joe]

All this commentary wants me all the more to see this film.

I rented a VHS version years ago and never saw the film on the big screen.

I caught a pan and scan commercial ridden version (which version, lol, I don't know) a few years back but I have never had an ultimate screening of a definitive version).

Hopefully we will get a DVD soon.

[mortimer]

Bought one from this seller. R1 good quality , but not anamorphic. I am happy with it. Everything but the final flashback , which is downloadable from the board.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=617&item=6308367460&rd=1

[Walton]

I managed to get a copy of the two disc Japanese Stingray special edition which has the long English language version (I believe taken from the old US laser disc) and the long Italian language version with the complete flashback. They are both widescreen and the picture quality is only fair, but it's great to finally have the missing scenes I'd read about for so long. Before this I had the short version in a fullscreen vhs pan and scan. I live in Australia and I saw recently that there is a dvd of the film coming out here in a couple of months. I'm asuming this will be the same as the version that was released in the UK, but I'll buy it anyway. I think FOD is great, and I can watch it repeatedly just as much as the other Leone films.

[JJ_Snakes]

I've seen this film now twice. First about a week ago, and for the second time yesterday. And I really have now mixed thoughts about this film. It doesn't equal the Dollars films nor OUATITW, in my opinion. Alone the film is good, but I get the impression like it has been made by an observant Leone impersonator, despite the fact, that the story itself is original. It's like the film has been put together from pre-made bricks, already done 'n' seen fragments. The first part of the film reminds a lot of the Trilogy. As I saw Juan, I thought, Tuco! And "Tuco!" popped several times in my head throughout the film. [I didn't know until today, that the role was supposed to go to Wallach! That explains something.] The closeups are already a seen thing, the rape scene is somewhat familiar and etc. All of the film up to Mesa Verde bank doesn't really surprise, though performed effectively. Then there's a change, but only in the plot. The scenes are again familiar. The scene at the bridge is like the scene in Fistful of Dollars, only here it's intensified, and this time the good guys are at the machine guns. And the final battle, after the trains have crashed. Reminds me the battle from GBU, only, again, intensified. Though, meanwhile there's much to think about and all, but it gets a bit lost in all the killings, there seems to be too much meaningless killings! [Never thought that I will say this about a western. ] The heartiness gets shadowed by the slaughter and shooting scenes. There's like two too many. [In the end, when the bad guy shoots John three times, and Juan returns like three hundred, that's cool tho.] This film brought a thought to my head for a moment, that if Sergio had started making films in the late 70s, then he would've been making whacky porn flicks consisting raping scenes with extreme  close-ups & crane shots, and ending with a mass murder.
Now, don't take my little bitterness too seriously, I think that Fistful of Dynamite is a good movie. Just not as good as the other Leone's, but Sergio Leone is the very best director in the world who has ever lived!
Definitely worth watching, but needs more trained and developed taste. Maybe needs some time to settle also, so I guess I'm going to watch it again in the near future, and see what I'll be thinking then.
Oh, almost forgot, YES, the music is awsome.

[DJIMBO]

having seen this film quite a few times now these are my thoughts:

THE GOOD
1) Leone's direction
2) Ruzzolini's cinematography
3) Coburn's actual performance
4) The Message - revolution is well-intended but ends in tragedy for the people that actually carry it out
5) Morricone's music
6) the start - fantastic use of editing and humour
7) the flashbacks - wonderful use of music and the themes of loss and deja vu

THE BAD/THE UGLY
1) Steiger - ok he's an oscar-winning actor but has anyone ever been so annoying in a lead role? his attempt at a mexican accent is terrible
2) Coburn's accent - almost as bad to be honest
3) Scenes drag too long it seems like Leone's just dragging them 4 the sake of it e.g. the grotto bit and the bit on the train with the Governor
4) the ending - ambiguous that he actually blew himself up though i know some people think that was Leone deliberately doing that
5) MOST OF ALL - I never really can tell what Sean thinks about the revolution - what does he really believe he's very ambiguous

Overall i think its a strong film, Bogdanovich probably would have made it worse, it would have been some director's greatest film its just we're ranking it alongside OUATITW and OUATIA which lets face it, are two of the greatest films ever made

[cigar joe]

You guys are very fortunate to just have seen it widescreen and in as full a cuts as possible. I've seen it only pan & scan and interupted by commercials and that was years ago. If it was on while I was flipping through the channels I usually watched a few minutes or so and then switched, all in anticipation for the upcomming release. I'm really looking forward now to this DVD release to complete my Leone collection   in the meanwhile I am collecting other SW's.

(PS i've just recieved a 12 page list of titles that should keep me satiated  ).

[grandpa_chum]

haha... you have no FREAKIN idea how fortunate i was... the local theatre up here in shithole, maine where cows outnumber people was playing the restored reissued version on the big screen like 2 months after i saw my first Leone movie and fell in love with the man's movies... if that isn't fortunate i don't know what is

BTW... i think this is Leone's second best... behind west and neck and neck with america as his second best... i don't get the big deal with the accents and the so called ambiguity of anything... since when did ambiguity alone become a negative... i haven't heard anyone comment on why they don't like the ambiguity... also steiger isn't that annoying to me... maybe that is why I love it so much... and it is one of leone's most beautiful movies.

[cigar joe]

Keep on whetting my appetite g_c.

[Pedretto Kusani]

The beginning of the film is perfect in my opinion.
   The two main characters are so "real" !
The friendship between the Irish man and the gangster  is very beutiful. I have never found  this true friendship in other films of leone.  

[DJIMBO]

sorry but i stand by my opinions, i believe that this film is very good
i think bits r up there with leone's best but its the only leone film (Colossus excluded) that does for me.
but we're comparing this film to West and America, these are indisputably great films, we're talkin top 100 of all time in anyones book, i just dont think DYS is a great film, it has too many flaws to be classed up there with flawless films.  

[grandpa_chum]

i respect your opinion... the thing is everyone of those "flaws" that people talk of are either things i don't think are flaws at all... or are things that i think work for the film... and although almost NO ONE even has this film in their top 100... i happen to have it at no. 3 all time... with west no. 1 and america no. 4.... i think it undoubtedly compares to west and america as his best... there are only two levels of leone as far as i'm concerned... dollars trilogy... and then there is Once Upon A Time trilogy... with no films being discluded.... Although i don't know what version other people are watching so i don't know... maybe i'm watching a more flawless version who knows... but i see NO major flaws and not many minor ones either.

[Mr. Guerrilla]

I think this is Leone''s weakest film.  Maybe logical, because at first Leone didn''t want to do this one (he wanted to give the project to Peckinpah)...

Though it is fun at some times, it never matches the level of any of his other films.  Nice score, by the way.

I think this movie is actually quit good. When I recently bought it on dvd I thought that the name was a bit weird (fod) but I would still rate it over afod . The whole name issue is a bit funny for in my language, finnish, two mules for sister sara has the same name for some reason 

[noodles_leone]

still loving this movie, which would have been much much better with tonino delli colli as director of photography
Anyway, an other great story about friendship and betrayal by leone...

[cigar joe]

Anyway, an other great story about friendship and betrayal by leone...

Tell us about this!

I''m witholding comments on this film until I own the DVD  , waiting with amticipation.

[Bill Carson]

  hola amigos. I have never really watched this film in it''s entirety; I always thought that it was just me who didn''t appreciate Rod Steiger''s (overacting?) performance and overall the direction just felt... wrong - for a Leone film anyway. but every director has made a bad film, or at least one that just isn''t as good as the others. I think that when the special edition dvd comes out I''ll be able to study this film.