Which Lee Van Cleef character do you prefer? Read On

[Kurugen]

Lame Joke Ahead[Someone might find it offensive]


i want my van cleef with a shot of whiskey and a corona on the side.

[Silenzio]

Mortimer pwns.

I love that term, it's so deliciously nerdy, "Pwns."

[Dude With No Name]

Mortimer pwns.

I love that term, it's so deliciously nerdy, "Pwns."

I agrre with you. Mortimer pwns. 

[Juan Miranda]

His range is definately streached more in the Mortimer role. At the film's opening on the train he could very well be Angel Eyes, such is the grim hostility he displays to the rather innocent characters around him. Also it takes a while before we find out that his business is justice and revenge, and not just business (like Monco). Later his character opens out and shows courage, sorrow and even weakness and doubt.

We see none of this in Angel Eyes, in the origional release versions. It's only in the recent restored version that we see any humanity in the character at all. Before he was just a rather one dimentional bad guy, though a memorable and magnificently evil one. Van Cleef moves better as Angel Eyes, the way he handles his horse on it's approach to the Stevens farm is a great little bit of flashy screen biz - how it slows to a high trotting prance. The way he struts in an almost identical fashion as he takes his place in the final corrida ring was a touch of genius. Van Cleef's idea or Leone's, I guess we'll never know.

[Banjo]

so you don't agree Mortimer is his best role? Because that is what I said.


Corbet and Ryan are nothing like Mortimer. Clayton is the most similar.

Can't believe that LVC as Sabata seems to have been totally overlooked In every respect the Sabata character borrows from Mortimer,most especially in the clothing and weaponry.

[The Firecracker]

Can't believe that LVC as Sabata seems to have been totally overlooked In every respect the Sabata character borrows from Mortimer,most especially in the clothing and weaponry.

Sabata's far too tongue and cheek to be like Mortimer. It's more of a playful character then a serious one.

[cigar joe]

I just watched El Condor last night for the first time in over 30 years, and his performance as Jaroo is excellent, my first opinions were clouded by what probably you could catagorize as "Eastwood" worship. Which is basically if the charater wasn't a cool character , the performance was irrelevant. Van Cleefs sleazy Jaroo was refreshingly different. 

Too bad the film as a whole isn't up to the performance.

[Banjo]

Sabata's far too tongue and cheek to be like Mortimer. It's more of a playful character then a serious one.

Not that much more playful.
Don't forget the two scenes with Kinski,the hat shooting contest and apple shooting scene?
Parolini so obviously modelled Sabata on the Mortimer blueprint

[The Firecracker]

Don't forget the two scenes with Kinski,the hat shooting contest and apple shooting scene?

I don't know. Two scenes don't make up a whole movie and the movie shows that he is a tormented soul. Sabata's not even close to being tormented. In fact I never got the impression that he had a care in the world.

Van Cleef makes him even more playful in the sequel (THE REAL ONE).

[Rubio]

Col. Mortimer for sure. He was just a great character. Angel Eyes is good too though.

[Huey]

I would rate The Smoker (Mortimer) as the screen's greatest-ever anti-hero.  I love the line: "I generally smoke after I eat".

[Jill]

Lee rocks whatever he plays. I maybe loved him in DRAH best, but generally, his (quite) good guys are slightly better than his baddies. Even as a goodie, he remains badass and being good doesn't stop him from Kick The Dog when he feels like it.

[elliot_belt]

Maybe Mortimer or the appearances as Ryan or Corbett were a more demanding acting task in comparison to AE who is the more one-dimensional character, but my vote still goes to Angel Eyes - he simply is intimidating like no villain I've ever seen on the silver screen and he doesn't need to say a word to accomplish that.
LVC rocks for sure.

[Senza]

This is a hard one, but I'd have to go with Colonel Mortimer. I like characters that have fallen and have to get back to their legendary status, Col. Mortimer had a lot of pride [especially at the end of FDM where El Indio asks him to pick up the gun, but Mortimer doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of making a desperate move by picking up the gun].