DEATH RIDES A HORSE
Italy, 1968, 120 minutes, Colour.
Lee Van Cleef, John Philip Law, Anthony Dawson.
Directed by Giulio Petroni.
Death Rides a Horse is a spaghetti western from the heyday of this genre. The main influence, of course, was Sergio Leone. Lee Van Cleef appeared at this time in Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and was a regular in this kind of film both in Italy and in the United States. He made a career of this staring glint-eyed western baddie.
The hero is John Philip Law, appearing at this time in such films as The Sergeant and Barbarella. He plays a young man whose family was massacred – and he has lived for fifteen years bent on revenge. He teams up with one of the gang who was betrayed by the other members and is now released from prison and together they pursue their vendetta. Anthony Dawson, in many Italian westerns, is one of the main villains.
The director, Giulio Petroni, made a number of action adventures including a western the following year, Tepepa which featured Tomas Milian and, of all people, Orson Welles. Another value of this spaghetti western is that it has a musical score by the master, Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Mission).
1. How enjoyable and successful a western? Its use of western conventions and audience expectations?
2. As an Italian western: style, themes, colour, wides screen, music? As an example of the genre and its entertainment value?
3. Why do these films entertain? Character, plot, revenge motives? The quality of the adventures in the film? The violence - was it exploited or was it appropriate? Why?
4. How important were the themes of justice, revenge, violence, the frontier life and motivation? How well were they explored? What stances did the film take?
5. Was Bill a satisfactory hero? Impact of the massacre and its flashback (success of this style? )? the nature of his revenge and its rightness, his heroism in the west as contrasted with Ryan, saving him and being saved? The symbols on the criminals and his pursuit of these? His future in the west?
6. How interesting a character was Ryan? The Lee Van Cleef style, his silence, heroism, impact of prison, saving Bill, being saved? What was the nature of the bond between them and their mutual respect? How villainous a man was he? The impact of the truth and Bill's confrontation? Was Bill right in letting him go?
7. Comment on the film's portrayal of the villains, their part in the massacre, their mindless brutality, the picture of their latest success, justice pursuing them, the memory of the revenge, their cruelty to Bill and to
Ryan? Where were audience sympathies?
8. What was the final impact of recognising Ryan and his role in the film? The significance of the finale for Bill?
9. What were the implicit values in the film regarding life, survival, justice, relationships? As an insight into the west?
