UN FIUME DI DOLLARI (A RIVER OF DOLLARS)

Italy, 1967, 89 minutes, Colour.
Thomas Hunter, Henry Silva, Dan Duryea, Nicoletta Machiavelli.
Directed by Lew B. Beavers (Carlo Lizzani).

A River of Dollars is one of the many spaghetti westerns which were produced by Italy, filmed in Spain during the 1960s. The way was led by Sergio Leone with his Fistful of Dollars and A Few Dollars More as well as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Many directors took up the challenge and a whole genre was produced - iconic westerns with gunfighters, ex-army officials, avaricious landowners, widows or wives who didn't know whether their husbands had survived, saloon girls.

Many of the films, as this one and The Return of Ringo, had the return of southern soldiers or northern soldiers, finding their land taken over by greedy owners, the wives either dead or waiting for their husbands, children waiting. There are the inevitable gunfights - very well framed for image and icon impression along with an Ennio Morricone-style score and a ballad sung in English.

1. The popularity of the spaghetti westerns? Their distinctive style? Visuals, widescreen? The Spanish locations standing in for the west? The popular ballad song?

2. The post-civil war period? The tension between the north and the south? The robbing of the Union money, the gun money? The pursuit of the soldiers? The robbers and their almost making Mexico? The decision to stay on the wagon or jump off - the turn of a card?

3. The focus on Jerry Brewster, his losing the bet, his being captured by the soldiers, the empty wagon? The taunts, his being shot in the leg for escaping, five years' imprisonment? The picturing of
hard labour? His getting out, getting his goods back, his fifty dollars taken for an old horse?

4. His return to the house, the letter from his wife, the abandoned house? The gunfighters coming for him, his being helped by Getz? Defeating the assailants? The plan to show Milton that Brewster was dead? The taking off of the tattoo? His pain? Getz and his return to Milton, the grounds that Brewster was dead? His reward in getting a job?

5. Brewster, his going into the town, playing cards and winning, Mendez's men, cheating, the fight, Horner and the saloon members, their being intimidated by Milton? Wanting Brewster to stay and help? The song and dance girl - and her being interrupted because of the high stakes in the game?

6. Milton, having taken the money, his wealth, going to Austin, buying up all the land, cheating the townspeople, murdering the sheriff, Mendez as his right-hand man? The manic style? The henchmen and their cheating at cards, the defeat by Brewster?

7. Mendez challenging Brewster, the group of men fighting him, Mendez giving him a job? His meeting with Getz? The plan?

8. The horses, the planned selling, Horner being warned by Brewster? The ambush, the burning straw, the stampede of the horses, the shooting of the men? Mendez and his anger, Milton? Wanting to find the traitor?

9. The plan to defeat Horner, sending the men into town? Brewster and his chance meeting with Tim, discovering his son? Going to the blacksmith, giving Tim the note, the saloon girl taking the note and not giving it to Horner? The ambush and the deaths?

10. The celebration of five years for Milton, the songs and the dances, Mendez looking for Brewster? Challenging him to drink?

11. Marianne, Milton's sister, not knowing what had happened? Hearing Brewster in his sleep, helping him with his wounds? Wanting to see him at the celebration?

12. The fight with Mendez and his men? Going into town, Getz and Brewster and Tim? The use of the dynamite, the shootings, the defeat?

13. The return to the ranch, pursuing Mendez, Mendez's death? Milton and his killing his servant? Setting him up, trapping Brewster? The confrontation between the two, Brewster using his wits, the death of Milton? The pathos of the death of Marianne?

14. A future for Brewster and his son? The irony that Getz was a federal agent, completing his mission, getting the money back? Concealing Brewster's survival? Making him Sheriff of Austin?

15. The popular ingredients of this kind of spaghetti western?