cemetery without crosses
the success of these films also led to hossein obtaining the financing for cemetery without crosses .
cemetery without crosses is now available on blu - ray and dvd combo pack from arrow video .
the rope and the colt (cemetery without crosses) (une corde, un colt... )
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the rope and the colt (cemetery without crosses) (une corde, un colt ...) quotes
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trailer - original trailer for cemetery without crosses. in italian, with optional english subtitles. (4 min) .
critic reviews for the rope and the colt (cemetery without crosses) (une corde, un colt... )
audience reviews for the rope and the colt (cemetery without crosses) (une corde, un colt... )
cemetery without crosses. i' m like it very well done movie. i' m a western and spaghetti western fan .
the rope and the colt (cemetery without crosses) (une corde, un colt ...) (1969) - rotten tomatoes
arrow video usa gives the deluxe treatment to the long - neglected french escargot western cemetery without crosses on blu - ray / dvd combo .
cemetery without crosses aka
the rope and the colt
aka
une corde, un colt ...
aka
cimitero senza croci
[ blu - ray ]
cemetery of crosses spares few words and relies instead on stylish action sequences and elegant, atmospheric cinematography to achieve its ends .
if you' re content to watch a french - italian western that doesn' t star clint eastwood or lee van cleef, then perhaps you might like
cemetery without crosses .
a disappointment, yes. but, strangely appealing .
grotesque rabbit stew. split - second shootouts. endlessly spinning roulette wheel. scavenging a frying pan from the ashen remains of a burnt house. the world is a cemetery without crosses, a place of living dead just waiting to be buried .
this week at the b - movie clubhouse arrow us has been nice and given us some dvds so i picked and french / italian western from 1969 called cemetery without crosses (aka the rope and the colt / une corde, un colt) .
cemetery without crosses
has plenty of crosses in the cemetery. this is what i would call a minimalist
spaghetti western
. simple revenge kidnapping story, with minimal dialog. i really would have liked to see the characters and screenplay developed a bit further. the editing, which is rather choppy, makes this seem more like loosely connected vignettes. the stunt work is some of the most unconvincing i have ever seen, and the blood looks like nothing more than red paint. a downbeat ending was somewhat of a surprise, but overall
cemetery without crosses
must be considered as nothing more than a slightly better than average
spaghetti
. - merk
vincedeau: “perhaps most european, or french, in cemetery without crosses is the bleak pessimism that permeates the film. even granted the tendency for spaghetti westerns to focus on low ethics, venality and cruelty, hossein’s narrative paints a particularly dark picture. ”
cemetery without crosses — as you’ll note — begins in black & white, and as the credits for the film roll we find ourselves watching three men raising dust on horseback because they’re being chased by members of the rogers clan, a wealthy cattle ranching family .
cemetery without crosses is a darker breed of western, bleak and melancholy in tone amid the explosive set pieces. it also boasts an outstanding score by composer andré hossein (father of robert) and the catchiest of themes, sung by cult figure scott walker .
what a stellar' pasta' western cemetery without crosses is. it was a co - french - italian production and accents key features of the genre with delicate precision. nothing is heavy - handed and i found it an exceptionally well realized story impressively shot by henri persin. the arrow
inspired by the international success of the dollars trilogy, and dedicated to director sergio leone, cemetery without crosses offers a gallic spin on the spaghetti western formula thanks to its star and creator, robert hossein (best - known to english - speaking audiences for his role in jules dassin s rififi) .
it’s not leone - esque, not a typical “spaghetti” western, if it even in fact is one. nor does cemetery without crosses draw from the american style. it’s a unique and rare movie that is if nothing else a unique cinematic statement and a rare chance to indulge in a rare french quinine .
interview with robert hossein - in this short archival interview, robert hossein quickly explains what inspired him to shoot cemetery without crosses. the interview was conducted for the french television program cote d' azur actualites, and first broadcast on april 17th, 1968. in french, optional english subtitles. (3 min) .
and dedicated to sergio leone, cemetery without crosses presents a gallic spin on the spaghetti western and succeeds largely on the strength of hossein' s ability to weave together an overwhelming sense of melancholy with explosive set pieces and andre hossein' s stellar original scre along with scott walker' s tremendously effective theme song. hossein shares writing credit for the film with claude desailly, though dario argento is also noted as having involvement with the film' s script (note: hossein has stated that argento contributed not more than a couple dozen lines to the script). originally released under the title the rope and the colt, cemetery without crosses is a true tribute to leone' s films and hossein deserves credit for having crafted a film that remains faithful to leone' s ability to create emotional resonance and outstanding set pieces. cemetery without crosses feels authentic and, if you surrender yourself to it, it will linger in your psyche long after the closing credits .
arrow video sheds clarifying light on dario argento’s elusive and hallucinatory deep red, without compromising the film’s unnerving bottomlessness .
cox also said that cemetery was “the one film to prove that the italian western was not solely sergio leone’s. ”
cemetery without crosses (u. s. a .) | cimitero senza croci (italy) | una cuerda, un colt (spain) | friedhof ohne kreuze (germany) | haudat vailla nimeä (finland) | cemitério sem cruzes (brazil) | kato apo ton ourano tou texas (greece) | the rope and the colt | death valley gunfighters
cemetery without crosses is a fairly typical “spaghetti” western revenge scenario, but what is different is that the movie shows revenge to be a fruitless endeavor that has consequences and a high price to be paid; the heroes don’t just lose their way and ultimately their lives, but also their very humanity. it’s one of the most morally conscionable the genre ever had to offer .
at the heart of cemetery without crosses is a desire to evoke a pitch black response to life at the limits. there are no goodies or baddies in this, just mystery and the grim realisation that most character’s fates have probably already been mapped long ago. the philosophical nature of the work lends it an authoritative air, and offers a rewarding – if uncomfortable – watch .
cemetery — which features great cinematography by henri persin — also features an evocative background score by hossein’s father, composer andré hossein .
location report - presented here is an extract from the french television program cinema with raw footage from the shooting of cemetery without crosses as well as clips from archival interviews with robert hossein, michele mercier (maria caine), and serge marquand (larry rogers). the episode was first broadcast on february 29th, 1968. in french, with optional english subtitles. (8 min) .
we here at night flight hq consider ourselves lucky then, all these decades later, to be able to see cemetery without crosses today, and have arrow films / arrow videos to thank for it being so lovingly restored and treated with the utmost respect; now we can all decide for ourselves where hossein’s film should be placed in the pantheon of all the great spaghetti westerns (or “baguette westerns”) .
remembering sergio - in this brand new video interview, actor and director robert hossein recalls how cemetery without crosses came to exist, and discusses his admiration for sergio leone. (the great italian director shot the sequence in which manuel and the rogers are seen eating together). the interview was conducted exclusively for arrow video on february 25th, 2015. in french, with optional english subtitles. (6 min) .
cemetery without crosses is a grim but stylish tale of revenge gone wrong. that isn' t really a spoiler since some of the first dialogue in the film heavily foreshadows the dangers of vengeance. dialogue is sparse overall in cemetery, and the film conveys more in a downcast expression or a black glove than a turn of phrase. robert hossein starred, directed, and co - wrote, doing a fine job across the board. it' s not a groundbreaking spaghetti western, but it does deliver on its promises of clever staging, inevitable betrayals, and violent confrontations .
as prepared by the fine folks at u. k. - based arrow films, this blu - ray / dvd release is filled with arrow' s usual extras that are far too often saved for blockbuster films. while cemetery without crosses may not be a blockbuster, for fans of spaghetti westerns it will unquestionably be one of the genre' s finer examples and an inspired film dedicated to one of the genre' s true icons .
cemetery without crosses — aka une corde… un colt… (france) and cimitero senza croci (italy), among other titles internationally, including the rope and the colt and death valley gunfighters in the u. s. — is a french / italian / spanish co - production, a “baguette western” lensed at the height of the european western craze, and you’ll find it streaming over in our arrow video collection over on night flight plus !
as an actor, hossein was famous for starring in the controversial forbidden priests (1973) and the historical romance of the angelique films (1964–1968), which numbered five, with his cemetery without crosses co - star michele mercier. hoessein doesn’t look like your typical movie gunslinger, not even of the european variety. he’s short, doesn’t look particularly tough or mean, his features are a little funny, but hossein is appealing and has a great screen presence .
there’s an interesting and perhaps apocryphal story still in wide circulation which makes the claim that sergio leone actually played the part of the hotel desk clerk in cemetery .
“he always had to be first to shoot. not out of a thirst for money or revenge… something else drove him to dare, to fight. by now, time was running out. there was no time to think, to live… there was only time to hate and die. a rope was ready to be tightened. a coffin was ready to be shut. a six - shooter was ready to judge. an entire desert was ready to become a great… cemetery without crosses. ”
the closing card reads “dedicated to sergio leone. ” leone was a big influence on hossein, though his presence isn’t felt all that much on the finished film. still, leone is alleged to have actually directed one scene unaccredited and appears in a cameo role. hossein had been cast as the sheriff in leone’s masterwork once upon a time in the west, but a last minute change kept him from the picture. one thing that cemetery without crosses shares with leone is that it an auteurist film, a rarity amongst the “spaghetti” western genre .
made as a tribute to the legendary sergio leone - who in the same year would make one of, if not his best film,' once upon a time in the west' - robert hossein' s' cemetery without crosses' takes place in a seemingly desolate wasteland, it' s protagonist a tortured gunslinger who lives in a ghost town and coolly puts on a single black leather glove whenever he is about to exact swift gunslinging justice against his foes. it is an unforgiving setting where unforgiving things happen and the characters are stuck hopelessly in the middle .
lead actor robert hossein became one of the few actors to direct a “spaghetti” western in which he also starred. the french - born hossein had been directing films since 1955, and would go on to helm a well received version of les miserables in 1982, but cemetery without crosses would mark his only foray into the western genre and he makes the most out of it. hossein added a unique stamp on the genre, creating such a memorable film that i would argue that hossein deserves a place in the top - tier of the genre just for this credit .
frayling — who has penned a number of books on spaghetti westerns — also writes, in his preface (dated october 2005) to spaghetti westerns: cowboys and europeans from karl may to sergio leone (originally published in 1981) that “dario argento… went on to co - write among others cemetery without crosses and the five man army before becoming the sergio leone of italian horror films, ” and so his calling argento a co - writer on the film seems to confuse the matter even more, and actually calls into question whether he may have been wrong about leone’s participation as an actor as well .
disc # 1 - - cemetery without crosses 1. scene 1 [ 6: 40 ] 2. scene 2 [ 6: 43 ] 3. scene 3 [ 6: 48 ] 4. scene 4 [ 8: 47 ] 5. scene 5 [ 9: 03 ] 6. scene 6 [ 7: 05 ] 7. scene 7 [ 8: 36 ] 8. scene 8 [ 6: 13 ] 9. scene 9 [ 7: 51 ] 10. scene 10 [ 9: 14 ] 11. scene 11 [ 7: 33 ] 12. scene 12 [ 6: 04 ] 13. scene 13 [: 01 ]
cemetery — a dark, sometimes melancholic spin on the spaghetti western genre’s familiar revenge storyline — feels like a french - language homage to italian director sergio leone’s dollars films (the film is even dedicated to him) .
cemetery without crosses ’s newly restored image is sharp and detailed, doing full justice to the gritty texture of robert hossein’s locations. one scene at a smoky saloon could have easily degenerated into unintelligibility with a sloppy transfer, but arrow’s preservation ensures that the shots pop with all the little set elements and wardrobe eccentricities hidden within the clouds of dust. it’s not a terribly saturated restoration (with the exception of some incongruously vibrant blue skies), but that’s in keeping with the emptied - out vigor of hossein’s world. the soundtrack is hushed but exacting, and in general the dubbed voices (one version in italian with dialogue by dario argento, another in english) are integrated organically into the sonic space .
is likely to disappoint a fair number of eurowestern fanatics. haunted and defeated even in triumph, manuel by design lacks the commanding presence of the most memorable spaghetti western anti - heroes. coupled with the film' s disinterest in action setpieces, occasionally long stretches without dialogue, and a tone that' s astonishingly dour even by the genre' s standards, viewers expecting a more traditional spaghetti western may find themselves without something immediately appealing to embrace. though i admire and respect
like sergio leone' s westerns, the images in cemetery without crosses of the american west as a bleak and desolate place are what capture and hold your imagination while the story of vengeance plays out. also like leone, there is a recurring musical theme that heightens everything that goes on. it isn' t morricone, but it has its own charm, a classical guitar backed by an organ, fits right in. overall this is spaghetti western with its own unique identity. instead of just men perpetrating violence, this film uses its two female characters as wielders of gun violence to pretty cool effect. in this film you got to be pretty tough, whether man or woman, to to make it to the classic conclusion .
ginette vincedeau’s dvd essay “western without americans, ” which accompanies the 2005 dvd release by arrow films, compares hossein’s directorial style to the then - recently released films of fellow french filmmaker jean - pierre melville (particularly 1967’s le samouraï, and 1969’s le cercle rouge) .
she also claims that cemetery “did respectable business when it was released in february 1969 (attracting almost one million spectators in france), ” but then sums up its failings by stating “it left hardly a mark on film history, whether as a french production or as a western. ”
the extras are outstanding, including a 2015 interview with robert hossein, where he says that he was to appear in sergio leone ’s once upon a time in the west, but was under contract to do a film, which ended up being madame with sophia loren. speaking of leone, hossein says that leone asked to direct a sequence and that uncredited sequence is the outstanding dinner scene at the rogers’ ranch. also included is a fantastic segment from a french television news show that visited the set of cemetery without crosses during the filming, it is in black and white with english subtitles. in the news segment they interview hossein and mercier and also actor serge marquand (larry rogers), who appears in a cast after breaking his leg falling off a horse, which is shown on the presented footage. outstanding release in both quality and quantity, if you don’t have it yet, pick up this masterpiece !
consider the familiarities. there is a bullying, patriarchal family forcing neighbours from their land and building a mammoth empire for themselves while ruthlessly eliminating anyone in their way. there is a second family, victimised and downtrodden by the former, who want revenge for the brutal killing of one of their own. there is a town, policed by a corrupt lawman, and populated by people filled with fear who are unwilling to stand up to the patriarch boss. and finally, there is a taciturn lone gunman, called upon to exact the revenge the victimised family cannot manage on their own. here' s a storyline we' ve seen countless times in westerns, both american and european, over the years and which can provide an entertaining, if somewhat predictable narrative. but, if you have popped cemetery without crosses into the old machine and are settling down to witness another conventional revenge flick, you will be mightily, and pleasantly, surprised .
hossein — who expresses his regret that he was never able to appear as an actor in any of leone’s films — met with leone in almeria, and it was there that leone filmed a dinner sequence (providing one of the only moments of comic relief in the film) which hossein then inserted into cemetery .
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the movie begins in black and white and slowly moves to color, though in the end it returns to its b & w roots. however, the movie is not about black and white; as is typical of the genre, it is grey. there are no easy answers, even the “good guys” are not without stains on their souls; the difference here is that it is more fully explored .
the “spaghetti” western is often dismissed as an inferior film genre, but that has been changing in recent years. there is a link between the celebrated art films of europe and the more “uncultured” westerns seen simply as entertainment movies. the cast is small, the dialogue nominal, volumes are spoken without the aid of words; this was often a result because “spaghetti” westerns were filmed without sound to be dubbed into a myriad of languages. not just the faces, but the whole film has a naturalistic appearance to it. the camera seems to be always moving. the cinematography is often ignored in the euro - westerns, but was often bold and distinctive. the artistic touches are many, but i am always fond of the “spaghetti” westerns that wear their european art film ambitions or influence on their sleeves front and center as to better appreciate it .
illustrates the dichotomy between contemplated violence and actual violence. hossein’s characters are conflicted by their basic morality and the utter immorality of the actions they ponder (and ponder). these scenes are portrayed using leone trademarks like close - ups of grim faces or eyes and accompanied by very dramatic music. eventually, all the characters choose violence, but not without long, long deliberation. this does have the effect, i came to see, of making the resulting violence seem more sudden and jarring. in truth, i found the film miserably / painfully slow (and wondered why the film had such a strange title, which seemed to have nothing to do with the film’s actual plot) until the final third, which contains some iconic western imagery and some very effective violence. the entire movie seems satisfied to be effectively leone - ish .
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a melancholic, fetishistic gunfighter is drawn into a vengeful and tragic kidnapping plot by his widowed ex - lover .
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the adopted son of a preacher comes upon a village that is under the thumb of a deranged ex - confederate officer, who is - among other things - stealing land from the locals with phony land grants .
a history professor has a chance meeting with an infamous outlaw and eventually assumes leadership of his gang .
a scruffy garbage boy becomes the pupil of a famed gunfighter, and the stage for confrontation is set when the gunman becomes unhinged and overruns the boy' s town through violence and corruption .
various factions, including a half - breed bandit, a gang of homosexual cowboys and a priest, feud over stolen gold in a surreal town .
a greedy polish mercenary aids a mine worker and peasant girl as they lead a revolution against the oppressive mexican government, and are pursued by an american rival .
a returning union officer discovers that his home has been overrun by mexican bandits, and infiltrates the gang to restore order and determine if his wife has been faithful to him .
a bounty hunter arrives in a mining town and is hired to track down the missing daughter of the town' s crippled mayor and learns she has been kidnapped by the mayor' s corrupt right - hand - man and a band of outlaws he is secretly working for .
a half - breed ex - union gunfighter attempts to protect his plague - ridden hometown from being overridden by his racist half - brothers and a confederate tyrant .
an' angel - faced' gunfighter is tasked with infiltrating a ranch overrun by mexican bandits and saving their hostages, including the fiancée of the local sheriff .
a master gunfighter teams up with his banjo - playing partner and a mexican bandit to foil the town leaders of daugherty, texas, who want to steal $ 100, 000 from their own bank to buy land that the approaching railroad will cross .
several competing groups and mavericks (including the lead character cuchillo) are hunting a gold treasure of $ 3, 000, 000. the gold was reserved for the mexican revolution .
a band of mexican gun - runners employed by a revolutionary general accept an american into their gang, unaware of his intentions .
the rogers family are rich and powerful cattle and land owners. the caine brothers - ben, thomas and eli - rebel against them and steal a shipment of gold coins. the rogers are used to settling their affairs personally and kill ben, while the other two manage to escape, although their house is burned down. maria, ben' s wife, has only one wish: to avenge her husband' s death. only one person will help her to achieve this end: manuel, a lonely gunfighter who accepts to help her due to his past relationship with maria and ben. manuel decides to kidnap diana, the rogers' beloved daughter, and maria obliges her father and his three sons to humble themselves on ben' s grave and ask for forgiveness. however, both the rogers and the caines' plans for each other go awry... with tragic and deadly results .
he always had to be first to shoot. not out of a thirst for money or revenge... something else drove him to dare, to fight .
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released: january 25, 1969 (france) starring: michèle mercier, robert hossein and guido lollobrigida hossien stars as a leather - clad killer, drawn into a tragic kidnap / murder plot by his former flame michelle mercier. an almost totally visual film with perhaps not more than two dozen lines of dialogue .
ramon il messicano (13. 11. 1966) [ maurizio predaux ] ita. avi
une corde, un colt 1968 - de avec robert hossein, complet. fr
maria (michele mercier), widow of the slaughtered ben caine and ex lover of manuel, is equally three dimensional. exhibiting equal quantities of despair and determination, she fills the screen with her stoic suffering. what is more, in a welcome break from spaghetti tradition, she is not here merely to pretty the place up. so often female characters in the genre are relegated to vamp or victim; rarely being allowed to exert more than a superfluous influence on the heart of the proceedings. but here she is the driving force behind the narrative and a character of central importance .
lastly, the theme of revenge, while at the heart of the story, is questioned and approached from a very different angle to the average western. manuel states early in the piece that' vengeance never ends' and his words prove to be prophetic as each action causes an escalated reaction and the brutality from all sides spirals out of control .
all these facets make this film stand out from most of its contemporaries but that is not to say it doesn' t contain all the attributes you would expect from a western of this period. it is gritty, sombre and violent, with fist fights and plenty of gunplay. there are bad guys and good guys, although the lines are a little blurred and there is enough pace and action on the whole to keep the most impatient action fan happy. there is even, i' m delighted to say, a role (if fleeting) for lorenzo robledo; a face that always makes a true spaghetti fan feel right at home. what' s more, it' s a role where he avoids getting killed or tortured too. and you don' t see that very often .
the real difference here, and the reason this film sits among some of the genre' s best, is the level of subtlety it allows itself and the questions it asks us. the characters are allowed to express real emotions (albeit silently) and the themes at play in the seemingly familiar storyline are given just enough of a twist to make us think. it is still a western and an action film. but it is a thoughtful action film; with genuine drama. and that' s a pretty good and welcome combination .
this page was last modified on 5 march 2016, at 14: 50 .
film is dedicated to sergio leone who also directed the dinner scene of the movie .
sergio leone was supposed to play the role of the hotel desk clerk in the film but was eventually replaced by chris huerta. christopher frayling now admits that when he reviewed leone' s performance in the movie, he was watching a very bad print, and didn' t realise that he had mistaken chris huerta for sergio leone. however, he maintains that
everyone
he spoke to when researching his book on leone, claims that leone played the part for the cameras. if we are to believe
everyone
, then maybe leone' s version of the hotel clerk scene was shot but not used, and instead replaced by chris huerta' s version of the role .
dario argento is credited as a co - writer in most international prints, but has according to hossein nothing to do with the film .
this page was last modified on 3 october 2016, at 01: 42 .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75% or higher after a set amount of reviews (80 for wide - release movies, 40 for limited - release movies, 20 for tv shows), including 5 reviews from top critics .
this western finds manuel (robert hossein) visiting his friends only to discover the husband has been murdered in a feud between two rival families. he promises the widow he will kidnap the daughter of the other family to avenge the killing. manuel manages to apprehend the girl, and the widow has the girl raped. she offers the young woman back to her family in exchange for a decent burial for her murdered husband. the family of the kidnapped girl rides into town for the inevitable showdown in this violent story of murder and revenge. ~ dan pavlides, rovi
hossein has clearly studied leone a lot, maybe a bit too much. the movie is trying to evoke a similar melancolic atmosphere to something like once upon a time in the west, but while
west
felt like an opera, this feels like a stage rehersal that drags out a bit too much. hossein' s face is perfect for the material, but the rest of the cast is not particulary exciting to watch. not a bad effort, but lacks more strenght to become more memorable .
an anomalous
baguette western
( a term coined by alex cox) from the late ’60s comes to home video, and it’s a revelation of harsh, melancholy fatalism .
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synapse films’s restoration of suspiria is revelatory and head - spinning, essentially serving as a portable guided tour of a decadent horror museum .
dario argento’s late masterwork opera remains a real eye - opener, and it’s never looked better than in this new blu - ray presentation .
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after her husband is lynched by bandits, maria (michele mercier) turns to manuel, an old friend played by robert hossein. initially reluctant to become involved, manuel soon infiltrates maria' s enemies and forces a showdown .
hossein has crafted a film with sparse, intentional dialogue and devoid of distractions. it' s a film where every sound seems to be another character, yet those sounds are often something as simple as the creaking of wooden planks as someone walks along or the sounds of a gentle breeze in a not so gentle scene. it' s a remarkably effective sound design courtesy of guy villette that weaves its way into marie - sophie dubus' s patient, lingering editing and henri persin' s naturalistic lensing .
hossein himself is tremendously convincing here as manuel, while mercier steals the show as maria, a woman whose emotions vacillate between hope and despair yet who is constantly compelling throughout the film .
well developed paté / spaghetti western co - produced by france / italy and shot in almeria, as usual .
after finally seeing this in a very good print i believe it to be one of the best of the non leone spaghettis. it' s a shame that a lot of these forgotten westerns are only available in multi generation copys because it really affects ones perception. i originally saw this in a vhs dub that was just a shade above unwatchable. what a difference a clear picture and sound track makes. vintage 60' s spaghetti music and cynical noir like script. very simple, nothing
spectacular
but everything works and it moves at a good clip. good cast with the french leads and some spaghetti regulars. the scene where hossein plays the music box while brushing up on his shooting skill is a high point. every spaghetti fan should check this out. only available in a japanese import. great stuff .
this movie is great. how dare they give this a 6. 2 !
only a different western. using the classic rules of genre. but who could not be reduced at this rules. because it is a gray, silent, precise story. like a mediteranean story of justice and revenge. because the meet of viewer with michele mercier and robert hossein has nothing with the memories about angelique series. because michele mercier gives a character, with each subtle nuances, remembering more the greek tragedies than a western. because the cinematography is great. and the story has a special flavor. a film a bout duty and love. clear, precise, special .
as others have stated, a minimalist western that has a unique look. the' ghost town' is awesome, the mood is downbeat throughout. unusual in it' s over - all' look'. i liked it very much. it certainly is different from the norm in a lot of ways, the music is superb, the acting is good esp. hosssein' s black clad leather gloved gunfighter. recommended for italo / euro western fans. not recommended for a new comer' s introduction to spaghetti westerns simply because it falls far outside what would be considered a' typical' spaghetti western in execution / form & characterizations. the french influence is clear & not a bad thing imo. btw the rancher' s blonde daughter is incredibly hot too bad she didn' t get more scenes. however her role is pivotal to the film' s course. i have this one in my collection & imo certainly in the top 20 euro westerns ever made. it is a' horse of a different color' however & not for everyone .
what may interest a number of viewers about this spaghetti western is that dario argento is given credit as one of the writers, though reports state that he actually had nothing to do with this movie. whether he was involved or not, the end results are really strange. there is some good stuff here - the movie has a great deal of atmosphere, from the ghost town set to even the interior of saloons. the musical score is also well done, whether the scene calls for something loud or something more subdued. however, the script needed a lot more work before shooting began. the story, what there is, moves at an incredibly slow pace. also, the story is frequently confusing right from the start, leading to a number of moments when you wonder what exactly is going on. if you are a spaghetti western fan of great patience, the movie does have some rewards, but even then you' ll see that it could have been a lot better .
overall, this one was unexpectedly good. having seen all of leone' s work, most of corbucci' s, and a decent amount of lesser - known spaghetti westerns, i went into this one not expecting a lot. it has a great opening scene and is obviously well - written (thanks dario .) the main theme is a little different than other italian westerns. more similar to an american western in plot. i wanted to see a little more violence, but it' s got a few shootings and the ones it does have are awesome. a little tame, but very entertaining overall. a must see for argento fans. 7 out of 10, kids .
let' s get one thing straight right from the giddy up... ...... . .
rancher ben caine is pursued by several horsemen. they catch him outside his home, hang him and force his wife to watch .
they are the rogers family, rich ranchers who want his land and cattle. caine' s brothers go seeking revenge, but return with gold, in payment for the cattle. the brothers are satisfied by this, and they leave. his wife, maria, wants revenge. she seeks out her old lover, a gunfighter named manuel. manuel tells her he does not believe in revenge, and he will not help her .
in spite of saying this, manuel goes to the rogers ranch and is hired to work there. he secretly sabotages their operation, stampeding horses and killing men. maria does not know he is there, and she still wants revenge. she kidnaps the daughter of old man rogers. her plan is to kill the men when they come for the daughter. caine' s brothers show up again. when they learn of the plot, they go back to rogers. they reveal maria' s plan, and return the daughter for more gold. the rogers men beat maria .
manuel goes to see maria, and finds her dying. after she dies, he goes back to confront the rogers gang. he faces off alone against all 4 rogers men in the middle of the street. he shoots them all dead. as he is turning to leave, he is shot dead from behind by the daughter .
, because you know, the french, is a late 1960s western done in the style of sergio leone but written and directed by popular french actor robert hossein, who also stars in the film. the leone influence is everywhere: in the framing of shots, the music, the storyline, the performances, and the stylized use of violence. in fact, leone actually “guest directed” a single scene in the film, and was originally supposed to play a bit part .
never adds up to more than the sum of its parts. while aspects of the film are fascinating, this is another example of the old saying, “it knows the notes, but not the music. ”
trivia footnote: although he is credited as a screenwriter on almost every version of this film, our old pal dario argento did not contribute to the screenplay in any way. writer / director / frenchman hossein claims it was a marketing gimmick dreamed up by overseas distributors .
the main reason to recommend this odd film—and i do recommend it, heartily—is the inspired cinematography by henri persin. though dealing with subject matter that is ugly, this film is very beautiful to look at and every shot is a well - composed painting. the film opens in black and white and after the credits slowly goes to full color. it’s an effective choice; viewers get the impression of a history book full of early daguerreotypes being brought to life. at movies’ end, the image changes back to monochrome, as if the filmmakers are placing the events back into the past. i am not in the habit of recommending a film based solely on this one element, but as martin scorsese is fond of reminding us all… pictures! they’re called pictures !
this dichotomy at the heart of the film is mirrored in the score, which is wildly erratic, jumping back and forth between overproduced, operatic superhero music and low - key, acoustic strings. near the end of the film, a main character mounts his horse and, as he rides, the music rises to fever pitch and we expect the character to don a crude superman a cape and to fly into the air. it’s that crazy .
as a public service to you, the reader, i present the lyrics to this song, so that you can, if you wish, sing along. do it in your bedroom, office, or kitchen right now—sing loud! practice singing this several times—i want all of my readers to join in a worldwide sing - along today at 10: 00am cst—sing, babies, sing !
is now available in a nifty arrow video 2k restoration from amazon. com !
wow you were very distracted indeed. thank you for the interesting post. an interesting treatment of violence. did it seem more plausible or realistic? i feel bad but i could never get into any spaghetti westerns (unless silverado counts). i do love leone' s once upon a time in america, though. not sure why i adore one of his films and can' t sit through the others. this is unrelated but i was wondering if you ever read / taught / watched the prime of miss jean brodie. it' s a little movie, not much visually but always sticks with me. i think things are going on in there that other stories don' t like to talk about. it' s so harsh... and good .
prime of miss jean brodie is a terrific film, certainly ahead of its time. it was on turner classic movies just last week .
cool, thanks for your take, jb. it makes me really happy to hear coming from an english teacher / old movie buff. it had such an insightful screenplay. i think jean brodie is the most heartbreaking woman character i' ve known, and sandy one of the most important. i love that she cries at the end .
the fade to color / / fade to monochrome is very interesting. park chan - wook tried something similar for lady vengeance. on the dvd release you have the option to watch park' s original cut, in which the entire film gradually fades to monochrome during its 2hr + runtime. a fascinating choice, indeed. i wonder why more notable directors have not utilized / experimented with this technique .
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the film opens in black and white as three men are fleeing a group of men, one of the men ben caine (benito steffanelli), who is wounded separates from the other two and heads to his small ranch where his wife maria awaits him. the men who were giving chase are the rogers family and their gang. at the ranch, they grab ben up and hang him as the hysterical maria sobs as the grim spectacle unfolds. the father of the rogers clan will rogers (daniele vargas) says, “let’s go men, i want the other two caine’s, let’s go, ” as they ride off in pursuit of the other two men, thomas caine (guido lollobrigida as lee burton) and eli caine (michel lemoine). thomas and eli evade the men, but perched on a hill above their ranch, they see it burnt to the ground. they return to find maria burying ben and go in and split the money they had stolen from the rogers, who in turn had stolen and sold their herd .
maria with her part of the money in hand, goes to a ghost town where a man from her past lives and she offers her portion of the money to help her get revenge against the rogers. the man manuel first refuses to help maria saying, “you believe in revenge, but i don’t. it never ends. ” after maria leaves the money and vacates, manuel who lives a lonely existence reaches into a small cupboard that holds a music box that contains a black glove, on the cupboard door is a photo of ben, maria and manuel. the glove is that of a man in manuel’s violent past, a man who lived by the colt, but has stopped the killing, but dons the black glove again, for love .
thomas and eli end up at the ranch of the rogers’ and are beaten severely by the rogers’, until tomas tells them, $ 2000 to get her back. ” will allows only thomas to leave, holding eli as collateral that thomas will return with the girl. the rogers’ pay maria a visit and after manuel returns dianna to her father’s ranch he goes to get maria and leave for a new life together .
a man who has quit fighting, is asked by the women he had left, but had never stopped loving, to strap on his gun and seek revenge for his friend ben, but he does so mostly for the woman who had broken his heart when he had left and upon returning had found her married. manuel lived symbolically in a ghost town, all alone and living in a broken past of love lost. “i remember when you first went away. i shouldn’t have married ben. but you… you never came back. ”
a movie that has been in dire need of a proper english language release, and thanks to arrow video, here it is in all its blu - ray glory. the print used for the most part is outstanding, with the only issues being the generic hand - held opening sequence, which is due to the filming process and a few scenes where the scope of the picture is impacted because of the colors and background being impossibly vast and lacking a bit of definition, again partly the fault of the original process. the sound is superb and is synced properly. the film begins in black and white and switches to color around the 3: 26 mark and remains colorized until the end, when it resorts back to black and white.
cemetery without crosses ( french : une corde ... un colt ... , italian : cimitero senza croci ) , also known as the rope and the colt , is a 1969 french-italian spaghetti western film by robert hossein , its director , co-screenwriter and star . 
cemetery without crosses (french: une corde... un colt... , italian: cimitero senza croci), also known as the rope and the colt, is a 1969 french-italian spaghetti western film by robert hossein, its director, co-screenwriter and star.
cemetery without crosses (french: une corde... un colt... , italian: cimitero senza croci), also known as the rope and the colt, is a 1969 french-italian spaghetti western film by robert hossein, its director, co-screenwriter and star.