"A Fistful of Dollars" - Film Review

A Fistful of Dollars is one of those rare remakes that’s quite possibly as good if not better than the original. When it comes down to it, Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western is a reworking of Akira Kurasawa’s Yojimbo; the setting is now Mexico rather than Japan, and it’s gunslingers rather than samurais, but the simple but great premise about a loner who wanders into a town fought over by rival gangs remains. In many ways, Dollars is the superior of the films. It streamlines the narrative and cuts away some of the fat, which leads to more action and a more crackling, sensational vibe.

Dollars is the first in Leone’s "Man with No Name" trilogy. Most people remember him best for the third of the films, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I’m a contrarian who finds the film to be more problematic than Dollars. It’s too overlong, too digressive, and too unfocused. Here in Dollars is all the best aspects of Leone. It feels a lot less rambly and sprawling than Ugly. It focuses on a small Mexican town in the 19^th century just across the border from the U.S. The Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) comes across the town, learns of the infighting, and decides to clear the town of evil and make a profit in the process. 

There’s Leone’s undeniable style; it’s a film that’s often so cool that it makes you shut off your brain at times and forget to be critical of it. From the opening animated title cards to that wonderfully well-executed final standoff, it’s a film that’s massively energetic and fun, even surprisingly thoughtful, but definitely by no stretch of the imagination boring. This is perhaps best exemplified by Ennio Morricone unforgettable score. And while it’s certainly not a perfect film, it’s an incredibly entertaining movie with some memorable action scenes and characters, particularly Eastwood in the lead role. 

But more than anything is the feel the film gives off. It’s darker and more stylish than just about anything that came before it. There’s a reason Eastwood’s character remains iconic even for those who haven’t seen any of Leone’s films. With his signature poncho, the nameless badass who’s quick on the trigger but even quicker with his wits is an archetypical hero with outrageous amounts of charm and swagger. The film has style to spare, especially from its protagonist, but it also has some incredibly effective plotting and some nice character work even from supporting characters, all the more impressive considering much of the dialogue is dubbed. 

All of the action isn’t just for the hell of it; it all grows organically from the plot necessitating it, and then once Leone has justified the action, he goes out of his way to craft  some of the most electrifying and exciting scenes in film history. It’s not the brainiest of films but it's a damn good time.

Grade: A-