The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars / For a Few Dollars More / The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

You can read about the plots elsewhere as I want to concentrate on the major drawback (and the benefits)of these DVDs; Both Fistful and more are presented in their widescreen aspect radio. Since Leone's films benefited from the widescreen format and vistas, seeing them in a pan and scan version doesn't do the films justice; it's like listening to a great piece of music through a portable radio with poor reception. You get the gist of the music and feel that's powerful but it lacks the full impact and range.

The films exhibit a high amount of analog artifacts. Portions of More also look quite faded. Both films deserve and require a restoration similar to that performed for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (although the version included here is not the restored version). Both discs also include both pan and scan and widescreen versions of the films. There's also theatrical trailers and booklets with background on the making of both films. The soundtrack sounds flat and thin--given the way the original soundtracks were mixed and released that's not a surprise. Still, if the original elements still exist it would be worthwhile to revisit these films, restore and then remaster them with a commentary track (similar to that for Once Upon A Time in The West). They don't look horrible but it's clear that the negative is either in poor condition or the prints used were not pristine.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly looks and sounds better than the other two films in the series. It also benefited from a much larger budget and shooting time which is to the benefit of the film. The acting is stronger (Eastwood returns as does Van Cleef joined by the scene chewing Eli Wallach in a marvelous turn as "the ugly"). THis version features a number of scenes cut for both the International and US version. While the scenes aren't restored (and my copy didn't even had the advertised "Italian" dialogue track but was silent), they provide an interesting background as to the motivations of the characters.

TGTBATU looks still has a fair amount of analog artifacts but not quite as bad as the first two. The sound is slightly better although still thin (again, it was recorded and shown in mono. Remember, this was the early 60's). Leone's direction and visual flair are more in evidence on the third film of the series. Here's hoping that MGM will get around to re-releasing the restored version that showed earlier in the year. Reportedly, Eastwood and Wallach re-recorded their dialogue (which might explain why the tracks are silent--it's clear that the dialogue tracks must be missing or incomplete)and they had a sound alike for the late Van Cleef.

While all three films are essential western classics, all three are marred by a variety of analog flaws. Their still worth having but I'm hoping with the advent of reissues like Once Upon a Time in The West, that all three will get a face-lift and second chance on DVD. It also wouldn't hurt to provide some interesting background on the making of all three films. Eastwood and Wallach are still around as are various crew members/actors from the original productions. Let's hope it gets done!

Oh, and by the way, the Man with No Name did have a name in at least two of the three films here. That Man With No Name aspect was a marketing ploy dreamed up by the original studio (United Artists) to sell the films later on down the line.


The Man With No Name Trilogy - Simply brilliant!   March 23, 2003
K. Wyatt (St. Louis, MO United States)
47 out of 67 found this review helpful

This is simply put, one of the best western trilogies to have ever graced the silver screen and the home theater system! If you're into westerns and are interested in viewing some of the best, these are the ones you want. These are the films that brought the genesis of the "spaghetti western" and set the tone for many westerns to come!

A Fistful of Dollars - A true genre classic!

A Fistful of Dollars is truly one of the big classics in the western genre and one that began a newer, better style of western films. First in a string of Clint Eastwood's "spaghetti" westerns, it has a style and cinematic class all to itself. This is where Clint Eastwood began his style of western hero who doesn't say much, but gets his point across through his facial expressions and of course his actions, more specifically with his six shooter at his side.

The premise:

Clint Eastwood plays "the man with no name" other than the name given to him by one of the characters in the film, Joe. In what is now a classic style, he rides into town on a mule and witnesses the brutality of the town bullies. Without saying a word to them, they harass him and he calmly goes into one of the town bars, has some food and listens to what the bar owner has to tell him about the town's situation. He casually decides to stay and do something about the entire situation, walks out and takes out four of the bad guys. What follows from there is such an outstanding film that is fraught with a certain degree of humor as he deftly plays both sides against his middle and walks away with "A Fistful of Dollars."

If you're a fan of the western genre and haven't seen this classic, I highly suggest you pick this DVD up. Some might be put off by the age of this movie, that is simply not the case though as this movie is timeless. Despite the fact that it was made in Spain, with many European actors and in a foreign language, it's just pure fun!

For A Few Dollars More - An outstanding sequel!

For A Few Dollars More is, in my opinion, by far the best of the "Man With No Name" trilogy! In "A Fistful of Dollars," director Sergio Leone bowled the viewers over with Clint Eastwood's character being a gruff gunslinger of few words and lots of action. In this sequel Eastwood's character has a lot more depth and even a little bit of humor. I am highly impressed with the script and acting in this particular film, especially in comparison with its predecessor. One can even consider it funny but useful that a few of the villains from the first film that were quite dead at the end of that one, are back now with new names! Magnificent performances by both Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef serve to enhance this movie's style.

The premise:

This movie has a wonderful beginning as we are introduced to Lee Van Cleef's character while he's in the performance of his role of a bounty killer. We are then treated to the reintroduction of Clint Eastwood's character, which actually does have the name of Monco, while he is taking care of his business as a bounty killer as well. Once the director has shown these two acts, he deftly shows how they end up on the same path as they both find out that they can score it big by killing Gian Maria Volonte's character, Indio and his gang. From there, we're taken to El Paso where the film's intrigue and suspense kick into high gear as both Eastwood and Van Cleef's characters meet.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - A great adventure!

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in my opinion is the best among the trilogy. Sporting the largest budget and the best script among "The Man With No Name" trilogy, this movie blazes across the screen brilliantly. Of course, Clint Eastwood is back and his name is Joe once again although I don't believe you ever hear him referred to as anything other than Blondie. Lee Van Cleef is back as well and he most definitely performs memorably as one of the bad guys. Eli Wallach's performance as the pseudo bad/good guy Tuco is nothing short of spectacular. The style and class of this movie is dead on with Sergio Leone's film making, making it a classic in the genre and one of the top films of the sixties. The entire film comes off as a box office success and a treasure for your home DVD collection!

The premise:

Clint Eastwood is back as Joe/Blondie - The Good guy. Eli Wallach shows up as Tuco - The Bad guy and Lee Van Cleef makes a return as Stenza the Ugly guy. The film starts wonderfully by deftly making the introductions of the three primary characters doing what they do best. Blondie ends up capturing Tuco and they make a comical deal. Stenza makes a dramatic first appearance as well.

Blondie and Tuco have a dramatic parting of the ways that also brings them back together in classic Sergio Leone style. They literally stumble across some fortunate information which leads them down the path of the civil war in the hopes off retrieving a rather large sum of money. This also forces them to run across the path of Lee Van Cleef's character, Stenza and his quest for the same information and treasure.

All of this combines to make this film a "must see" for those that are fans of this genre as it leads to the ultimate climatic ending and a classic Clint Eastwood shootout. I highly recommend this film and the entire trilogy to Eastwood and western fans. {ssintrepid}


Review of DVD features   March 20, 2000
Steve C. Yabut (PA USA)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

A good series to own, if you like westerns or Eastwood. I'll just comment on the DVD features. The video reproductions of "A Fistfull of Dollars" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." are excellent. The reproduction of "For a Few Dollars More" left a lot to be desired. This one must have been reproduced from an imperfect source because a lot of dust floaters are present which is only really distracting during nighttime scenes. Not a lot of extras included, a few trailers and for the "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" some extra minutes from deleted scenes.


Greatest movie trilogy . . . ever.   June 1, 2000
Mic (USA)
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

When making these classic films, Sergio Leone (the director of the Man With No Name Trilogy) copied no one (except for Akira Kurosawa). He defied the cliches that were entrenched in the modern Western film.

The Man With No Name Trilogy consists of three films: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. These films contain no heroes. Instead, the films follow the adventures of a seemingly-invinsible "super-gunfighter" (Clint Eastwood). Heroes are given names. We are never told what Eastwood's character's real name is. He is referred to as "Joe" or "Blondie," but his real name is never revealed. Hence, he has become the legendary Man With No Name.

These films are brilliant. The plots are cleverly conceived. These films made Eastwood into an internation superstar. After watching these films, you will wonder why it took an Italian director to make the best Western films ever to hit the silver screen. Amazon.com offers a great price on this trilogy and it's well worth the investment. You will spend many hours analyzing the exploits of the enigmatic Man With No Name.


Clint Eastwood: The Man With No Name - A Trilogy   December 31, 2000
Brian C. Young (www.taebostore.com)
17 out of 20 found this review helpful

Clint Eastwood is the "man with no name." Italian director Sergio Leone directed what many believe are to be the Top 3 films of all time! Beginning with "A Fistful of Dollars" (copied from the Japanese samurai film "Yo Jimbo") Clint Eastwood rides into a town with two bosses. "For A Few Dollars More" betters on the first. Includes Lee Van Cleef as supporting actor. Two Bounty Killers team up to kill a common foe: One wronged by Indio, the head bank robber. "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" is the best of the lot, complete with a haunting musical score by Ennio Morricone. Who could forget the shrilling cry in the opening credits? "Ahh-ee-ahh-ee-iii! Wa...Wa...Wa..." The collaboration of Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone is what makes these films work. "Spaghetti Westerns" don't waste time with the conventional "cowboys and indians." They focus more on the loners, the gunslingers, the bandits. This DVD Trilogy is the DEFINITIVE COLLECTION. Includes original theatrical trailers, bonus footage, behind the scenes, and much, much more! For more film/music greats look for Leone and Morricone collaborating on "Once Upon A Time in the West" (starring Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, and Henry Fonda), "A Fistful of Dynamite" aka "Duck You Sucker" (James Coburn, and "Once Upon A Time In America" (Robert DeNiro, James Woods). These films are the best, the peak in Western Cinemas.