La muerte tenía un precio

A memory: I’m about 13-14 years old and I’m resting on the sofa after a hearty lunch. Dad is watching a western on TV and I have half an eye on it too. Then that melody of the pocket watch began to chime and totally captivated me. I couldn’t get it out of my head for like ten years... For a few dollars more is a story about Lee Van Cleef’s Colonel Mortimer than about Clint’s Monk with the snappy lines, but they are given more or less the same amount of room. Leone raises his standard, develops the main characters more and offers a higher quality plot. Really, really good. (06.09.2009)

I have resolved the dilemma of whether A Fistful of Dollars or For a Few Dollars is better because I consider the second film to be more mature. Leone had already found his style by that point and he had refined his collaboration with Ennio Morricone to the point that there isn't much to criticize about the direction and overall filmmaking craftsmanship of the film. Sergio Leone's merit is in revitalizing the dying western genre by tarnishing it, lightening it with comedic elements, creatively working with genre stereotypes, and imprinting characters on previously interchangeable supporting roles. In short, he made it more entertaining. On the other hand, his early westerns have issues in their screenplays. When you look at the motivation of his heroes and their thought processes, you have a collection of unique idiots in front of you. If the main villain Callaway possessed ideas such as releasing his prisoners to eliminate members of his gang, he probably wouldn't have survived puberty. Leone simply made undemanding B-grade movies for the mass audience and, unfortunately for him, he had ambitions to move toward more serious filmmaking statements and more serious genres, which happened with his legendary film Once Upon a Time in America. That says something about the film industry and its viewers, not about Sergio Leone. Overall impression: 65%. (12.10.2011)

One of the main plots of Once Upon a Time in the West, "Someone is going after someone, but it's not until the end that we find out why," was used by Leone here. It would seem that Clint's Monco is playing second fiddle in For a Few Dollars More... But he simply isn’t able to do that and he is great and draws attention to himself as always.__P.S.: Van Cleef is traditionally good, of course, but I like him even better as a villain.__P.P.S. I recommend listening to the soundtracks from A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The way Morricone develops and refines his music over time, how he interweaves individual motifs and makes them into an unforgettable work, deserves incredible admiration. (18.09.2007)

Sergio Leone had a great gift. After just a few minutes of the usual silence, he takes the cigar out of his mouth and I tremble, hoping that the paths of the two gunmen finally cross. And when it happens, and the motivations of the characters start adding fuel to the fire, I must shockingly admit that if any of the director's epics come close to the legendary Once Upon a Time in the West in terms of quality, it's these few dollars more. The symbiosis of image and Ennio Morricone's music doesn't quite reach perfection yet, but it's damn close. (28.08.2016)

The year 1965 was a turning point in world cinema. A year after his gun-slinging western debut, Sergio Leone added a few more bucks on top, embarking on a long line of “übermovies". Admittedly in the shadow of the two following movies, but even so it is a simply perfect piece. Ennio is also at his creating zenith and what his music manages to do with a scene that is already perfect is simply amazing. For instance, the “watch" duel in the ruins of the church... To help things, the casting is simply wonderful. The central duo needs no mention, but it would be a sin not to highlight Gian Maria Volanté in the role of El India. This is simply one of those MUST SEE pictures. Adios. (03.02.2008)