Comment

Comment by truth on April 21, 2014 at 9:24pm

http://farreachingfilms.blogspot.com/2012/06/mercenary.html

Comment by truth on April 21, 2014 at 9:24pm

1968
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Starring: Franco Nero, Tony Musante, Jack Palance

It took nearly one hundred posts before I finally got around to reviewing a film from one of my favorite genres, the Spaghetti Western. In an attempt to come up with something semi-special, I'll review Segio Corbucci's The Mercenary, a film that until recently was only available in muddy Pan & Scan transfers. Finally a proper Widescreen print surfaced and now the film can be seen for what it is, one of the great director's finest films.

The Mercenary is part of the Spaghetti Western subgenre known as the Political Western which began in 1966 with 'Bullet for the General' (another top Spaghetti Western) and effectively reached it's finale in 1971 with Sergio Leone's 'Duck, You Sucker". Corbucci's entry though not as widely available (here in the States, anyway), is revealed to be every bit as vital and entertaining as it's better known brethren, if not more so.

Our film follows the adventures of Sergei Kowalski (an excellent Franco Nero), a Polish mercenary who is hired by the treacherous Col. Alfonso Garcia (Edwardo Fajardo) to protect his shipments of mined silver. Along the way, he meets up with Paco Roman (Tony Musante), a mine worker and Revolutionary wannabe. They become tentative allies (Roman to liberate his people and Kowalski because he sees a way to make money in the deal). Further complicating matters is Curly (Jack Palance who admittedly is not given enough to do), a professional thief (and one who seems to wield considerable ploitical power) who is determined to steal the silver for himself.