...and though those last several words could also be attributed to Leone's "Once Upon a Time" films (West and America) as well as the other pieces in his trilogy of films with Clint Eastwood- Fistful of Dollars and For a Few More Dollars- arguably this is the most ambitious and spellbinding one of the bunch, and one that has inspired (i.e. Quentin Tarantino, Sam Raimi, Robert Rodriguez) and will most likely continue to inspire filmmakers and fans into the 21st century. There's something in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that's nearly (or perhaps is) mythical in it's craft, certain scenes come off as being more than relevant and exquisite for that scene/sequence- it transcends into aspects of humanity.

For example, in the first part of the film (this is after the extraordinary introductions to Tuco, played by Eli Wallach, Sentenza or 'Angel Eyes', played by Lee Van Cleef, and as Blondie by a 35/36 year old Clint),Joe gets Tuco out of a hanging, which is something of a regular practice for them, but Joe decides to leave his 'buddy' out in the desert to walk the rest of the way back into town. A little later, the situation gets reversed, as Tuco has a horse and water and Joe doesn't, and they both go to cross the desert. Leone decides to not follow Tuco coming back to town as much as he follows in earnest Tuco and Joe going across that desert, as Joe starts to burn and dry up, going towards a story that will soon unfold. There is something to these scenes that I can barely describe, that they're executed in the mind-set of a Western, but in the abstract Leone lets the audience know this is a story that is bold and bigger than life.

What makes much of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly such a huge success is the trust Leone had in his own style he spun into his own after the first two westerns, his trust in his collaborators, and in his leading players as well. I, for one, had to mistakenly figure out that it is near depressing to watch this film on a regular VCR tape due to the pan & scan process. There is such a clear, distinct visual scope that Leone and camera director Tonino Delli Colli achieve that it's practically a must to get the DVD (preferably the extended version, which was Leone's original cut more or less). The editing, too, is unique in many sequences (the climax is the most noted and memorable). The score, with usual collaborator Ennio Morricone, is one of the landmark movie scores, and themes, of not just in the western genre but in all movie history.

And the three main players who take on the screen have their own chops to show off: Eastwood, technically, was playing a Joe that took place before Fistful of Dollars, yet by this film had it down to a T (it's still my favorite performance from him, despite having few words and reactions); Cleef's cold, cunning Angel Eyes steals the scenes he's in; ditto for Wallach, who gets under the skin of his co-patriots as much as he sometimes does under the viewer's. If anyone really stays in the mind, at least for me, it's Wallach - especially as he gets the most 'character', and one of the very best scenes is between Tuco and his religious brother. Without that scene, the movie actually wouldn't work quite as well, surprisingly enough.

Overall, The Good, the Bad and Ugly, is an entirely satisfying western, at least one of my five favorites ever made, and it's an endearing bravo to all who were involved.

Gosh, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, I finally saw this film! Who hasn't heard of it? First off, may I say that Clint Eastwood... what a hottie in his day! :D Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Sergio Leone from what I understood was a huge western film fanatic and in the 60's pretty much most folks had moved onto other genre's. I mean, I would agree that most western's are pretty much the same and stereotypical.

Sergio however took a story and added some elements to it such as comedy, drama, and war. The story flows so well and just compliments all of it's characters. By far my favorite character was The Good, played by Clint. He is a bounty hunter who captures The Ugly numerous times just to free him before every hanging and splits the winnings with him. When they learn of a coffin in the desert that has $200,000, they go for it. Of course we have the Bad who is a ruthless killer who also wants in on the doe.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is a terrific film and I thank all the IMDb users for their useful comments and that pushed me to finally rent this western classic. Let's give it up for Sergio!

10/10

Well what do you know? Another amazing movie from Sergio Leone. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly has so much good about it, and quintessentially it is one of the best westerns ever made. There may be nothing new about the story at first glance, but that's the point, Leone is paying homage to the Hollywood western, and despite the initial simplicity there is also a complexity mainly in the film's characters. Regardless of whether simple or complex it is, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly does have a compelling and brilliantly written story.

But there are other assets that make The Good, The Bad and the Ugly so good. The dialogue is always excellent, while Leone's direction is superb once again. The characters are great and are superbly played. Clint Eastwood gives one of his best performances ever here, and Eli Wallach is perfectly cast and more than a match for him. I was also very impressed with Lee Van Cleef, who I recognised from High Noon and such, but he makes a bigger impression here. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is also the most violent of the trilogy, and one of the most violent of the genre, not a bad thing whatsoever.

The pace was spot on too, even though the film is nearly three hours long, it is never boring or dull. The best things though about The Good, The Bad and the Ugly are the visuals and Ennio Morricone's score. The film looks amazing, the cinematography is gorgeous and the sweeping images and scenery are very lovingly crafted. Morricone's score is even more impressive than that, it is simply one of the best film scores I've ever heard, and if I had to say which was Morricone's best score, I would immediately say this.

Overall, there is nothing bad or ugly about the film. The film is amazing. 10/10 Bethany Cox