Customer Reviews

The Strangers Gundown

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In response to the earlier reviewer, this is Sergio Garrone's Django il Bastardo, not the other film the reviewer mentioned. Django il Bastardo is a small gem among Spaghetti Westerns, a low budget B movie in which a ghost (Django) avenges his own death (a topic later adapted by Clint Eastwood for his "High Plains Drifter"). Hence, Steffen's "wooden" acting is totally appropriate for the role. A little jewel with nice gothic atmosphere, innovative camera tricks and good supporting actors (a standout is Luciano Rossi as the main baddie's insane brother).

'Strangers Gundown' of 1968 does not appear in director Sergio Garrone's film bio, however 'Tre croci per non morire' or 'No Graves on Boot Hill' does and may have been the original title. Garrone is better known for his Italian murder films in the Giallo tradition. It is easy to call 'Strangers Gundown' a successful film since it succeeds very well as one of the better films in this genre. Some of the technical ideas in the movie seem to have been borrowed by Leone himself for the making of 'Once Upon a Time in the West'. Anyway the plot is quite simple: a former confederate soldier named Django tracks down three CSA officers who conspired with Yankees to murder his company during a civil war battle, and he guns them down one-by-one [in gothic horror fashion btw] after tracking them to a desert town many years later. One traitor-officer happens to have a psychotic homicidal brother and this character is included to brilliant effect and the role is played very well. This film benefits from typical spaghetti gritty realism teamed with stylish gothic horror filmmaking which [amazingly] works well. Only complaint is with Garrone's direction of Anthony Steffen - Steffen plays the Stranger role in such a wooden manner it seems as though he could catch on fire at any moment. But Garrone accidentally saves the day with this idea of a stilted stranger when the character is compared to the earlier ebullient confederate soldier prior to the battle tragedy. Whether Garrone intended to or not he makes menaingful statements on how extreme violence can deeply effect personality. The movie is a little slow in places but spaghetti fans of european westerns will probably love this film in spite of it's faults -- for example why did it take Django 15 years to seek revenge and in the first Django film he was a Yankee, NOT a Confederate -- but traditional American western fans will probably hate it. Ponitora

Disclaimer: The version of the film that I saw is included in the Gunslinger Western Collection- as such, I cannot comment on the quality of the item listed on this product page. My review is concerned with the entertainment value of the film only.

In 'The Strangers (sic) Gundown', AKA 'Django the Bastard' or 'Django the Avenger', the iconic main character is bent on revenge (again) - this time he seeks retribution against the officers who betrayed his unit during the war, and who left him for dead. One by one he seeks them out, meeting them with a homemade cross that has their name printed on it and the date of their death - that day's date. To the unfaithful officers, he is like a ghost sent back from the grave, and no amount of hired guns between them can keep Django the accountant from collecting the toll for their crimes of the past.

First of all, despite any weaknesses I noticed or disconnect I felt for the film, I still recommend it for all Italian Western fans. I think most fans of the genre are going to like this film to varying degrees, and even though I may not be enthusiastic about it, its positives outweigh its negatives. Having said that, there are a few elements here that keep it from scoring higher, and most have to do with Anthony Steffen's performance.

'The Strangers Gundown' is from 1969 - Sergio Leone's and Clint Eastwood's genre-defining efforts were already three years past, plenty long enough to have an effect on films to come after. And that is my biggest complaint about this movie - it's that Anthony Steffen as Django tries to channel the 'Man with no name' character, and I don't think he's up to it. In fact, his character didn't resonate at all with me until he had to abandon his detached, ghostly presence and move around like a real person during a few moment in the film's final third. Although that section ended quickly, I felt for those few moments that here was a character I could get behind.

There were other aspects of the film that detracted somewhat, but in reality, they are the same issues most Italian Westerns suffer from (poor dubbing and overemotive acting), and which actually lend the genre some of its quirky charm. I also thought that this incarnation of Django had some interesting visual ideas, but overall I blame director Sergio Garrone for not having the panache to fully utilize them. The idea of Django tracking down his superiors one by one and waiting for them out in the street with a rough-hewn cross bearing their name was an excellent idea, but the film failed to fully exploit the moodiness and creepiness of Django's revenge. (Think of the final moments of 'High Plains Drifter' for a similar scenario and nearly perfect execution.)

It isn't that I disliked the film - it's that I felt it had too many missed opportunities and suffered from a touch to much admiration for Eastwood's nihilistic and stoic demeanor. Three and a half stars with a definite recommend for fans, but keep your expectations in check.

The Gunslinger Western Collection version, put out by Pop Flix, is presented in 2.35:1, and my player lists the audio as 2 channel Dolby Digital and the run time at 97 minutes and change. The film stock is filled with artifacts, reel changeover marks, and occasional vertical lines, but still completely watchable. Conversely, the Vci Video edition as offered on this page claims an enhanced transfer for 16x9 televisions and the inclusions of some trailers. After comparing prices, extras, and entertainment value, I would still recommend the Pop Flix edition (which comes out to just over a dollar a movie), although Italian Western completists may find the higher price for the individually packaged DVD justified.

Anthony Steffen in one of his best performances as the steely-eyed phantom who is seeking bloody revenge for the confederate officers responsible for the slaying of their own troops and the stranger happened to be one of the unfortunate soldiers caught in the middle of the bloody massacre.. Sergio Garrone directs this Italiano euro-western with expertise and "to a t", displaying a prime example of the spaghetti western. Ever present and vital in the film is an assortment of various conspicuous characters. The stranger slowly reveals all those who are guilty and involved in his murderous revenge. Steffen doesn't say alot and uses his "Eastwood" presence to draw the lines and fire his fast .44. The film was shot away from the sun,leaving the town in a dark,dingy atmosphere. THE STRANGERS GUNDOWN, an entertaining Anthony Steffen western. A VCI release,16x9 widescreen,with a mediocre transfer - periodoc lines up and down the picture in some parts of the film. This dvd is out of print.

Not to bad, but it strayed away from the violence too much. Steffen is great and so is the supporting cast, but the action never lived up to my expectations. Would I recommend it? Yeah
R.I.P Anthony Steffen

Sergio Garrone - a name Anglicised to Willy S Regan -directed this interesting little curio that massively influenced High Plains drifter ,the movies have almost identical plots.Anthony Steffan ,who wrote the script under his real name of Antonio de Teffe-stars as Django who along with others of his men was betrayed to the Union Army in the US Civil War.The culprits were his officers -Murdock,Rose and Hawkins .15 years after the event Django returns and kills Hawkins and Rose before going after Murdock ,now a man of wealth and power able to surround himself with gunmen and other hirelings .He lives with his demented brother and his sister in law in a large house .Django systematically goes about eliminating the forces at Murdock's disposal ,including a large Mexican contingent specifically engaged to protect Murdock from Django,who is able to appear and reappear seemingly at will .It becomes clear he is a revenant -a spirit back from the dead to exact retribution.The death Django is most intent on revenging is his own .

Well directed and with a nicely understated Steffan performance this is a well mounted ,violent and influential movie that reapays watching.and not simply for its influence on Eastwood either

Thought the movie and the performance by Anthony Steffen could have been better. Probably could have enjoyed the film if the anoying back ground noice durning the last 30 minutes of the film wasn't their. Eastwood doesn't have to worry about Steffen making his day.