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An outstanding Italian Western, but one that takes time to understand, and that therefore one must be patient with. Yet most Italian Westerns are like this, so there should be no surprise. Therefore, once properly viewed and comprehended, the "Grand Duel" can be seen as a classic Italian Western, and representative of the genre. It features a mysterious beginning, heroes with good and bad moral qualities, innocence, and the importance and sanctity of death. The film is right there with the other great films of its kind.
Nevertheless, because "Grand Duel" has a typically difficult plot, and that one must give it time and probably multiple viewings, it is not a beginners' Italian Western.. And it is absolutely critical to watch on widescreen and unedited. A must for fans of the genre.
If you are a beginner, there is no better start than Sergio Leone's "Fistful of Dollars"... For a two pack here, with "Grand Duel", I might recommend Lee Van Cleef in "Death Rides a Horse", or try the film he did with Sergio Sollima: "The Big Gundown". Van Cleef was at his finest in the mid 60's to early 1970's, and indeed plays an iconic western character even more so than Clint Eastwood himself.
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From the manufacturer
About us
Arrow Films is a British independent film restorer specializing in world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films. It sells Ultra HD Blu-rays, Blu-rays and DVDs.
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A Fistful of Lee Van Cleef
The coolest thing about 1972’s The Grand Duel (on-screen title: The Big Showdown) is Van Cleef is almost the whole show here, bringing an abundance of his beloved badassery. The popularity – not-to-mention quality – of spaghetti westerns may have been on-the-wane at the time, but Van Cleef was always enjoyable in them. What renders The Grand Duel a cut above most of them is Van Cleef’s character, Sheriff Clayton, an ambiguously-motivated anti-hero not unlike Colonel Mortimer in For a Few Dollars More.For reasons slowly made clear as the story unfolds, Clayton repeatedly saves Philip Wermeer (Alberto Dentice) from a variety of bounty hunters. Philip is wanted for the murder of Saxon City’s patriarch, Ebenezer Saxon, but claims he’s innocent, which Clayton is already aware of. Ebenezer’s three sons supposedly want to see him hang, but Philip, whose own father may have been murdered at the behest of the Saxons, is looking for a little payback of his own. It’s soon clear that the Saxons are actually more interested in making a political power grab involving a nearby silver mine that Philip’s father owned.The plot itself ebbs and flows, as does the viewer’s overall interest in it. The Grand Duel works best when it focuses on the action, with scenes which range from intense & violent to intentionally silly. The same could be said about some of the characters. Van Cleef is his usual steely-eyed self, delivering each line with intimidating authority and dominating every scene he’s in. The Saxon boys make formidable protagonists, with Klaus Grunberg a stand-out as the repulsively sadistic Adam. The same can’t be said for Barry Gibb lookalike Dentice, whose overwrought performance grows increasingly irritating.The Grand Duel is directed by frequent Leone collaborator Giancarlo Santi. He may not have the master’s touch – or budget – but shows he’s learned a thing or two along the way. Though story itself ain’t much, the film is fast-moving, fun and occasionally quite funny, with Van Cleef’s charisma to keep it all together.Arrow Video has put together a comprehensive Blu-ray for this one, with a great transfer and abundance of bonus features, making this a good pick-up for spaghetti western lovers.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2014
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Top reviews from other countries
Sergio
IL GRANDE DUELLO (edizione inglese)
Reviewed in Italy on May 24, 2021
Sergio
Reviewed in Italy on May 24, 2021
Infatti gli ingredienti migliori ci sono tutti dall'ottima regia, alla sempre impeccabile interpretazione di Lee Van Cleef, passando per le bellissime musiche di Bacalov (utilizzate da Tarantino in Kill Bill) senza dimenticare la sceneggiatura di Ernesto Gastaldi (che introduce anche un pizzico di giallo)...è senz'altro un titolo da possedere in collezione se si è appassionati del genere!!
Edizione inglese della "Arrow" magnifica tra cui spiccano soprattutto il riversamento video eccellente con immagini ben definite e con ottima colorimetria e il comparto extra molto ricco di cui vorrei sottolineare in particolare le interviste completamente in italiano a Santi e Gastaldi che svelano numerosi retroscena sulla realizzazione del film!
Abbiamo inoltre l'audio non compresso monofonico anche in lingua italiana con sottotitoli opzionali, titoli di testa e di coda originali italiani, copertina reversibile con la locandina originale dell'epoca, libricino interno con foto e descrizione del film (solamente in inglese)!
Edizione da acquistare ad occhi chiusi!!
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