Sabata

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Nick F Lee Van Cleef was a fine actor who appeared in many Western movies, though not all were worthy of his talents. And Sabata is one of them. Made in 1969, it was the first of a Spaghetti Western trilogy, in which he starred in two, and this introductory offering sets a low bar. Van Cleef plays a gunfighter trying to steal a fortune in cash which has already been stolen by a band of crooked townsfolk. Trying to outwit them involves a cast of random characters, who are often accidentally comedic, undermining any tension or jeopardy. Aided by a bizarre acrobatic banjo player (William Berger), Van Cleef takes on a number of gunmen hired by the town elders, and there is plenty of gunplay and a high body count. But too many crazy characters, heavily dubbed dialogue and indulgent directing – from Gianfranco Parolini, who also co-wrote the screenplay - tend to undermine a decent plot. If you have stamina (it is almost two hours long) it is worth watching Sabata for the few scenes that do work well, and for Van Cleef’s cool charismatic performance. REVIEWED by Nick Fletcher. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/21/25 Full Review Ashley H Sabata is a decent film. It is about a master gunfighter who sides with a banjo-playing drifter and a Mexican tramp to foil the dignitaries of Daugherty. Lee Van Cleef and William Berger give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Gianfranco Parolini did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the action and drama. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Lee Van Cleef in a Western, poor script, average supporting cast = so-so Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I am a big fan of older Western, but this one was a little bit ridiculous in that Lee Van Cleef could hit a stick of dynamite in almost pure Darkness from a hundred yards away. I've never seen a movie with three gunman killing at least 50 bad guys. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member I'd watch it again if it's on. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/21 Full Review Audience Member A classic spaghetti western the Hollywood doesn't make anymore. Hopefully more companies revive these movies again. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/27/20 Full Review Read all reviews

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