A Bullet for the General

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StephenPaul C The greatest 01 hour: and 55 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/05/23 Full Review Audience Member With a title that translates as Who Knows?, this was renamed A Bullet for the General when it was released in the U.S. It's the first Italian western to seriously deal with the Mexican revolution, which is credited to screenwriter Franco Solinas, a confirmed Marxist, who shared screenplay duties with Salvatore Laurani. It was directed by Damiano Damiani, who was no stranger to movies with political commentary, except for the movie he's best known for in the U.S., Amityville II: The Possession. Gian Maria Volonté plays El Chuncho Muños, who is considered the hero — I guess — of this film, who attacks a train and adds American Bill "Niño" Tate (played by Lou Castel with William Berger providing his voice). The foreigner manipulates Chuncho throughout and is present for the deaths of nearly all of his men as well as the death of his brother El Santo (Klaus Kinski, not the masked luchador, but man, Klaus Kinski and Santo in a movie is something I want to see). It has Martine Beswick in the cast, an actress whose career ranges from Thunderball and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde to The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood, Trancers II and so much more. There's also an urban legend that Damiani got so fed up with the hijinks of Gian Maria Volontè and Kinski that he beat them and whipped them on the set until they finally behaved. The first Zapata western — one that deals with the Mexican revolution — this movie ends with money being thrown and the poor being told to buy dynamite instead of bread. The idealism of revolution is forever co-opted by greed and this movie shoves your face in it and laughs, because even a movie made nearly sixty years ago understands the same issues we're dealing with today, ones that will never go away. Friendship means nothing, ideals mean nothing, only gold. Anyone, everyone will be sold out and left for dead. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a fantastic western set during the Mexican Revolution and starring Gian Maria Volonte', Lou Castel and Klaus Kinski, one of the best method actors of his generation. This movie is on a par with the best of the more famous Sergio Leone's dollars trilogy and both Duck you, sucker! and Once upon a time in the West. The soundtrack ain't bad either! Personally I also prefer the European title (Quien sabe?) Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Really enjoyable Spaghetti Western set during the 1910's Mexican Revolution. Beautifully shot in the deserts of Spain and with a really good cast including Gian Maria Valente with a great story of Greed and Betrayal. I really recommend this film if you're a fan of other spaghetti westerns like Django or the Dollars trilogy. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review delysid d another great italian western Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/01/18 Full Review Audience Member An essential Zapata Western, and probably my favourite Volonte performance. The guns, Gringo, we need more guns! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Bullet for the General

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