A Bullet for the General

1966

1h 55m

Western

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Reviews

72%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Mexican bandit brothers (Gian Maria Volonte, Klaus Kinski) lure a U.S. mercenary (Lou Castel) to join their revolution, complicated by an assassination plot.

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Simon Abrams

Village Voice

The best reason to see the movie is for Kinski, who delivers the film's most arresting performance.

Jul 29, 2014

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…a very colourful version of the classic Western, with vintage cars, fireworks, a huge death toll and lots of events and action…a revolutionary call to arms…

Rated: 4/5

Jan 8, 2024

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Sean Axmaker

Seanax.com

Damiano Damiani directs it like a twenties gangster picture in the sun-baked desert and white-dust hills of the cutthroat west, where life is cheap, loyalty is rare, and rival gangs constantly battle for guns and contraband.

Mar 24, 2016

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 22, 2005

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 55 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

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dave j

Some of the same characters infamous from "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More" particularly the main baddie of those movies by the name of Gian Maria Volonté. He is one of the 2 stars of this movie as he plays leader of revolutionary bandits, El Chuncho as he cross paths with an American Bill (Lou Castel) who at first appears he is for helping his cause until the revalation toward the end.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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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 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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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 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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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 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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delysid d

another great italian western

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/01/18

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Damiano Damiani

Director

Gian Maria Volonté

Chuncho

Klaus Kinski

El Santo

Lou Castel

Bill "Niño" Tate

Martine Beswick

Adelita

Jaime Fernández

Elías

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Synopsis

Mexican bandit brothers (Gian Maria Volonte, Klaus Kinski) lure a U.S. mercenary (Lou Castel) to join their revolution, complicated by an assassination plot.

Director: Damiano Damiani
Screenwriter: Franco Solinas, Salvatore Laurani
Production Co: M. C. M.
Genre: Western
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Runtime: 1h 55m

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