Nick F
Death Rides A Horse is a good attempt to make a Clint Eastwood-style Western but it falls well short of the mark. It has a good storyline, Spain nicely imitates Arizona, and it also stars the always-compelling Lee Van Cleef. But it is half an hour too long, and John Phillip Law, in only his second movie, is far too clean-cut and un-menacing to convincingly carry off his role as an avenging gunman.
Made in 1967, this sprawling Western has both Van Cleef and Law as gunmen both seeking - for different reasons - revenge on a band of outlaws. Their desert trek is long and dusty and often far too talkative, though when the inevitable gunplay finale arrives, the action is well staged and well filmed and delivers a couple of surprise twists.
While nowhere near classic Western standards, this film still offers just enough to be worth watching.
Reviewed by NICK FLETCHER
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/20/24
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Mike W
The movie would have been more watchable if the "music" could be muted.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/08/24
Full Review
Matthew S
Very boring, slow, and hard on the eyes to watch. Idk if it's just how it is on Amazon Prime but the camera quality was awful.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
10/06/23
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W
really good absolutely epic
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/06/23
Full Review
matthew d
A fierce and furious story of revenge and forgiveness.
Director Giulio Petroni's revenge Western film Death Rides a Horse (1967) is fantastic. I hope you can find a decent looking print like the blu-ray remaster to really see how beautiful and creative this film remains. Petroni's "Spaghetti Western" is magnificent with superb creative direction and storytelling. He opens on a brutal flashback, then cuts to tons of gunplay. I love the quickdraw pistol duels, fast rifle firing, tricks shots, suspenseful atmosphere, and intense pistol shootouts. Death Rides a Horse leans into revenge best served cold as each member of a vicious gang gets murdered one by one until the explosive finale shootout.
I felt the heavy emotions of this dark story with Petroni's gritty direction. He shows us the violence, pain, and inner guilt without needing tons of dialogue. Carlo Carlini's cinematography captures expansive desert wide shots, medium shots of men ready to quickdraw, to close-ups on nervous faces and glaring eyes darting back and forth right before a shootout. The visual storytelling is breathtaking and efficient for Death Rides a Horse.
Eraldo Da Roma's editing cuts back to the relevant scenes from the flashback to remind the viewer of who each gunman was back then with perceptive cuts. He shows without having to tell us anything more. He does quick montages of Billy training with his guns to suddenly and sharply cut to men drawing revolvers out of their holsters for the duels with lightning reflexes and stunning precision.
I think Luciano Vincenzoni's writing has sterling wisdom about maturing, forgiveness, and revenge alongside funny one liners for Lee Van Cleef. It's a complex story of a traumatized boy growing into a vengeful heartless man, who feels he must avenge his family. Having an older mentor help guide him along the way is very fun for Van Cleef's character, especially since he too feels dangerous and sinister by nature.
I appreciate how dark Death Rides a Horse feels with a serious tone, but it can also be very funny and adventurous. The fact that after all the bloody violence and bitter revenge, Death Rides a Horse ends on forgiveness to the one decent man left standing is bittersweet and brutally honest in a moving moment.
Lee Van Cleef is commanding as the tough quickdraw gunslinger Ryan, who is now out of prison. Van Cleef is cool and calm with a twisted malice in his every glare. He's charming and hilarious with his quick-witted jests, yet shocking every time he draws fire in a flash of furious thunder. Van Cleef leans into his villainous persona even though he's playing a man of morals for once. John Phillip Law shows his righteous indignation and insatiable hatred. He draws fast with a real fury in his heart. Law is a lot of fun opposite Lee Van Cleef. Luigi Pistilli, Mario Brega, José Torres, and Anthony Dawson are excellent as the sleazy rapist robbers our heroes are gunning for in the old West.
Composer Ennio Morricone proves why he is the greatest Italian film composer and Western scorer with his chaotic and intensely atmospheric film score for Death Rides a Horse. His lush symphonies and thundering rhythms are memorable and frightening. Franco Bottari's production design creates little Western towns and villages with a desolate simplicity to demonstrate how poor these communities were back then. The creative sound design lets you know exactly how many bullets were fired through the air or how many horses charged off. This is key for the narrative as men count what was fired to get one last shot in or recall horses leaving a destroyed home to know just how many men must die for revenge.
In conclusion, Death Rides a Horse is 114 of thrilling shootouts and hardened feelings for a gritty Western that's as timeless as its themes of revenge and forgiveness.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The Italian title of this movie may mean As Man to Man, but in the U.S. it got the great title of Death Rides a Horse. The original title of the film was Duel in the Wind, but star Lee Van Cleef came up with the Italian title while he was discussing the movie with John Phillip Law, as he saw the movie as having a "man to man" story. Van Cleef remarked, "Why don't they call it From Man to Man?" The Italian producers liked how it sounded in Italian and used it.
Directed by Giulio Petroni, who made Tepepa, an Italian western with Orson Welles and written by Luciano Vincenzoni (For a Few Dollars More, Orca, Raw Deal), it's the story of Bill (John Phillip Law), a man who once watched his entire family defiled and murdered before his eyes and their home set on fire.
Now, 15 years later, he's finally gunning for vengeance. He remembers one thing about each of the five men: a tattoo of four aces, a scar, an earring, a skull necklace and only one face. As he tracks them down, he runs into Ryan (Van Cleef), a man out of jail and hunting the same men after they framed him for armed robbery. While Bill manages to kill the first, played by Anthony Dawson, Ryan wants the rest all to himself.
Bill tries, but it doesn't go well. He's captured by the outlaws and buried alive with just his head emerging into the hot sun. He's rescued by Ryan, who ends up being the man with the skull necklace. While he was present during the murders, but he claims that he arrived late and did not participate. He's also the one who rescued Bill from the fire.
Ryan gives a pledge to the younger man. Once the gang has been dealt with, he will face whatever justice Bill wants to dish out.
An excellent film with a great Morricone soundtrack, this film saw writer Vincenzoni break away from Sergio Leone just as the director was starting The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
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