With grizzled bad guys, a soundtrack made up of odd instruments, and an indestructible hero, re-release is rammed with Spaghetti Western trademarks
Thursday, 20th July 2023 — By Dan Carrier
$10,000 BLOOD MONEY
Directed by Romolo Guerrieri
Certificate: 12a
☆☆☆☆
WHEN we think of a Spaghetti Western, it’s rare people get much further beyond Sergio Leone / Clint Eastwood’s Dollars trilogy. And with a trio of films of such perfection, it is understandable that others fade next to these masterpieces.
But that means missing out on other films that may not have had such great actors nor the budget to stop the saloon bar facades swaying in the wind – but they have much to offer in terms of characters, aesthetics, and a re-imagining of the Old West into a more realistic, dirty and violent world.
The Spag Western flipped a genre that had been a mainstay of Hollywood’s attempts to sell the audience an idea of the America Dream.
Previously, the realm of clean-cut, two-dimensional John Wayne-style heroes, this rise of new stories in the 1960s was more fitting with the tumultuous times.
Shot in Spain and Italy, European directors recognised a popular genre that did not cost the earth to make.
As well as the dirt and violence, the Spag also created a new rebellious anti-hero, someone who did not abide by the Christian code, went head-to-head with evil baddies and would inevitably ride off into the sunset with a woman of similar morals.
One of the key characters to emerge from this period was the loner called Django, a gunslinger who appeared in numerous films, played by numerous actors. In total, 31 Django films were made, all of varying quality.
This re-release on Arrow Pictures – part of a quartet of Spaghetti Westerns the film distributor is releasing this summer – is as archetypal of the genre as you could want.
Originally released in Italian and called Ten Thousand Dollars for a Massacre, it tells the story of sharp-shooting bounty hunter Django (Gary Hudson) who is asked to find the kidnapped daughter of wealthy ranch owner, Mendoza (Franco Bettella).
His daughter Dolores (Adriana Ambesi) has been thrown over the back of bandit leader Manuel Vasquez’s horse (Claudio Camaso).
But Mendoza doesn’t appear to value his daughter’s life enough to offer Django what he think he deserves – while Manuel is also someone not to be trusted.
Released in 1967, this super Western feels wonderfully dated and is all the better for the fact it is a period piece.
Rammed with the genre’s trademarks – grizzled bad guys whose actions are accompanied by a soundtrack made up of odd instruments and an indestructible hero, this is pure, indulgent, cinematic fun.
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