Sergio Corbucci: Il Grande Silenzio

[Cyril Tourneur]

a rather untypical western is a work of Sergio Corbucci filmed in 1969 (with Klaus Kinski) :

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b03258C_lSE



http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-hisMWXaCI

and here is the complete film with english subtitles
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_ZnuFl5bp...968 - [1/1


The characters are great and unusual, as well, and the lead actors portray them wonderfully. Trintingnant is excellent and utterly sympathetic as the emotionally battered Silence, a killer who is nevertheless spurred on by a sense of justice, not greed, and who tries to avoid unnecessary killing. In contrast is Loco and his buddies, who kill solely for financial gain, and who never bother to bring their victims in alive, even when possible. Kinski, as usual, is great as the baddie, giving a sense of evil that is visible in every part of him. Here, he's even greater than usual, for he isn't snarling and quivering with emotion, but cold, calm, even polite. This makes him seem even more evil and frightening, especially since you can still sense his viciousness simmering in the eyes and beneath his cold facade. I especially love how he matter-of-factly explains his position within the law to the sheriff and others.

But the big allure of The Great Silence is its complete reversal of the western genre. Instead of sand and sun, we get snow and clouds. But what's more is that the hero doesn't win. At the moment when one would expect him to pull his gun and defeat the band of villains, he is crippled, and killed. The heroine is killed. All of the innocent hostages are killed. Evil prevails, and the bad guys live. It is just about the most unexpected and downbeat ending I have ever seen. It is also one of the most honest and powerful. Thanks to Corbucci's skilled direction, it hits you like a punch to the gut and it lingers in your mind. It doesn't feel cheap or gimmicky, like it very easily could have.

The setting is incredible, as are some of the shots. The snow everywhere is beautiful and harsh, frightening, and eerie at the same time, and the people riding through the snow or coming out of the snowy hills or mist are powerful. The outlaws in the snow, with their scythes and rags, give an incredible, eerie impression, as does Loco hunting victims in the snow or the blackbirds flying overhead. Similarly, the stage rolling past is an incredible scene. The red blood on the white snow is also incredible, artistic, and effective.

The film also has, not surprisingly, an incredible score by Morricone, and it is among the best. It is sad, beautiful, a little eerie, and powerful. It fits exceedingly well with the mood of the film and the scenes.