A Fistful of Dollars (Per un Pugno di Dollari) (1964)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Not quite up to its reputation, if only because Eastwood & Leone went on to make better. All the elements are here though - cool as fuck Clint w/ his black stub cigar and his inscrutable squint - Morricone's wonderfully stark music and Leone's devastating widescreen… More
  Not quite up to its reputation, if only because Eastwood & Leone went on to make better. All the elements are here though - cool as fuck Clint w/ his black stub cigar and his inscrutable squint - Morricone's wonderfully stark music and Leone's devastating widescreen compositions. Above all this may be the first western without a white hat It's greed, violence and death, played out in the mythic filthy Texas desert.

• Graham J

  
  Leone created one of the most iconic films in history with his retelling of Yojimbo. Clint Eastwood shines and Morricone's scores is like a cinematic kick to the gut.

• xGary X

  
  The introduction of the iconic man with no name saw Clint Eastwood catapulted to international stardom in this remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Yojimbo. Of course there's a certain irony in the fact that an Italian remake of a Japanese film shot in Spain would be the… More
  The introduction of the iconic man with no name saw Clint Eastwood catapulted to international stardom in this remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Yojimbo. Of course there's a certain irony in the fact that an Italian remake of a Japanese film shot in Spain would be the birth of the modern western, but the elements combine to fit the setting of the old west perfectly. The script has taken rather a trim in comparison, this film concentrating on machismo and gunplay rather than the more artful and character driven original; the result is that Eastwood's gunslinger comes across as more of a cynical operator than Mifune's aimless but moralistic samurai, and the build up has a brisk, almost rushed feel about it. But this film is all about the showdown at the end which, combined with Morricone's unforgettable score, is classic Leone.

• Joel K

  
  TThe first in Sergio Leones Dollars Trilogy stars Clint Eastwood as the morally ambiguous man without a name, who rides up into a town where 2 conflicting families reside. Seeing an opportunity, the lone gunman decides to play the families against each other for personal gain. But… More
  TThe first in Sergio Leones Dollars Trilogy stars Clint Eastwood as the morally ambiguous man without a name, who rides up into a town where 2 conflicting families reside. Seeing an opportunity, the lone gunman decides to play the families against each other for personal gain. But soon all hell breaks loose, and the hero (or anti-hero) must use all his wits to survive. Harrowingly brutal, and darkly atmospheric, Fistful is nothing short of a riveting masterpiece. Here we see Leones brilliant Directing style, in a tense and engaging story. Throw in Clint Eastwoods tough as nails performance, coupled with an exciting score by the great Ennio Morricone, and this film becomes a thing of beauty.

• Sajin P

  
  I cant believe that it took me this long to watch the Dollar series. Has always been a fan of the Ennio Morricone tunes, the very same reason why last weekend, just for a change more than anything else, I decided to give the western sphagetti a try. I was really astonished how… More
  I cant believe that it took me this long to watch the Dollar series. Has always been a fan of the Ennio Morricone tunes, the very same reason why last weekend, just for a change more than anything else, I decided to give the western sphagetti a try. I was really astonished how timeless the movie is. Even after 50 years, it still is mesmerizing & super-cool.

• Tim S

  
  Excellent as always from Eastwood/Leone. A slightly compacted version of the original story from Yojimbo (or rather more straightforward), but marvelously told.

• Martin S

  
  Yeah it's good. But there's still some parts to work more on. Which he did...

• Jeff "

  
  The first of the dollars trilogy directed by maestro Sergio Leone was a taste of what was to come. As Sergio Leone's first Western film, A fistful Of Dollars elevated the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns and also it broke new ground in the genre. As I've said in many of my… More
  The first of the dollars trilogy directed by maestro Sergio Leone was a taste of what was to come. As Sergio Leone's first Western film, A fistful Of Dollars elevated the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns and also it broke new ground in the genre. As I've said in many of my reviews on Sergio Leone's Epics, his Westerns tend to drastically depart from the traditional American Western. A fistful Of Dollars looks nasty, ugly and gritty; the way the old West is supposed to look like. For me, thats one of the things I've always loved about Sergio Leone's work, his attention to detail, his flair for authenticity. Leone gave us a small taste with Dollars. But with every Western he made, he gradually improved and he managed to create two Western epics thats have yet to be surpassed in any way. A Fistful Of Dollars is the first collaboration between Eastwood and Leone. Clint Eastwood plays the man with no name a gunfighter who arrives in a town torn apart by a rivalry witrh two families. The Man With No Name plays a game of cat and mouse with the two rivaling families, and quickly put them against each other. A Fistful Of Dollars is one of Sergio Leone's earliest achievements, and it shows a director with a vision. Leone was just getting warmed up and A Fistful Of Dollars is a tremendous film from Leone and is very entertaining. The best thing about the film is probably the way the violence plays out, it's not a typical Western, and Sergio Leone always tended to make his films violent but in context with the story. He used it to his own advantage and always came out on top in regards to the Western genre. That was one of the many aspects as to why the Spaghetti Westerns were better than the American Westerns. A Fistful Of Dollars is a a must see if you love Western films, the film contains some great gun fight, a phenomenal score by Ennio Moriconne and terrific acting from the cast. Though not as grand as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly or Once Upon A Time In The West, A Fistful Of Dollars shows what Sergio Leone was later capable of. Even in this early Spaghetti Western, Leone was able to captivate the audience with a simple, but very engrossing story. Due to Leone's Genius, Dollars is a worthy viewing experience and is the start to some of the greatest Western films ever made.

• Daniel P

  
  The beginning of Eastwood's type: the Man with No Name, the operator, who drifts into town, plays the situation out to his advantage and then drifts out. This was my first experience with the Spaghetti Western, and I found that the story was kind of sloppy and the acting was… More
  The beginning of Eastwood's type: the Man with No Name, the operator, who drifts into town, plays the situation out to his advantage and then drifts out. This was my first experience with the Spaghetti Western, and I found that the story was kind of sloppy and the acting was difficult - did anyone other than Eastwood speak English? - but the colours made the visuals magical in places, outdone only by a spectacular Morricone score. This film makes Tarantino make sense, and I'm sure the rest of the trilogy will only prove that claim. I'm excited to find out.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"When a man with .45 meets a man with a rifle, you said, the man with a pistol's a dead man. Let's see if that's true. Go ahead, load up and shoot."</i> A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by… More
  <i>"When a man with .45 meets a man with a rifle, you said, the man with a pistol's a dead man. Let's see if that's true. Go ahead, load up and shoot."</i> A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> The first of Sergio Leone's "Nameless Man" series started with a bang in 1964 with "A Fistful of Dollars". Clint Eastwood finally got his big break in the Italian Cinema here as a drifter who happens along a small Mexican village which has been torn apart by two criminal families (one led by Gian Maria Volonte and the other by Wolfgang Lukschy). Of course it is up to Eastwood to put the families against one another, save the townspeople and also make a little money in the process. The plot is pretty simple, but the film is done so well by Leone that its numerous shortcomings can be overlooked. "A Fistful of Dollars" was proof that the Western could go into a dark place where violence and adult situations are always constants.

• EightThirty .

  
  28/01/2010 (DVD) I loved this film and still do. Its stylish! This is the guy that all the boys wanna be like. He's cool, smooth and rough at the same time, but he's also smart and importantly... he's got a Big Gun. His mysteriousness keeps things interesting making… More
  28/01/2010 (DVD) I loved this film and still do. Its stylish! This is the guy that all the boys wanna be like. He's cool, smooth and rough at the same time, but he's also smart and importantly... he's got a Big Gun. His mysteriousness keeps things interesting making us boys wanna be like him and girls wanna be with him. Its a Classic! The flow of the story is quite simple and I guess the simplicity makes this film quite a beauty. Its old but its definitely a goody! I watched this not long ago in 2009 and its still very enjoyable to watch despite its release date. If you haven't seen it yet then go and watch it or buy it. It's only $10(New Zealand Currency) which is around about $7(U.S.A Currency) so its not that expensive unless you buy the copy with DVD extras which is a "Few Dollars More".

• Conner R

  
  When Sergio Leone got the idea to re-imagine Kurosawaâ??s Yojimbo, he must have been met with a lot of rejection. However, after all is said and done, A Fistful Of Dollars is a better film in almost every way. That is a statement from someone who loves Yojimbo. A Fistful Of Dollars… More
  When Sergio Leone got the idea to re-imagine Kurosawaâ??s Yojimbo, he must have been met with a lot of rejection. However, after all is said and done, A Fistful Of Dollars is a better film in almost every way. That is a statement from someone who loves Yojimbo. A Fistful Of Dollars just has a lot more going for it and is more original and revolutionary in terms of shot composition, score, characters, setting and directing. Sergio Leone completely revitalized the western I the best way possible, he made it gritty and fun. He made the legendary showdown become gruesome and horrific. First person shooting is the best way to show someone getting blown away, I canâ??t believe it took 70 years of film for someone to realize it. The set is simple, yet incredibly important. Itâ??s youâ??re average western town except for one twist, it actually looks real. Itâ??s worn down and beat up, much like the townspeople. Itâ??s all the little touches that make Sergio Leone the greatest. When you think of traditional western heroes, people like John Wayne and Henry Fonda come to mind. Good natured men with some sort of mission or conflict to resolve. When Clint Eastwood comes onto the screen in the opening of A Fistful of Dollars, he is there to cause trouble. He has little morals, has no problem killing a few people or a whole lot of people, talks only as much as necessary and looks like one of the bad guys; enter the anti-hero. Clint Eastwoodâ??s Man With No Name is one of the most iconic and important performances of the 20th Century. He gave birth to a entire new breed of character, many movies and people wouldnâ??t exist without him. For this being Clint Eastwoodâ??s first lead role itâ??s even more impressive. He does things like no other actor had or will ever do because heâ??s one of the most unique artists of his generation. Many pass him off as a rough action star, but heâ??s much more than that. He trained alongside Marlon Brando, fought his way to the top and never gave into the Hollywood system. He does things his way and I completely worship him for it. Lastly, there is the first major score from Ennio Morricone. Itâ??s an incredibly important part of the film because like many of the other aspects, itâ??s extremely original. Without the theme music to The Man With No Name, I donâ??t know if it would be the same. From the opening titles, you know this is going to be a different kind of movie. Without this film, there wouldnâ??t be the second wave of westerns or a whole slough of other films that were influenced by this complete and utter masterpiece.

• Chris W

  
  While this film is a good one, a really good one in fact, it is not a great one. It's gets the extra half star due to the historical, cinematic, and aesthetic significance, and because it's just so damn stylish and influential. This is the only remake of Yojimbo that is… More
  While this film is a good one, a really good one in fact, it is not a great one. It's gets the extra half star due to the historical, cinematic, and aesthetic significance, and because it's just so damn stylish and influential. This is the only remake of Yojimbo that is worth existing. It's not as good as Yojimbo, but it's pretty solid. The only real drawback to this movie is that it's a little rough and unpolished. The story is not a bad one, but it could be a little better. Still though, it's hard to dislike a film which features Clint Eastwood in his breakthrough role, Sergio Leone kicking off the spaghetti western subgenre, and the haunting and memorable music of Ennio Morricone.

• Anthony L

  
  A brilliant Western remake of Yojimbo, a samurai film made by Akira Kurosawa, who was heavily influenced by old cowboy movies. Quite fitting eh! This is a brilliant film, almost as good as the original, it's a crime Sergio Leone didn't direct more films.

• Carlos M

  
  Leone's first film in the Dollar Trilogy, though not as great and visually fantastic as the following two, already lays the grounds for his unique directing style and introduces Eastwood's unforgettable sullen anti-hero, The Man With No Name.

• Phil H

  
  The first in the Dollars trilogy and the weakest of the three but only by a slight gap haha the fact that Van Cleef is not in it lets it down. Like the rest the soundtrack is superb and the characters and action, stunning. It just lacks that 100% punch, probably due to the fact its… More
  The first in the Dollars trilogy and the weakest of the three but only by a slight gap haha the fact that Van Cleef is not in it lets it down. Like the rest the soundtrack is superb and the characters and action, stunning. It just lacks that 100% punch, probably due to the fact its the first, the story is abit lacking but still quality.

• Pierluigi P

  
  The man with no name's burst in cinema. Dirty and violent, but operatic retellling of 'red harvest' set in a honorless west.

• Luke B

  
  Westernized version of Yojimbo that works as well as The Magnificent Seven. Eastwood shows why he has remained so popular throughout the years, he's a bad ass cowboy that can still look hard when getting his arse kicked. The music is fantastic and builds upon some iconic imagery.… More
  Westernized version of Yojimbo that works as well as The Magnificent Seven. Eastwood shows why he has remained so popular throughout the years, he's a bad ass cowboy that can still look hard when getting his arse kicked. The music is fantastic and builds upon some iconic imagery. It's a cool film that doesn't go to far into character motivation, what is clear is that Leone and Eastwood took a great first step on their journey of making some of the greatest westerns ever.

• Cassandra M

  
  Sergio Leone's "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" aka. "A Fistful Of Dollars" of 1964 could be described as one of the most important movies in the history of motion pictures. The first movie of its kind, it rose the Italian Western to an international level, and if it… More
  Sergio Leone's "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" aka. "A Fistful Of Dollars" of 1964 could be described as one of the most important movies in the history of motion pictures. The first movie of its kind, it rose the Italian Western to an international level, and if it had not been for "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari", the great genre of the Spaghetti Westerns would probably never have become what it is. Based On Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Yojimbo" of 1961, "A Fistful Of Dollars" is not a simple remake, but a masterpiece based on another masterpiece (something very rare in film history) that definitely has its very own style. There is no doubt for me that both Kurosawa and Leone are two of the most important and brilliant directors of all time. I love "Yojimbo" as I love "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" and I could not say which one I prefer. The movie that made the Italian Western what it is, made Clint Eastwood a star as an actor and Sergio Leone a star as a director. It also made Ennio Morricone famous, who is arguably the most brilliant film score composer of all time, and it basically created the Western Anti Hero. A cigar smoking stranger, the Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) comes to San Miguel, a small town in the Mexican/American borderland, which is terrorized by two rival gangs of outlaws, lead by two families, the Baxters and the Rojos. He plays the two families against each other in order to free the town (his secondary reason) and earn a lot of money (his primary reason. Clint Eastwood's performance as the Man With No Name (Joe in the credits) is superb. I can't remember any actor who has achieved the coolness of Clint Eastwood in the Dollar Trilogy, and I don't think any actor Ever will. But Clint Eastwood is not the only one who delivers an outstanding performance in "A Fistful Of Dollars". The great Gian Maria Volontè plays the crazy and villainous Ramón Rojo with brilliance, Volontè represents insanity and evilness equally believable and superb as Eastwood represents Coolness.The supporting cast is also great, the beautiful Marianne Koch fits perfectly in the role of Marisol, a young mother who is held captured by Gian Maria Volontè's character Ramón Rojo, who is in love with her. The supporting cast furthermore includes such great Spaghetti Western actors as Mario Brega, Aldo Sambrell and Benito Steffanelli, actors who have gained fame amongst Spaghetti Western fans, for roles such as those in "A Fistful of Dollars". It is Ennio Morricone's iconic, brilliant score that gives this movie perfection. Morricone's scores are one of the most essential things about Sergio Leone's films, see "A Fistful Of Dollars" and you'll know what I mean. "A Fistfull Of Dollars" is a superbly directed, violent film about selfishness, greed and hatred, full of black humor and spiced up with great dialogue. A masterpiece that is only excelled by its two successors, "Per Qualche Dollaro In Più" aka. "For A Few Dollars More" and "Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo." aka. "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" (which is my favorite movie of all-time), "A Fistful Of Dollars" is one of the movies that, in my opinion, everybody has to see. Brilliant and timeless, "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" is a masterpiece that seems to get better each time I see it

• Chris G

  
  Up until 1964 westerns were the same formula over and over again (with exception to The Searchers). A hero on a moral plateau, a villain that even though they were evil, would never go over the edge totally, and a damsel in distress. This was how you made a western. It was in 1964… More
  Up until 1964 westerns were the same formula over and over again (with exception to The Searchers). A hero on a moral plateau, a villain that even though they were evil, would never go over the edge totally, and a damsel in distress. This was how you made a western. It was in 1964 that Sergio Leone not only introduced us to the cinematic Clint Eastwood, he introduced us to a western that was dirtier and harsher. This was not Shane. This was Leone's west. Eastwood's character is not motivated by morals. He's motivated by money- pure and simple. His main goals is to play the two families in San Miguel against each other. Even though he shows a little compassion that raises him above the scum of the town, he is still on the same level of the antagonists in the movie. Gian Maria Volonte portarays Ramon, the borderline psychotic leader of the Rojo's clan. Ramon breaks more western taboos than Eastwood, mainly the the films final thirty minutes. There is also a damsel in distress, but instead of being rescued by our fearless "hero" she is used as a pawn so that he can make even more money. Fistful of Dollars represents a landmark in westerns just as Stagecoach did a generation before it. In a way, Leone gave westerns a pair of balls. He also gave us Clint Eastwood as The Man with No Name, a character that Eastwood would return to every ten years or so until Unforgiven put him to rest. This is Leone's first masterpiece and ironically, in Leone's world its running time would make it a short subject.

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