A Bullet for the General (1967)

Lack of good storyline.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

A band of Mexican gun-runners employed by a revolutionary general lure an American mercenary into joining their gang, unaware that he is targeting their general.Damiano's film has been called a "serious statement about the Mexican Revolution" and has been recognized as an accomplished blend of "tension, action, politics and history". Now, I'm not sure what the "serious statement" is. That Americans would intercede? That bandits could be radicalized? The soundtrack is from some of Italy's best, but the music is unfortunately not that notable. What draws many people to the film is Klaus Kinski, who is great, but the bizarre dubbing makes him seem fake and unable to really provide his presence to the screen.

This is one of my favourite films. I can't quite say why but it has a more powerful effect on me than most films. On the one hand the film is blunt and lacking in subtlety - the executions it starts with and Nino's (lack of) reaction, his disdain for Mexico and Mexicans and the dilemma with the captain on the tracks. Maybe the subtlety is lost in translation but it's pretty clear there are points being made.But then there's the scene where the bandits are massacred and Adelita just leaves when these days you'd expect floods of tears.The soundtrack obviously deserves a mention particularly the way it's blended into the film a couple of times at the start (guitar player on the train and Chuncho banging his drum).I'm sure this film should get higher ratings than it does. I wonder if the fact that it's overtly anti-American is responsible for that: if I was American I'd probably feel a bit put out by the end of the film.

Damiano Damiani's 1966 film 'A Bullet for the General' is one of the first examples of the Zapata Western, a sub-genre of the Spaghetti Western that mostly dealt with political themes during the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century. Gian Maria Volontè plays El Chucho, the leader of a Mexican bandit gang who earn their pay selling arms to revolutionaries - he meets with a suave gringo named Bill Tate (played by Lou Castel) who claims to be on the run from the law and soon finds himself inducted into the group and deep in the heart of the Mexican revolution.Despite the simple sounding premise 'A Bullet for the General' displays a great depth of character as the protagonists relationships shift with the plot before inevitably exchanging roles. The first hour or so seems like a standard western affair with lots of the usual train hi-jacks and bandit raids, but as the characters develop and their relationships become more strained we see some marvellous performances from the suspicious El Chucho, his brother El Santo (a fanatical Christian revolutionary played by Klaus Kinski) and the cool and un-flustered Bill 'Niño' Tate.The doubt displayed by El Chucho towards Tate really sets up the finale, and as the film nears the heart of the revolution Tate's motives become clear - but that doesn't stop Damiani pulling a nice twist at the end, endearing Volontè's character and providing a juxtaposition to the characters he made famous in some of Sergio Leone's classic Spaghetti Westerns. In a film dealing largely with role-reversal this is particularly apt.I didn't quite know what to expect from 'A Bullet for the General', I hadn't previously heard of the director and apparently this was his first foray into the Western genre - but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Providing a good mix of action and politics with commendable performances from Volontè, Kinski and Castel 'A Bullet for the General' is an intriguing and unique example of the Spaghetti Western and well worth your time whether you're a fan of the genre or not.

An Italian crude version of west and an Italian vision of the reality of late sixty years of XX century The late sixties were the same year of first feeble Italian crime/police films that explained the crude real life of the period named as "lead years", terrorism, murders and kidnapping. This film is the prelude to all these fact. Gian Maria Volontè superb acting piece also in a low cost production, dialogs very essential and with a little bit of anarchy sense. I saw this film at 7 - 8 years old with my grandpa in an old smoky cinema and was for me not bloodiest not like other actual films. A real must for all kids mature and experts. Note also the presence of a less known Klaus Kinsky as El Chuncho's brother.