Sonny and Jed (1974)

The greatest movie ever!

Boring, long, and too preachy.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Woody Allen's "What's Up Tiger Lilly?" was his comic interpretation of a Japanese kung fu film. I realize that Allen had nothing to do with "Sonny and Jed", however the four letter word laced dialog is at times funnier than "Tiger Lilly". Somehow this overlooked curiosity has remained in "spaghetti" obscurity despite the presence of Thomas Milan, Susan George, and Telly Savales. Although this is definitely a parody of the Sergio Leone classics, including a fine Enio Morrocone score, it could come as quite a shock to the "Trinity" crowd, especially in the almost constant use of the "F'" word. There really is no story, just a series of episodes with Milan and George playing a western variation on "Bonnie and Clyde". - MERK

I've been thinking about watching this movie for almost 20 years, but always put off because of the general bad reviews I always read about it. I gotta say these reviews belong to the time the movie was originally released, 1972. They all agree that the movie is silly and that Corbucci made it with the left hand. So far from the truth. Watched today, J&S is a master spaghetti-western, totally on the average of the best Corbucci. Besides the very good Tomas Milian's performance, the witty dialogues, the fabulous cast (Susan George, Telly Savalas, Laura Betti), the charming winter-time Almeria desert locations, the fast pace of the narration and the excellent Morricone's score, J$S stands out for the memorable Jed and Sonny characters and for the love Corbucci shows, once more, for the losers, the marginals and the misfits. There's no clue Corbucci made it just to be on the track of then box-office Spaghetti-western hits like, e.g., Trinità. J&S is a genuine tale about two people trying to survive and keep their freedom in a world which didn't give them any chance. References to Bonnie & Clyde? Not so many. More simply, Corbucci and his writers face the theme of the criminal couple on the run, and do it with an original (and witty) point of view. Which here seems to be the dichotomy nature vs. society. And if you think Corbucci is chauvinist in the way he describes the relationship between Jed and Sonny (at the beginning Jed treats his woman literally like a dog), wait until the ironic end of the movie to express your judgement. Definitely, Corbucci knew what he was doing.

Have always been a great fan of Susan George and have seen most of her films and this particular picture I discovered on E Bay and it was a great find to enjoy the great acting of both Susan George and Telly Savalvas. Of course this is a Spagettii Western and a comedy but it is not your usual run of the mill type of film. There is plenty of vulgarity and romantic scenes and a rough relationship between Jed, (Tom Milian) and Sonny, (Susan George). Jed is an very crude man who is a robber and he meets up with Sonny who seems to take a liking to him even though he treats her very poorly. Jed and Sonny become something like a Bonny & Clyde team who go around stealing and robbing everyone they come in contact with. Sheriff Franciscus, (Telly Savalvas) is out to get these two people and even though he becomes blind still manages to try and hunt down these two criminals. This is a great film and if you get a chance, don't miss this great Susan George Film.

This movie is definitely not your average spaghetti western, and it's uniqueness is part of what makes it great.There are really two separate stories being told in the film, and they are both given equal weight. One of them is the chasing of Jed by a revenge seeking lawman played by Telly Savalas, and the other is the dysfunctional love story of Sonny and Jed. Franciscus, the character played by Savalas, seems out of place in a spaghetti western, wearing a long fur coat and basically being Kojak, accent and all. He even talks more like he belongs in a 1970's cop movie than a western. In one part he even calls Jed a "punk." I'm not sure, but I don't think I've ever heard that word in a spaghetti western before this one. I love when spaghetti westerns have these offbeat characters that don't belong in a western. It always makes for a cool and interesting movie. In the middle of the film, after Franciscus becomes disabled, Savalas gets to portray him as a totally different character, as his personality changes and his style of clothing becomes even more bizarre. He is truly great in this role.Tomas Milian plays the part of Jed, a character similar to the one he portrayed in Companeros, but a bit cruder. He is fantastic as usual. He plays this type of character perfectly. His antics are a lot of fun to watch. He even eats spaghetti in this movie! I've always wanted to see that in a spaghetti western. Susan George is good for the role of Sonny. There is one part where she uses 1960's slang when she speaks. You've just gotta love these Italian westerns!Ennio Morricone's score is brilliant, and one of his more memorable. It is not the typical spaghetti western score, but it fits, and has that haunting Euro-movie style.Definitely a must see for Euro-western fans