Hot, Dusty and Ugly

Apropos of valued reader Donald Harris' comment on the Monday Metal Post, we thought we'd go a little deeper into The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (TGBU).

This is a movie about death and deceit. From The Man with No Name's noose-hanging gambit to the Yankee commander keeping his men loyal with booze, everyone is cheating everyone else. Recall that TMWNN has even lied to Tuco about the whereabouts of the gold. 

Death is everywhere too and Tuco starts the film off right and proper by shooting three men sent to kill him. There's no other way and no time for anything else but direct action. Remember, Tuco tells his would be killer, 'If you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.'

Is it me or do the Johnny Rebs seem more the victims here?

As noted in a previous post the film is long and tough to look at, we think intentionally so. The landscape is bleak, desolate, hot and dusty. So are the characters - it looks to us like everyone is going to keel over for heatstroke.

We actually think this film is brilliant, on its own and as a satire. Leonne just requires a lot of us as viewers.