A Fistful of Dollars

A Fistful of Dollars
(1964) [Trailer]
Director: Sergio Leone (IMDB)

This movie is basically a remake of Yojimbo, one of my favorite Akira Kurosawa movies. It's obviously different, in that it's set in the old west, but similar enough for Kurosawa to sue Sergio Leone's ass and win. This resulted in Kurosawa getting a percentage of the film's worldwide gross and distribution rights in Asia. Later Kurosawa said he made more off Fistful than he ever did with Yojimbo. Does that mean it's a better movie? According to capitalism, yes it does.

Two gangs in a small border town in Mexico are at each others throats. Clint Eastwood comes to town and sees an opportunity to play each side against one another and make a fistful of dollars along the way... see what did there? Things heat up, people die, Clint is a badass, end of story.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Hopefully if anything stands out in this review, it's that, that's why I made it in all caps. Everything in this is perfect. Morricone's score, as always, is incredible. It's just the best, and the following morning I'm humming it on the way to work. Just like every Sergio Leone movie I've seen so far, it has a unique style that stands on it own. I remember watching this as a kid and thinking Clint Eastwood was the coolest dude on the planet... he is. I've said my piece, go get on it.