This is a wonderfully competent spaghetti western made at a time when the Italian film industry was cranking them out at the rate of five or six a month, and this is one of the best. You may recognize the main town as the same one Clint Eastwood cleans up in A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, and this film shares some of the qualities of that prototypical spaghetti; the hero appearing out of a cloud of dust at the end, poncho-clad, facing six villains, and also the presence of Jose Calvo who appeared in FOD. Fabio Testi is good as a prison escapee with a mission, and we find out in flashbacks just what that mission is, what it has cost him, and what his ultimate payoff will be. Charo Lopez plays Jessica, somewhat more important to the plot than most women in these films, and the film features quite a lot of her. A ton of action and one of Bruno Nicolai's most beautiful scores add to the enjoyment. Beautifully directed in the best Leone style by Aldo Florio, this makes me want to see the same director's FIVE GIANTS FROM Texas. Recommended.
Review of Dead Men Ride
