The film that started it all…the genre of “spaghetti western” was born, “The Man with No Name” was introduced and the iconic talents of star Clint Eastwood (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, High Plains Drifter), director Sergio Leone (For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dynamite) and composer Ennio Morricone (Navajo Joe, Death Rides a Horse) were launched. An instant international phenomenon, this hard-hitting epic stunned audiences with its violence, gritty realism and tongue-in-cheek humor. A lean, cold-eyed, cobra-quick gunfighter (Eastwood) arrives in a grim and dusty border town where two rival bands of smugglers terrorize the impoverished citizens. Though he receives lucrative offers of employment from each gang, his loyalty cannot be bought. He accepts both jobs…and sets in motion a deadly plan to destroy the criminals, pitting one against the other in a series of brilliantly orchestrated setups, showdowns and deadly confrontations. Co-starring Marianne Koch (Night People, The Devil’s General) and Gian Maria Volontè (Face to Face, Lucky Luciano), A Fistful of Dollars is the western taken to the extreme.
For thoughts on A Fistful Of Dollars, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents A Fistful Of Dollars with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original form for the first time on 4K UHD and newly-remastered Blu-Ray featuring extensive shot-by-shot color grading sourced from a 4K scan. Like the minor miracle that was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Kino Classics has corrected the previous L’Immagine Ritrovata master featuring garish yellow color grading with their own extensive regrading that revitalizes the film in a way it has not been seen in some time. Most fans agree that previous releases were a bastardization of the intended aesthetic of Leone, so it feels especially exciting to have something much closer to what he intended. The disc lacks the HDR for increased color output typically found on 4K UHD discs, but the benefits of a 4K presentation are never in doubt.
It brings a tear to your eye to see the blue skies actually radiating off the screen with a natural magnificence. The new master features some rich, earthy colors in their natural state as intended that pop off the screen with a vibrancy that cannot be beat. Admittedly, there are a few moments where the colors seem the slightest bit suppressed, but overall the effort feels like the definitive home entertainment presentation of the film. The black levels are extremely impressive with nothing really left to be desired in shadow detail and in resolving crushed blacks. White levels are solid with no evidence of blooming, and the corrected colors allow the white houses to look luminous on screen. The encode runs at a consistently high bitrate which alone cleans up so many issues you might worry would show up on this disc.
Detail and clarity will knock you sideways with a pleasing amount of natural film grain intact. The grain experiences a few moments of spiking in some of the brightest backgrounds, but for the most part it resolves well. This presentation is as true to the original look of the film as it can get with the added resolution making elements seem more crisp and immediate. There does not appear to be much at all in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. The texture on display in the iconic costumes and within the landscapes are a revelation. Even facial details such as stubble present with impressive clarity. This transfer does feature a few stray specks that will be overlooked by most. This presentation is a spectacular effort from the people at Kino Classics, and any film fan worth their salt will want this in their collection.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in English that both handle this material well. These tracks are likely the same two sourced for previous releases of the film, but direct comparisons were not able to be made. The go-to track for most fans will be the 2.0 mono track, but those who want to engage more of their speakers will not find much to hate with the 5.1 track. The environmental sounds such as the wind and gunshots are a huge part of the experience, and everything is rendered well in relation to competing elements. Thankfully, there does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear.
This moderately paced film does not feature constant kinetic activity, but it comes alive with force when the situation calls for it. The noted score from Ennio Morricone is used flawlessly to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles every element elegantly throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where the music threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a nice balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Kino Classics can not be faulted for delivering a couple of strong audio tracks for fans to toggle between.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Tim Lucas provides a very informative commentary track in which he delves deep into the careers of everyone involved in the project, how the film changed the movie industry, the background of the title credits, the history and elements of the score, the nuances in the performances, Leone’s visual style for the film, the themes and symbolism in the story and much more that provides a lot of context.
- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian Sir Christopher Frayling, the biographer of Sergio Leone, provides a likewise excellent commentary track in which he discusses the James Bond-influenced opening credits, the differences between the shooting script and the final version, the shooting locations, the specially designed costumes and production design in the film, the subversion of certain established tropes and more.
- Marisol – Sergio Leone’s Madonna In The West: A 33-minute interview with Actress Marianne Koch in which she discusses her uncertainty about playing a Mexican character as a German woman, her initial dismissal of the script on moral grounds, how her impression of Clint Eastwood evolved throughout production, the different backgrounds of the ensemble and how it impacted the mood on set, memories of Sergio Leone, how she feels about the movie today, and much more.
- The Frayling Archives – A Fistful Of Dollars: A 19-minute piece in which Sir Christopher Frayling discusses his drive to collect and preserve artifacts from the work of Sergio Leone along with a guided tour of its many wonders.
- A New Kind Of Hero: A 23-minute featurette in which Frayling once again discusses the film including its initial idea and its path to completion, the casting of the project, the shaping of the Clint Eastwood character, the technical marvels of the picture, the themes of the narrative, its legacy and more.
- A Few Weeks In Spain: A nine-minute interview from 2003 with Clint Eastwood in which he discusses the film, his interest in a free trip to Europe, what he brought to the character in terms of wardrobe, his collaboration with Sergio Leone and the need for an interpreter, dubbing his performance, the ragtag nature of the production and more.
- Tre Voci – Three Friends Remember Sergio Leone: An 11-minute collection of interviews with producer Alberto Grimaldi, screenwriter Sergio Donati, and actor Mickey Knox in which they discuss their memories of Sergio Leone, their personal history with him, his distinct way of working and more.
- Not Ready For Prime Time: A six-minute interview with Monty Hellman in which he discusses the prologue that he crafted for the television premiere in 1977 that would justify the violence committed on screen from a moral perspective. Luckily, this is rarely used in screenings of the film these days.
- The Network Prologue with Harry Dean Stanton: A nearly eight-minute prologue mentioned in the previous supplement is provided here with an introduction from Leone fan Howard Fridkin, who was lucky enough to capture this rare occurrence with a new Betamax player.
- Location Comparison – Then and Now: A five-minute look at some of the key locations in the film with comparison to how these places look in a more modern context.
- Trailers From Hell with John Badham: A four-minute overview of A Fistful Of Dollars with director John Badham (Bird On A Wire).
- Original Outtakes: A three-minute collection of retakes, outtakes and hidden gems from the production of the film.
- Image Galleries: Three image galleries are provided for On The Set images, stylized Stills and Promotional Material.
- Radio Spots: There are radio spots provided for A Fistful Of Dollars (6:04) and A Fistful of Dollars/For A Few Dollars More (Burning At Both Ends) (1:02)
- Trailers: There is a trailer provided for A Fistful Of Dollars. There are also trailers provided for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, A Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars/For A Few Dollars More (Burning At Both Ends) and A Fistful Of Dynamite (Duck, You Sucker).
Final Thoughts
A Fistful Of Dollars is notable for kicking off a genre of filmmaking that would endure for quite some time, and it has remained a favorite ever since. Of the three films in the Dollars Trilogy, Fistful is not at the very top, but considering these three are better than most features, you cannot look down upon it. Clint Eastwood tackles this morally questionable lead character with the stoic gravitas that cemented him as one the greats. If you are a fan of spaghetti westerns, this film should be considered essential. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a mind-blowing A/V presentation and an assortment of special features that will keep fans busy for a while. This is the type of film that it feels criminal to not own in the best quality possible. Highly Recommended
A Fistful Of Dollars is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.