Screen legends Clint Eastwood (High Plains Drifter) and Lee Van Cleef (Death Rides a Horse) co-star as two rival bounty hunters who join forces to bring murderous bandit El Indio (Gian Maria Volontè, Lucky Luciano) and his vicious gang of criminals to justice. But all is not as it seems in this explosive second installment of Sergio Leone’s legendary “Man with No Name” trilogy that blasted off with A Fistful of Dollars and concluded with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Spiced with blistering gun battles, jailbreaks, bank holdups and a sardonic sense of humor, For a Few Dollars More features a haunting score by the masterful Ennio Morricone (A Fistful of Dynamite) and a stellar cast that includes spaghetti western legends Mario Brega (A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die), Luigi Pistilli (Cold Sweat), Aldo Sambrell (Navajo Joe) and Klaus Kinski (The Great Silence).
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Video Quality
Kino Classics presents For A Few Dollars More with a really great 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. Unlike the other two films in the Dollars trilogy, Kino Classics was not working from a L’Immagine Ritrovata master, so the regrading that took place is not going to be as night-and-day as the other two necessary corrections. While that is very good news to hear from a color standpoint, the underlying source is just a tad less impressive in a couple of areas in comparison to the other two films. Even still, this is by far the best the film has ever looked on physical media and should be considered the definitive way to watch the film outside of a cinema. Like the other films in this trilogy, this disc lacks HDR for increased color output typically found on 4K UHD discs, but the 4K presentation still makes a world of difference.
Detail and clarity is quite striking with a fine amount of natural film grain intact. The grain experiences some moments of spiking and some mild crushing was detected, but mostly everything resolves well. While there are a few hiccups here and there, there is not much in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This transfer does feature a few rogue specks that blend in pretty seamlessly. This presentation honors the original look of the film with the added resolution making numerous elements seem more crisp and immediate. The texture on display in the costumes and within the landscapes are not to be missed. You have to appreciate the facial details such as stubble that present with stunning clarity.
Once again, the depth of color cuts through you with the rich, earthy colors of the dusty environment leaping off the screen with an intense vibrancy. There are some instances where the colors could stand to be a bit more bold, but overall the effort feels like the definitive home entertainment presentation of the film. The black levels are impressive with nothing much to complain about in shadow detail and in resolving crushed blacks. White levels are solid with no evidence of blooming, and the stability of the overall picture is good outside of a few shaky moments. The encode runs at a consistently high bitrate which alone cleans up so many issues you might worry would show up on this disc. This presentation is a terrific effort from Kino Classics, and fans will dig what they have been able to accomplish.
Note: There are two scenes with a couple of seconds of footage that have not been restored to make this the “Complete Restored Edit” as advertised, but most viewers will likely not be able to spot them due to them not being located in a place that disrupts the flow of the film. Still, it is worth noting for posterity
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. Most fans will want to opt for the original 2.0 mono track, but those who want more from their speakers will find that the 5.1 track does the trick. The film does not feature nonstop kinetic activity, but it definitely comes alive when necessary to the narrative. The terrific score from Ennio Morricone is as important to the film as any other elements as it is used to establish the mood of the story. Thankfully, this track handles every element with deft precision throughout the duration of the experience. You do not encounter moments where the music comes close to overwhelming competing sounds, and it maintains a perfect balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the din of the townspeople and gunshots are a notable part of the experience, and everything is rendered well in relation to competing elements. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear as things radiate out with top-notch fidelity. Kino Classics has once again delivered in this department.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Tim Lucas returns with a very informative commentary track in which he explores the creation of this sequel, the careers of everyone involved in the project, the technical elements of the film such as the costume and 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 similarly excellent commentary track in which he discusses the “confident” opening credits, the creative figures in front of and behind the camera, the shooting locations, the specially designed costumes and production design in the film, the subversion of certain established tropes, the amazing story of Lee Van Cleef and more.
- On Location In Almería and Granada with Filmmaker Alex Cox: A 14-minute interview with Filmmaker Alex Cox in which he takes you to some shooting locations from For A Few Dollars More.
- The Frayling Archives – For A Few Dollars More: A 19-minute piece in which Sir Christopher Frayling discusses the development of For A Few Dollars More and how the marketing was impacted by the success of its predecessor including a look at different posters, scripts, the very in-demand score from Leone, the stills from the feature and more.
- A New Standard: A 20-minute featurette in which Frayling once again discusses the film including the increased budget this go around, the evolving style of Leone, casting elements of the project, the shaping of the Clint Eastwood character, the technical marvels of the picture, the mastery of the Morricone score, the themes of the narrative, its legacy and more.
- Back For More: A seven-minute interview from 2003 with Clint Eastwood in which he discusses the Dollars films and their impact on his career, his collaboration with Sergio Leone, the gift he had for capturing face, the casting of Lee Van Cleef, the film’s humor and more.
- Tre Voci – Three Friends Remember For A Few Dollars More: 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, the script for For A Few Dollars More, the casting of Lee Van Cleef and more.
- For A Few Dollars More – The Original American Release Version: A five-minute piece which takes you through some of the minor edits United Artists made when they released the film.
- Location Comparison – Then and Now: A 12-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 three-minute overview of For A Few Dollars More with director Ernest Dickerson (Juice).
- Image Galleries: Four image galleries are provided for On The Set images, Stills and Promotional Material.
- Radio Spots: There are radio spots provided for A Fistful Of Dollars (7:35) and A Fistful of Dollars/For A Few Dollars More (Burning At Both Ends) (1:02)
- Trailers: There are two trailers provided for For A Few Dollars More. There are also trailers provided for A Fistful Of Dollars, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars/For A Few Dollars More (Burning At Both Ends), A Fistful Of Dynamite (Duck, You Sucker) and Death Rides A Horse.
Final Thoughts
For A Few Dollars More is simply one of the best that the spaghetti western genre has to offer. While it is hard to nail down a favorite from the trilogy between this and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, on the right day we might have to side with this effort due to the palpable energy that Leone brings to his filmmaking. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are flawless as they work off of one another, and the pacing of the film is at a level where you feel as if you have blinked and it is already over. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and an assortment of special features that will keep fans busy. Even if you only have a passing interest in spaghetti westerns, this is one you need to own. Highly Recommended
For A Few Dollars More 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.