Today’s quick review: A Fistful of Dollars. Clint Eastwood stars as The Man With No Name in the character’s first appearance. A nameless American rides into the Mexican town of San Miguel, where he is warned that he will make his fortune or wind up dead. The town is run by two rival families, the Rojos and the Baxters, each wealthy from selling guns or liquor across the nearby US border. But their rivalry has torn the town apart, and the only way to gain respect there is through killing. The stranger sees an opportunity to profit, and he wastes no time in pitting the two families against each other in a dangerous scheme to milk the situation for as much money as possible.
A Fistful of Dollars is a tightly executed Western with a sterling plot and capable direction. Clint Eastwood earns his legendary reputation by playing a steely gunslinger with lightning reflexes and a knack for turning every situation to his advantage. Eastwood’s character drives the plot to an astonishing degree, materializing opportunities out of thin air and turning a tense but stable situation into a powder keg. The plot of the movie achieves the similarly remarkable feat of getting something from nothing. The setting and characters are thinly sketched, yet the plot that unfolds from them is intricate, engrossing, and deeply satisfying. The schemes of the nameless protagonist are resourceful and clever but carry a real element of risk. Backed by intelligent direction and strong acting all around, the plot turns an ordinary setup for a Western into a high-quality finished product.
A Fistful of Dollars delivers exactly what it promises: a remarkable Western that showcases the strength of the genre. With one small town and a few simple characters, A Fistful of Dollars manages to tell a compelling and credible tale of greed, cunning, and revenge. How much you get out of the movie will be determined by how much you enjoy the Western genre and how much you appreciate quality storytelling. Fans of modern action movies may find A Fistful of Dollars slow-paced and relatively sedate, while those looking for deep characters and interpersonal drama should look elsewhere. But those who appreciate fine movies, who enjoy quality in its many indefinite forms, or who simply wish to see Clint Eastwood gun down bad guys should give A Fistful of Dollars a watch.
8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. An 8.0 seems fair for reasons of quality, but the score may dip as low as 7.0 depending on your interest in the genre and willingness to invest in the plot.