In case you're wondering what the hell I'm writing about, "Duck, You Sucker!" is a spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone. If you don't know anything about Leone ("The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" and "Once Upon a Time in the West"), then shame on you, Mr. President. You have neglected your duties long enough.
(Note: You are not allowed to read anymore of this blog entry until you watch some of Leone's films.)
Alrighty, there's another potentially confusing thing I need to address. This film is also known as "A Fistful of Dynamite." "Duck, You Sucker!" was Leone's preference, but the studios changed the title to "A Fistful of Dynamite," hoping to attract audiences who watched "A Fistful of Dollars." And yes, "Duck, You Sucker!" is said a few times during the movie, but James Coburn doesn't overdo it.
Fuck! I don't feel like I've said anything substantial yet.
Alrighty, so one might think that this is a silly comedic western with a title like "Duck, You Sucker!" And honestly, it feels silly for a while. The beginning of the film is essentially Coburn the Irish dynamite expert and Rod Steiger the Mexican hoodlum flirting with each other, albeit dangerously. Steiger shoots Coburn's bike tire. Coburn blows a hole through Steiger's stagecoach. Etc. This mating ritual is similar to how Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach treated each other in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," only more suggestive. Yeah, Eastwood and Wallach were flirting in that film, but they almost killed each other. Coburn and Steiger would never take That Risk, or at least that's the impression I got.
And the music is silly for a while, too, which is not the norm for Ennio Morricone. In fact, I sort of hated the music until the last third of the film, when the tone of the music is juxtaposed against some disturbing and weird flashbacks. Thank the living Christ it finally suited my ears because I've never disliked a Morricone score.
The second half of the film is clearly stronger than the first, mainly because the characters finally come into their own. Steiger's character is pretty much Wallach's "The Ugly" before The Significant Event That Changes Him. Leone's camerawork during The Significant Event is devastatingly great. At that point, you realize he's not simply fucking around with a colloquialism.
Coburn's character is explored throughout the film in flashbacks, but it's not until the second half that they get juicy. Of course, flashbacks were also used in "The Wild Bunch" to develop characters, but Sam Peckinpah doesn't make you wait for the meat. Leone is a completely different mammal. He wants you to wait for Everything. But without patience, Leone would be nothing. There's just something so damned interesting about watching two characters look at each other for minutes in silence.
The message is watch this immediately, but only if you're familiar with Leone's filmography. I can't see someone appreciating this one too much without some knowledge of spaghetti westerns. Just remember to get the collector's edition DVD at 157 minutes and prepare your ass for a long sit.
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