Zwei glorreiche Halunken

Es ist ein schauspielerisches Konzert von Clint Eastwood und Eli Wallach … Geben Sie Van Cleef als Bösewicht und Bastard übelster Kategorie hinzu und alles ist im Prinzip klar. Welche Szene dieses Western aller Western sollte man als beste herauspicken? Für mich ist es eindeutig jene, in der Tuco zwischen den Gräbern hin und her rennt, begleitet von dem Lied Ecstasy of Gold … So etwas kann kein Mensch gefilmt (und komponiert) haben, sondern nur ein Gott. Der beste Western aller Zeiten und nach Lawrence von Arabien und vielleicht der zweitbeste Film aller Zeiten. P.S. Bei den Genres hier fehlt spürbar "Komödie“. (18.09.2007)

Typischerweise ist Leones Westerngenialität von einer einzigartigen Aufnahmenkomposition gekennzeichnet, einem phänomenalen Soundtrack sowie vollends filigranen Arbeit mit Dynamik und Spannung, die im letzten Drei-Duell gipfelt. Zwei glorreiche Halunken trägt alle wesentlichen Merkmale eines Spaghettiwesterns, einschließlich der gelegentlichen Langgezogenheit und epischer Breite, die an Wahnsinn grenzt. Jedoch dieser Goldgräber-Road-Movie verzaubert auch dank dem langsamen Tempo, mit dem er fortan läuft, mit welcher Gourmet-Sorgfalt er sich den Details und zarten Mosaiksteinen widmet. Meiner Meinung ist dies eine der besten Regieführungen und musikalischen Leistungen in einem Filme aller Zeiten. Eine regelrecht magische Angelegenheit. (04.06.2007)

I don't feel competent to claim that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the best film of its genre. I haven't seen that many westerns and, to be honest, modern anti-westerns like Dead Man or Dances with Wolves resonate with me more. Nevertheless, it is definitely a very entertaining and high-quality film. I don't really care for the western genre, and I have given five stars only to the absolute minimum of these films. The reason for the popularity of this film lies in the fact that Leone managed to make a film that appeals to everyone, which is rather rare in cinema. It is adventurous, thrilling, and very clever, as well as conveying an obvious anti-war message. It combines classic genre conventions with modern filmmaking elements, a traditionally excellent soundtrack, camera tricks, and occasional ventures into purely artistic waters. In certain moments, the film forgets itself and succumbs to genre clichés, such as the shootout with the Tuco's gang, where we see a traditional scene from B-movie westerns, where the hidden rifle shooter misses the gunslinger who shoots him from an unfavorable position with a quick draw. However, due to the overall lighthearted atmosphere, these few minor missteps easily fade away. Leone adeptly alternates the pace, combining genuinely humorous scenes with tragic ones, and, above all, relies on top-notch casting. The director always managed to choose actors who perfectly suited their roles, whether it was Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, or Eli Wallach. Overall impression: 90%. (25.03.2010)

You see, in this world, there are two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. So dig. Three gunslingers, one treasure and maybe the best western that I’ve ever seen. This time it’s the ugly Eli Wallach, who accidentally gets involved with the American Civil War, who holds the story together. Lee Van Cleef’s Angel Eyes stands a little aside from the main story line, but he makes up for it with almost textbook villainy. And there’s Blondie Clint who, with Leone, thought up the climax to this dollar trilogy. Including the surreptitious return of the scruffy poncho to the game and the breathtaking three-way duel in the finale. (09.09.2009)

An interesting story, straightforward and perfectly resolved. Morricene's catchy melody got under my skin again, Clint had charisma to spare in his younger days and Eli Wallach as the bad guy you actually root for is great. But it lacked something, something very little, to be perfect and I couldn't help comparing it to the brilliant Once Upon a Time in the West. The latter is a flawless five-star affair, this one has a few lapses in logic and especially a strange plot insert with armies fighting over a bridge, where Eastwood and Wallach went about as if they could not die. Otherwise, no complaints. (30.08.2004)