One can hardly blame young Bill Meceita (John Phillip Law) for wanting vengeance. As a child, he'd had to watch while a particularly rotten gang of bandits murdered the rest of his family (taking the time to rape his sister and mother first). As an adult, he hooks up with a stranger named Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), who has his own reasons for wanting to get back at the gang.
As Luciano Vincenzonis' script plays out, Bill and Ryan will take turns bailing the other out of trouble. Ryan warns Bill that his lust for vengeance could be deadly, but as it turns out, the two of them do need each other. Among the targets of their missions: banker Walcott (Luigi Pistilli) and saloon owner Burt Cavanaugh (Anthony Dawson).
"Death Rides a Horse" is an awesome title (although Law himself is not fond of it) for this very long, meticulously paced Spaghetti Western saga. Gorgeously shot by Carlo Carlini in Technicscope, it features yet another grandiose and effective soundtrack composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone. Violent without being gory, it's still pretty grim and powerful. This doesn't mean, however, that the script is without a sense of humour.
Van Cleef, showing us what screen charisma is all about, once again gets to play a character who is a truly cool customer. He remains a pleasure to watch, but is very well supported by the sincere Law. Dawson ("Dial M for Murder", "Dr. No") and Italian cinema veterans Pistilli ("Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key", "A Bay of Blood") and Mario Brega (Leones' "Dollars" trilogy, "Once Upon a Time in America") are villains par excellence.
At the core of this film is the interesting relationship between the older and younger man, as Ryan imparts wisdom and becomes something of a father figure in Bills' life.
Stylish and exciting, "Death Rides a Horse" leaves a vivid impression on the viewer.
Eight out of 10.
As Luciano Vincenzonis' script plays out, Bill and Ryan will take turns bailing the other out of trouble. Ryan warns Bill that his lust for vengeance could be deadly, but as it turns out, the two of them do need each other. Among the targets of their missions: banker Walcott (Luigi Pistilli) and saloon owner Burt Cavanaugh (Anthony Dawson).
"Death Rides a Horse" is an awesome title (although Law himself is not fond of it) for this very long, meticulously paced Spaghetti Western saga. Gorgeously shot by Carlo Carlini in Technicscope, it features yet another grandiose and effective soundtrack composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone. Violent without being gory, it's still pretty grim and powerful. This doesn't mean, however, that the script is without a sense of humour.
Van Cleef, showing us what screen charisma is all about, once again gets to play a character who is a truly cool customer. He remains a pleasure to watch, but is very well supported by the sincere Law. Dawson ("Dial M for Murder", "Dr. No") and Italian cinema veterans Pistilli ("Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key", "A Bay of Blood") and Mario Brega (Leones' "Dollars" trilogy, "Once Upon a Time in America") are villains par excellence.
At the core of this film is the interesting relationship between the older and younger man, as Ryan imparts wisdom and becomes something of a father figure in Bills' life.
Stylish and exciting, "Death Rides a Horse" leaves a vivid impression on the viewer.
Eight out of 10.