Giù la testa (1971)
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A Mexican outlaw and an Irish explosives expert are forced into an involuntary heroism during the Mexican Revolution.
The story
Set in revolution-torn 1913 Mexico, outlaw Juan Miranda leads a band of bandits and seeks to rob the Mesa Verde National Bank. He encounters John H. Mallory, an Irish explosives expert working as a silver prospector. After Juan frames John for a murder, the two are forced into a reluctant partnership. John eventually joins the revolutionaries, and Juan is inducted into their ranks. When they discover the bank is actually a political prison, Juan inadvertently becomes a hero of the revolution, while both men struggle with the heavy sacrifices demanded by the conflict.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1913 Mexico, outlaw Juan Miranda leads a bandit family and seeks to rob the Mesa Verde National Bank. He frames Irish explosives expert John H. Mallory for a murder to force him into helping. John joins the revolutionaries, and Juan is inducted into their ranks. During an attack on the bank, they discover it is a political prison, making Juan a 'hero.' The revolutionaries are pursued by Colonel Gunther Ruiz. John and Juan volunteer to hold a bridge, destroying much of the detachment but leaving Ruiz alive. After Juan's family is killed by the army, he attempts to fight alone and is captured. John sneaks into the camp and saves Juan from a firing squad using dynamite. They escape on a motorcycle and hide on a train carrying the tyrannical Governor Don Jaime. Juan kills Jaime and steals his spoils. They attempt to flee to America but are intercepted by revolutionaries who take the money. Later, John learns of a betrayal by Dr. Villega. To stop a military train led by Ruiz, John rigs a locomotive with dynamite. He forces Villega to stay on board as a sacrifice. The trains collide, killing Villega and many soldiers. However, Ruiz survives and shoots John. Juan kills Ruiz with a machine gun. As John dies, he relives memories of a past betrayal in Ireland before dying.
- Original title
- Duck, You Sucker!
- First release year
- 1971
- Runtime (minutes)
- 157
- Production countries
- Italy; United States
- Original languages
- Italian; English
- Directors
- Sergio Leone
- Writers
- Luciano Vincenzoni · screenplay; Sergio Donati · screenplay; Sergio Leone · screenplay; Sergio Leone · story; Sergio Donati · story
- Cast and characters
- Rod Steiger · Juan Miranda; James Coburn · John (Seán) H. Mallory; Romolo Valli · Dr. Villega; Maria Monti · Adelita; Rik Battaglia · General Santerna; Franco Graziosi · Governor Don Jaime; Antoine Saint-John · Colonel Günther Ruiz; Vivienne Chandler · Coleen; David Warbeck · Nolan
- Genres
- Western; Epic
- Themes
- Friendship; Disillusioned non-engagement; Revolution as a symbol
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Saucy; Bravura
- Premise and plot tags
- Buddy Film; Western; Revolutionary War
- Franchise connections
- Once Upon a Time Trilogy
- Reception
- The film failed to gain substantial recognition from critics at debut but has received a more favorable reception since. It was moderately successful in Italy and France, though it was the lowest-grossing of Leone's five Westerns in Italy. It was banned in Mexico until 1979.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · review count: 26; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 5
- Awards and nominations
- David di Donatello · Best Director · win
- Production trivia
- The film was influenced by Francisco Goya's 'The Disasters of War' prints.; The role of Juan Miranda was originally written for Eli Wallach.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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