Review Summary: Vintage Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef coupled with Ennio Morricone makes for on hell of a joyride.
For A Few Dollars More is undoubtedly my favorite chapter of the famed Man With No Name trilogy. Featuring a compelling storyline, a formidable on screen alliance of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, and plenty off blazing shootouts, For A Few Dollars More is a legendary film, but it wouldn’t have quite been the same without a chilling Ennio Morricone score to complement the drama packed spaghetti western.
To fully appreciate the music, one must understand the plot of the film. Clint Eastwood plays The Man With No Name. Once more as a bounty hunter, drifting from town to town collecting fees for wanted fugitives. Lee Van Cleef plays Douglas Mortimer, a former soldier turned bounty hunter who’s sister was ruthlessly raped and killed by the hands of a madman named Indio. Well, Indio stages a successful robbery at a highly guarded bank at El Paso which brings together the two anti-heroes. They head off into the sunset with guns blazing as one looks for the payday as the other searches for retribution. The expansive plot is enhanced by the background music which consists of haunting strings, church organs, choir vocals, and brass instruments which provide a formidable soundtrack.
The original soundtrack comes in at a staggering low 8 tracks with just over 17 minutes of instrumental material but the re-mastered version features a handful of other mini epics not found on the original . “Opening song La Resa De Conti” features a repetitive chime melody which plays a large part in the movie. The chime watch originally belonged to Mortimer’s sister before her spouse was gunned down and her prompt suicide to escape Indio’s wrath. This adds a bleak tone to the song which is only magnified by the ominous symphonic dirge placed between the choir vocals and. acoustic strumming. Following the tragic “La Resa De Conti”, “Il Vizio di Uccidre opens up with a depressive guitar melody before shifting into more upbeat matters. A triumphant drum fill is layered with the same choir vocals and acoustic guitar to create a “last shootout” kind of atmosphere. In one of the more percussive based tracks, “El Colpo” plays off like a recorded shootout between two dead ringers. The tension is high and the music is minimal. A distant drum fill and the piano create an epic buildup before a blasting trumpet explodes through the speakers. Ennio excels at being a highly ranked composer because of his ability to cram a broad range of emotion into his music. Not too mention a wide variety of instruments to complement his vision.
This soundtrack envisions everything that a soundtrack should be. Compelling, urgent and moody, Ennio Morricone’s Fist Full Of Dollars Score is a thrilling, imaginative audio journey that takes you straight into the heart of the movie. Of course, if you aren’t familiar with the movie then you wont be quite as ecstatic as I am. Also worth noting, I cant seem to find a decent price for even the re-mastered adaptation for this move. Amazon is flaunting their prices around the 50 dollar mark for an imported version, which probably means shipping and handling is going to suck. Generally, I’d consider that a steep price for any album and not even bother with it. But with Christmas just around the corner, and For A Few Dollars More reigning as one of my favorite movies, I will acquire this. Hopefully promptly. I highly recommend that you guys acquire the movie for Christmas. You shouldn’t be disappointed.
