A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2020

Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dynamite" a.k.a. "Duck, You Sucker"(1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailer for the film; vintage audio commentary by Christopher Frayling; archival program with screenwriter Sergio Donati; archival program with restoration specialist John Kirk; location comparisons; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Anyone aiming to produce a complete critical evaluation of Sergio Leone’s final western, A Fistful of Dynamite a.k.a. Duck, You Sucker, in 2020 will be rehashing old information. It is true. Why? Because this film is a legit classic of the spaghetti western genre and as such has been deconstructed so many times over the years that there is nothing new that can be written about it. In this article, I am only going to highlight a few subthemes that keep it relevant today.

The first channels a sense of melancholy that effectively counters the action and allows the viewer to remain aware of the bigger picture. (In Once Upon a Time in America this exact same relationship becomes a major theme of the narrative. Without it the film quite simply cannot stay coherent). So, while the Irish revolutionary (James Coburn) and the Mexican bandit (Rod Steiger) challenge each other with silly games and then go to work to rob the bank, the uprising slowly outgrows them and eventually becomes the main event in the film.

Behind the sizzling action there is also a very careful diagnosis of the futility of revolutionary action. Halfway through the film Leone uses Steiger’s frustrated bandit to describe the revolution as a giant scam initiated by ideological manipulators and hypocrites and carried out by naïve peasants who trade their lives for utopian lies. It is a vicious cycle, the bandit insists, that always begins and ends the same way. While originating in a unique socio-political context, this is an astonishingly bold and accurate statement that keeps Leone’s film relevant today. (Examined strictly through the prism of Italian politics, the film’s consciousness becomes even more impressive. Remember, during the Cold War era Italy had the strongest Communist Party in Western Europe and the socio-politcial climate there was unprecedented. The ‘70s was also the decade when terrorist organizations like the Red Brigades became incredibly active in the country and with the help of outside funding, primarily from the Soviet Union, went to work to cripple the system. Their finest hour was the kidnapping and execution of Prime Minister Aldo Moro. So, the film's warning that the revolution is a big scam before the peak of the underground uprising in Italy is in fact quite extraordinary).

The cynicism that permeates the film isn’t of the kind that is present in the rest of Leone’s westerns. It is utterly unforgiving but profoundly illuminating. At its core is a conviction that the desire to abuse and oppress the meek is part of human nature, a classless defect that could become uncontrollable in completely different situations. It is not a coincidence that throughout the film the rich and poor humiliate each other while revealing the exact same enthusiasm and enjoyment -- as soon as Leone switches their roles, they become the same.

The long version that is included on this release incorporates the reconstructed extended finale footage, which makes the film even easier to admire. The prolonged flashback provides proper context for a character arc that up to that point would have been unthinkable in a western. With Leone behind the camera, however, it makes perfect sense and provides the story with a terrific closure.

Maestro Ennio Morricone scored the film and the end product is yet another masterpiece that should have earned him at least David di Donatello award (the Italian equivalent of the Oscars).

A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Fistful of Dynamite arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the older restoration and reconstruction of the English language version of the film that was prepared on behalf of MGM. In our recent review of this Region-B release of the same restoration, I mentioned that there are some small inherited limitations and that ideally the visuals should appear 'tighter'. Obviously, the exact same limitations are retained here, but there is one minor change. On this presentation some of the darker footage occasionally struggles to retain proper grain exposure, which is why some areas can appear borderline noisy. A few daylight spots can have a somewhat similar appearance, but generally speaking the consistency of the visuals is significantly better. The rest looks practically identical. Depth and fluidity are the same, though my guess is that on the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to start noticing the limitations of the restoration on this particular presentation. Colors look good but there is room for improvement. Image stability is good as well, even during transitions where footage from different sources is merged. Finally, a few white specks can be spotted here and there, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

My preference remains for the 2.0 track. It is stable, clean, and with a good dynamic intensity (for a Mono track). Yes, a Stereo track could have been a nice treat, especially since it exists in Italian, but the current presentation is perfectly fine. What about the 5.1 track? Test it and see whether it appeals to you. I prefer to stay as close to the original mix as possible.

A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Myth of Revolution - in this archival program, Christopher Frayling, biographer of Sergio Leone, discusses some of the key themes in A Fistful of Dynamite, the distribution history of the film, the director's working methods and the evolution of his style, his relationship with other Italian filmmakers, etc. Outstanding program. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Restoration Italian Style - in this archival featurette, John Kirk, director of technical operations at MGM, discusses the complex production history of A Fistful of Dynamite as well as the restoration and reconstruction of the longer English language version of the film. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Sergio Donati Remembers - in this archival program, screenwriter Sergio Donati recalls his contribution to A Fistful of Dynamite and discusses Sergio Leone's directing methods. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Sorting Out the Versions - this archival program focuses on the different and often confusing versions of A Fistful of Dynamite as well as the reconstruction of the longer English language version that is found on this release. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Once Upon a Time in Italy - this archival program focuses on the cinematic legacy of Sergio Leone and its preservation. With comments by Christopher Frayling. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Location Comparisons - a visual comparison featuruette. With music. (10 min).

• Trailers From Hell - an archival episode of Trailers From Hell with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (Frog Dreaming). In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Commentary One - this vintage audio commentary was recorded by Christopher Frayling and has appeared on other home video releases of A Fistful of Dynamite.

• Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary was recorded by filmmaker Alex Cox (Repo Man) and has appeared on other home video releases of A Fistful of Dynamite.

• Animated B&W Image Gallery - with music. (3 min).

• Animated Color Image Gallery - with music. (3 min).

• Radio Spots - six vintage radio spots. (4 min).

• Trailer - an original theatrical trailer for A Fistful of Dynamite. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog;
  
  1. A Fistful of Dollars
  2. For a Few Dollars More
  3. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  4. Once Upon a Time in the West

A Fistful of Dynamite Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For my money, A Fistful of Dynamite is the ultimate spaghetti western. There are other equally ambitious and certainly a lot more outrageous genre films that can be compared and placed next to it, but the complexity of its narrative and the clarity with which it deconstructs some timeless socio-political myths are quite simply astonishing. The film's visual style is also incredible, though there is so much brilliance on display that the mind could be tricked to accept that it isn't so. (Christopher Frayling's statement that even the 'unimportant' footage in the film is actually huge is spot on. The long zoom with the approaching train would have been the central piece in a lot of other period films). Kino Lorber's release is sourced from the older restoration and reconstruction of the English language version of the film that was prepared on behalf of MGM. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.