Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Adiós, Sabata Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 9, 2021

Gianfranco Parolini's "Adios, Sabata" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on this release include new audio commentary by filmmaker Mike Siegel; new program featuring critic Austin Fisher; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The film begins some time after the Austrian Empire has occupied large areas of Mexico and local bandits-turned-revolutionaries have started clashing with the Europeans. The legendary gunslinger Sabata (this time played by the iconic Yul Brynner) is hired by the leader of the revolutionaries, Senor Ocano (Franco Fantasia, Gang War in Milan), to help his men steal a very large load of gold that belongs to the brutal Colonel Skimmel (Gérard Herter, The Big Gundown). The bulk of the gold will be used to arm more men and help the Mexican Revolution.

Sabata and Ocano’s men, led by Escudo (Ignazio Spalla, Hitch-Hike), attack Skimmel’s convoy, but instead of gold discover large bags full of dirt. Meanwhile, Skimmel and his trusted partners, who have been made aware that Sabata has joined the revolutionaries, vow to destroy them.

Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Parolini (credited as Frank Kramer) directed Adios, Sabata in 1970, a year after he completed Sabata. There are obvious thematic similarities between these films, but Adios, Sabata should not be considered a traditional sequel.

This time the plot is fairly straightforward, though during the final act there are a few interesting twists that effectively expand it. Sabata is once again a loner who can quickly sense the shady characters around him and just as quickly give them a dose of their own medicine.

In the first film Sabata is played by Lee Van Cliff -- who also appeared in the final Sabata film, Return of Sabata -- whose acting style is quite different. He demands respect and one can even sense a desire to demean those who dare to confront him. Brynner exudes a different type of superiority. He seems quicker with his modified rifle but also has a soft spot for classical music. (There is a sequence in which he puts the rifle aside and plays a rather large segment from a Schubert piece in a popular saloon full of shady characters). This not only makes him appear more sophisticated, but even a bit less aggressive.

The action, however, is a lot more intense in Adios, Sabata. There are a couple of sequences in which Sabata and the revolutionaries clash with the Austrian solders that rival some of the best mass action sequences done for other westerns from the same era. Additionally, it is clear that the various locations in Andalucía were carefully chosen because the panoramic vistas are without exception breathtakingly beautiful.

Unlike the first film, Adios, Sabata has an outstanding soundtrack, courtesy of Bruno Nicolai, that greatly enhances the period atmosphere. The main theme, for instance, easily could have been composed by Ennio Morricone, who worked closely with Nicolai when he scored such classic films as Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and For a Few Dollars More, Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, and Sergio Colbucci's The Great Silence.

Adios, Sabata was produced by the legendary Alberto Grimaldi (Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy of Life and Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris).

Adiós, Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Adios, Sabata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The only other release of this film that I have in my library is from Swiss label Explosive media, which we reviewed here. The Swiss release and this upcoming release are sourced from the same old master that emerged from MGM's vaults.

Even though the master has some obvious limitations, I like it quite a lot because it has pretty good organic qualities. For example, delineation and depth range from good to pretty good, plus density levels are surprisingly stable. Yes, there are some fluctuations, but most are quite small. Virtually all of them are part of the original cinematography as well. Fluidity could be better -- and this one of the key areas where a brand new master will introduce notable improvements -- but overall I think that it is good. Colors are stable. However, there saturation and especially balanced can be improved. If they are, the visuals will gain better highlights as well, which will impact the perception of depth. Image stability is good. A few blemishes and dirt spots can be seen, but there are no distracting larger debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Adiós, Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned, they appear inside the image frame.

During the opening credits, there are some extremely light distortions. (I mentioned them in our review of the Swiss release of Adios, Sabata). They are not in any way distracting, but a proper restoration of the film will most likely address them. The rest is fine. Depth can fluctuate a bit, but overall it is good. There are no encoding anomalies.

Adiós, Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Adios, Sabata. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Promoting Adios, Sabata - a wonderful collection of vintage promotional materials for Sabata from around the world. With music. (10 min).

• Austin Fisher on Adios, Sabata - in this new program, critic Austin Fisher discusses conception and unique qualities of Adios, Sabata as well as its placement amongst other notable spaghetti westerns from the same era. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, German filmmaker Mike Siegel, who has done some terrific work examining the legacy of Sam Peckinpah, discusses the production history of Adios, Sabata, its characterizations, style and tone, the careers of some of the people that made, etc. It is a very nice commentary, so if you enjoy the film, definitely spend some time with it.

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring new writing by western expert Howard Hughes as well as technical credits.

Adiós, Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I will likely create quite a bit of unnecessary drama if I identified some of the classic spaghetti westerns that are not as good as the Sabata films -- or at least two of them -- so I will just say that some popular opinions highlighting how they 'borrow' from 'bigger classics' should be taken with a grain of salt. Actually, make that two scoops of salt, or even better, don't even waste your time with these opinions. Why? Because if you start digging eventually you will realize that all spaghetti westerns borrow something from somewhere, including the grand classics, so this isn't and can't be serious criticism. Two of the Sabata films are very entertaining, and the one that everyone loves to dismiss as a total misfire still features a solid performance by Lee Van Cleef. Eureka Entertainment has gathered these films in this three-disc box set, which will be available for purchase later this month. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.