Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 9, 2021

Gianfranco Parolini's "Return of Sabata" a.k.a. "È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta!" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke; new program featuring critic Austin Fisher; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Return of Sabata is the most exotic entry in the Sabata trilogy. It is probably safe to say that folks that enjoyed the first film will have a good time with it because it reunites director Gianfranco Parolini and Lee Van Cleef, but there is also a good chance that its unusually frivolous attitude may turn off some viewers.

While following a group of counterfeiters the great gunslinger Sabata arrives in the town of Hobsonville, which is controlled by the greedy baron McIntock (Giampiero Albertini, Many Wars Ago). Its citizens are routinely taxed by the baron for some future improvements, but many of them know that the money is actually going straight into his pockets. One of them is the charismatic scammer Clyde (Reiner Schone, TV's Return to Treasure Island), an old acquaintance of Sabata, who has been trying to figure out a way to steal some of McIntock’s money. Clyde and Sabata meet and agree to temporarily become partners again, but it soon becomes clear that they can’t trust each other. Nevertheless, they proceed to relieve McIntock of his wealth.

The Return of Sabata is a film that is fully aware of the fact that it does not have a brilliant story to tell. This awareness is what gives it the confidence to bet heavily on style and in the process introduce some rather unusual secondary characters.

While this helps with some of the action sequences -- there is a pair of wacky acrobats, for instance, that side with Sabata and do some really amazing things -- the relationships between the different characters become quite complicated. Indeed, even after Clyde and Sabata agree to work together the film never truly accepts their partnership and routinely tests it. This is where its credibility suffers the most. There are many minor twists that make it easier to expand the story, but when these twists emerge the interactions between the characters become quite awkward.

Still, Van Cleef’s presence helps the film maintain a good atmosphere. He looks great during the one-on-one clashes and in the big shootouts and his lines are always sharp. Perhaps there are a few sequences where he seems a bit more aware of his star status than he does in the first Sabata film, but it never feels like he is given superhero powers that make him invincible.

Parolini teamed up again with cinematographer Sandro Mancori who also lensed the previousSabata films. This time, however, they traveled to Obrovac, Croatia to shoot the bulk of the outdoor footage. (The other two films were shot in Andalucia, Spain). The visuals are still quite beautiful, but there are no glorious panoramic vistas.

Marcello Giombini’s soundtrack perfectly matches the film’s energy. However, a few themes also have distinctive psychedelic qualities that seem slightly unusual for a period film of this caliber.

The Return of 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).

Return of 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, Return of Sabata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

Return of Sabata has the most convincing presentation of the three Sabata films. It is because the older master MGM supplied for it is the healthiest one, so if you view your films on a larger screen, you should easily how certain areas simply have more consistent organic qualities. For example, delineation is equally good during indoor and outdoor footage. This does not mean that density fluctuations do not exist, but they are handled marginally better on this master. Predictably, depth is a tad more pleasing as well. If you have seen the other two films, you should be able to tell that the better balanced highlights make quite a difference as well. There is still room for improvement, but overall they are better reproduced here. Colors look healthy and stable, with the supporting nuances having the best lighter and darker ranges. Image stability is very good. So, what type of improvements can be made? Density and fluidity can be more convincing. Colors can be rebalanced, but not by a lot. There are minor white specks and blemishes that can be removed as well. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Return of 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.

The lossless audio is very good. I mentioned in our review of the Swiss release of Return of Sabata that it is rather easy to tell that it has not been newly remastered, but it is an observation rather than a criticism. I think that there is some room for rebalancing adjustments, so if one day the film is fully restored in 4K and the audio remastered, this is likely the area where some meaningful improvements will be introduced.

Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Return of Sabata. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Promoting Return of Sabata - a wonderful collection of vintage promotional materials for Sabata from around the world. With music. (8 min).

• Austin Fisher on Return of Sabata - in this new program, critic Austin Fisher discusses some of the obvious weaknesses of Return of Sabata as well as its style. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke. The commentators share some good information about the film's exotic appearance and specifically its Bava-esque qualities, the unusual amount of over-the-top violence, its sense of humor, other notable projects that its stars were involved with, etc.

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

Return of 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.