Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Sabata Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 12, 2013

Gianfranco Parolini's "Sabata" a.k.a. "Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso!" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media. The supplemental features on this release include an original trailer for the film; "His Name is Sabata", a documentary film featuring interviews with Italian film historian Fabio Melelli and director Gianfranco Parolini; promotional materials; and more. In English, Italian, or German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Banjo

The great gunslinger Sabata (Lee Van Cleef, The Big Gundown, For a Few Dollars More) arrives in a small Texas town shortly after the only bank there is robbed. After spending some time in the local saloon, Sabata figures out who is responsible for the robbery and quickly tracks down the thieves. Then he kills them and returns the loot, approximately $100,000 in brand new banknotes, to the bank.

The news immediately reaches the town’s most powerful man, Stengel (Franco Ressel, Tarzana, the Wild Woman, The Deadly Trap), who has secretly been trying to purchase all of the available land in the area with his associates so that together they can sell it back to the government when the construction of the new railroad begins. (Sometime after the bank robbery, it is made clear that someone has already tipped off Stengel that the government plans to build a railroad in Texas). Stengel then immediately summons his associates and they agree to eliminate Sabata as quickly as possible so that they can finish what they have started.

But Sabata kills the men that are sent to eliminate him. Then he meets Stengel and demands that he pays him $10,000 so that he doesn’t reveal his role in the bank robbery. Stendel agrees but asks for time to collect the money. When Sabata leaves, new killers are hired to gun him down.

Meanwhile, Sabata befriends Carrincha (Ignazio Spalla, Go with God, Gringo, Johnny Hamlet), a Mexican knife thrower who loves to drink, and Indio (Aldo Canti, The Return of Sabata), a strange Indian character who can run like a cheetah and jump like a gazelle. Sabata also meets Banjo (William Berger, Keoma, Five Dolls for an August Moon), a quiet but dangerous looking loner who loves playing his… banjo.

Italian director Gianfranco Parolini’s Sabata a.k.a. Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso! mixes a good dose of attitude with an equal dose of action to try and match the quality of the great spaghetti western classics. The result is a cracking film with a ton of energy that feels just right.

Van Cleef is the heart and soul of the film. There is something about the way he moves and then kills his opponents that quickly earns the viewer’s respect. Yul Brynner does the same in John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven but after a series of long and carefully choreographed action sequences. In Sabata, there are only a few such opportunities for Van Cleef to impress.

The plot is deceptively simple. After Van Cleef meets Ressel it seems like the film would follow a familiar route, but during the second half there are some excellent twists. The secondary characters are also very well profiled and used in ways that allow them to make a lasting impression. In other words, Sabata is not a straightforward film about an invincible superhero that is always a few steps ahead of his opponents.

The fast shootouts and large panoramic vistas are beautifully lensed by cinematographer Sandro Mancori (God’s Gun, Ready for Anything). Unlike so many other spaghetti westerns where questionable editing would often make them look quite uneven, the pacing of Sabata has a steady rhythm.

Sabata was produced by the legendary Alberto Grimaldi (Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom).

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, Gianfranco Parolini's Sabata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media.

I like the technical presentation quite a lot. The high-definition transfer has been struck from an existing master, but additional work has been done to make sure that the film has a strong organic look. In other words, even though the film has a somewhat dated look, it is also looks quite beautiful in high-definition. Generally speaking, image depth and clarity are very pleasing. The majority of the well-lit close-ups, in particular, look quite nice (see screencapture #3). There are some minor sharpness fluctuations, especially during panoramic shots, but image depth remains pleasing. Colors are stable and natural, but saturation could be better. This being said, it is preferable to have the film look as it does rather than digitally try to improve saturation. Furthermore, grain is visible and rather well resolved. There are minor traces of light denoising corrections, but they are inherited from the master. and are actually clearly appropriate. There are no problematic sharpening adjustments. Some tiny flecks and small scratches remain, but there are no large damage marks, cuts, or torn frames to report in this review. Lastly, early into the film I noticed one tiny discoloration blip, but I assume that it is only on my disc. All in all, this is a pleasing organic presentation of Sabata that should appeal to its fans. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian Dolby Digital 2.0, and German Dolby Digital 2.0. For the record, Explosive Media have provided optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I would have preferred to have a lossless track, but the lossy track is in fact quite good. Depth could be slightly better during the action sequences and where the music becomes prominent, but sharpness and clarity are indeed very pleasing. The English dialog is stable and easy to follow. Also, there is no problematic background hiss.

Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All of the supplemental features are placed on the second DVD included with this release. The disc is encoded in PAL.

• His Name is Sabata - this wonderful and very informative documentary, produced by Explosive Media, focuses on the production history of Sabata. Included in it are long interviews with Italian film historian Fabio Melelli and the very enthusiastic director Gianfranco Parolini (appearing as Frank Kramer). In Italian, with optional English and German subtitles. (43 min).

• Trailer - original trailers.
  
  1. Lee Van Cleef Westerns - a large collection of original trailers for cult spaghetti western films. (47 min).
  2. Sabata trailer - original trailer for Sabata. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).
  3. Bildergalerie - promotional materials for Sabata. With music. (5 min).

• Booklet - illustrated booklet with writings on the film. In German.

Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is yet another very beautiful release from Swiss label Explosive Media. You can tell just by looking at it that the folks at Explosive Media really care about their work. As far as Sabata is concerned, I agree with those who insist that it is a classic. It has the right attitude, the right energy, and an outstanding cast led by the great Lee Van Cleef. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.