The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 13, 2023

Sergio Sollima's "La resa dei conti" a.k.a. "The Big Gundown" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include the documentary "Spaghetti Western Memories"; archival program with Tomas Milian; new audio commentary by critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman; new programs with critic Stephen Thrower; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The American

The great Lee Van Cleef plays an American lawman named Johnny Corbett who agrees to capture a Mexican peasant named Cuchillo (Tomas Milian, Tepepa, Django, Kill... If You Live, Shoot!) after he is accused of raping an innocent girl. The shady businessman Brockston (Walter Barnes, Duel at Sundown) wants Cuchillo's head so badly that he promises to help Corbett become a senator if he delivers it to him.

Somewhere nearby the Mexican border, Corbett tracks down Cuchillo. Corbett tries to capture his target but gets a bullet in his chest when the peasant convinces a naive girl that he is a bandit. Cuchillo then crosses the border and disappears into the Mexican desert.

After he discovers his mistress, a beautiful prostitute who works in a popular brothel and loves to talk, Corbett once again tracks down Cuchillo. But the smart peasant fools the lawman yet again and runs away. Corbett is then arrested by Mexican soldiers and thrown in a jailhouse. Much to his surprise, the only other prisoner there turns out to be Cuchillo. Before he breaks free, Cuchillo tries to convince Corbett that he is innocent, but the lawman refuses to believe him and warns that it is only a matter of time before he is brought to justice.

This early spaghetti western directed by the legendary Sergio Sollima expertly balances style and substance. Its chase sequences are done with great precision and a genuine desire to build and sustain the type of atmosphere Sergio Leone's classic films are known for, while its political observations hit all sorts of different targets. Sollima wrote the script for it in 1966 together with Sergio Donati, who two years later collaborated with Leone on the epic Once Upon a Time in the West.

The two leads are spectacular. Van Cleef exudes supreme confidence throughout the entire film and genuinely looks like a man who would not hesitate to risk his life to protect the ideals of freedom and justice. Indeed, there are countless other films with characters similar to the one Van Cleef plays but few of them demand the respect his tough lawman does. On the opposite end is the energetic Milian, who gives the film its exotic flavor. Milian is particularly good during the first half of the film, where his character is still a mysterious figure.

The film is complemented by a superb soundtrack courtesy of the legendary maestro Ennio Morricone. Beautiful flute and lush string solos create a truly epic feel during several important sequences. An outstanding song is also heard during the opening credits. ("Run Man Run", with vocals by Christy).

The Big Gundown was lensed by Italian cinematographer Carlo Carlini (Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni, Roberto Rossellini's Il generale della Rovere, Duccio Tessari's The Bastard).

*Indicator/Powerhouse Films' two-disc set presents three versions of The Big Gundown: the original Italian theatrical version, presented with both Italian and English soundtracks (111 min); the extended U.S. cut (95 mins), with scenes added for television broadcast; and the original U.S. theatrical version (89 mins). All three have been restored in 2K.

The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Big Gundown arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

I have two releases of The Big Gundown in my library: this release from Swiss label Explosive Media, which was produced in 2012, and this release from U.S. label Grindhouse Releasing, which was produced in 2013. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release introduces the same 2K restoration of The Big Gundown that Grindhouse Releasing's release introduced in 2013.

There are three versions of The Big Gundown on this release: the original Italian theatrical version, presented with both Italian and English soundtracks (111 min); the extended U.S. cut (95 mins), with scenes added for television broadcast; and the original U.S. theatrical version (89 mins). To be honest, all three are fine, though I would probably pick the extended U.S. cut as the best one. Why? Because Lee Van Cleef is not overdubbed on it and it is the best edited one. The Italian version of the film is fine too, but the star of the film is overdubbed amd overlaps English and Italian audio, which some viewers could find slightly annoying. I do not, but I also do not think that the extra footage from the Italian version makes a notable difference.

I think that the 2K makeover is wonderful. It is much, much healthier than the remastered presentation of the film from the Swiss release and with all-around more convincing qualities. For example, the 2K makeover substantially improves delineation and depth throughout the entire film, so you do not even need a bigger screen to appreciate the upgrade in quality. Density levels are vastly superior, too. This is important because the large panoramic vistas immediately benefit and begin to look superior as well. On top of this, the 2K makeover is beautifully graded. In fact, color balance on it is one of the very best I have seen on a makeover of a classic spaghetti western. The primaries are lush but not oversaturated, there are terrific ranges of equally lush and healthy supporting nuances, and the overall color temperature of the visuals is just what it needs to be. In other words, The Big Gundown has a very attractive organic appearance of the kind that you would expect to see if you were to see a 35mm presentation of the film at your local theater. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (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).

The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and Italian LPCM 1.0 for the Italian theatrical version; English LPCM 1.0 for the extended U.S. cut, and English LPCM 1.0 for the U.S. theatrical version. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. The English subtitles are available only on the Italian theatrical version. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the extended U.S. cut but tested the Italian theatrical version as well because it was included on my Swiss Blu-ray release. The quality of the audio is outstanding. However, you need to keep in mind that there is some overlapping of English and Italian audio because some of the extra footage does not have English audio. This means that there is some notable unevenness when switches occur. In other areas, there is some minor inherited unevenness, too. It is how the audio was recorded. The important point to underscore here is that the audio is very healthy, so you will not be bothered by retained age-related imperfections. For what it's worth, the lossy track from my Swiss release still sounds very, very good, even in areas where there is plenty of action/shootouts.

The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE - ITALIAN THEATRICAL VERSION AND EXTENDED U.S. CUT

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary for the Italian theatrical version of The Big Gundown was recorded by critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman. As expected, the commentators provide plenty of information about Sergio Sollima's body of work and style -- and even speculate that he should be placed right behind Sergio Leone -- and the production and different versions of The Big Gundown. There are plenty of observations about the unique characters in the film as well as the actors that played them and their unique personalities and styles.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary for the extended U.S. cut of The Big Gundown was recorded by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke and initially appeared on Grindhouse Releasing's Blu-ray release from 2013. It is the better commentary. There are plenty of interesting observations about the differences between the Italian and U.S. versions of The Big Gundown (and specifically some of the good edits that were done on the U.S. version), some of the politics that define the Italian version, the personalities of the two key characters, and the unique locations where different sections of the film were shot.

• Spaghetti Western Memories - in this fantastic documentary, director Sergio Sollima and actor Tomas Milian discuss the key characteristics of the spaghetti western films, the type of atmosphere many of them tried to create and how it compared to that of the classic American westerns, and specifically John Ford's films, etc. There are some absolutely fascinating comments about the apparently very complex relationship between director Sollima and the cast during the shooting of The Big Gundown. The documentary initially appeared on Swiss label Explosive Media's release of The Big Gundown. In Italian and English, with optional English subtitles. (52 min).

• Tomas Milian: Acting on Instinct - in this archival program, Tomas Milian explains how he left Cuba right before Fidel Castro's arrival and discusses his work with Lee Strasberg and consequently arrival in Italy where stay for forty years and played various now considered cult characters. A section of the program is dedicated to The Big Gundown. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Stephen Thrower: Prelude to a Gundown - in this new program, critic Stephen Thrower discusses the careers of the leads in The Big Gundown. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Stephen Thrower: Heroes and Villains - in this new program, critic Stephen Thrower discusses some of the main themes and politics in The Big Gundown. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Austin Fisher: A Setting of Accounts - in this new program, critic Austin Fisher highlights some of the political overtones in the narrative of The Big Gundown. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Trailer and TV Spots - presented here are two U.S. theatrical trailers, one Italian theatrical trailer, and five TV spots. (11 min).

• Image Galleries -
  
  1. Productions stills
  2. Promotional materials

DISC TWO - U.S. THEATRICAL VERSION

• Bonus Features - there are no bonus features on this disc.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Book - an exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Italian cinema expert Roberto Curti, archival interviews with Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milian, and Sergio Sollima, extracts from the film's promotional materials, a reprint of Ignacio Ramonet's 1980 article for Cineaste magazine, 'Italian Westerns as Political Parables', an examination of the work of co-screenwriter Franco Solinas, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and technical credits.

• Poster - a limited edition exclusive poster.

The Big Gundown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This two-disc Blu-ray set from Indicator/Powerhouse Films introduces the excellent 2K makeover of Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown that Grindhouse Releasing revealed in the U.S. in 2013. It also gathers a lot of terrific archival programs that were included on various other releases of The Big Gundown, like Explosive Media's documentary Spaghetti Western Memories and Grindhouse Releasing's Tomas Milian: Acting on Instinct. I think that it is a fantastic release. If you decide to pick it up for your library, I would like to remind you that the second Sollima film that features the Mexican thief Cuchillo, Run, Man, Run, is out on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment as well. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.