I had heard so much about this film; my expectations were very high. Kinski was great, of course, as was the Morricone music, and the idea of a silent hero. But I found myself ultimately disappointed by the plot. The film could have been so much better if the following had been considered: (1) It was a unique and novel twist with the villains operating totally within the law. This should have been maintained, instead of having them break the law later in the film. (2) At one point a gun is inoperable because it is frozen; but at a later point in the film a gun has been in the snow for days, but still works fine. (3) The powerlessness of the hero at the end violates all western formulas--he should have been able to do something significant, even if he did not triumph. This is a good film, far above the average "spaghetti western." But I don't feel it's in the same class as "Django" or "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly."
Review of The Great Silence
