After killing four men in self defence, gunslinger Ringo(GIULIANO GEMMA),also known as "Angel face" is arrested by the town sheriff(GEORGE MARTIN).Shortly after Ringo has been locked up in the town jail, a massive bandit gang led by Sancho(FERNANDO SANCHO)crosses the Rio Grande and arrive in the town, where they proceed to hold up the bank. The bandits subsequently flee in the chaos of a shootout and are pursued by the sheriff and his posse. Sancho and his men take refuge at a Hacienda owned by Major Clyde(ANTONIO CASAS)and his daughter Ruby(LORELLA DE LUCA)who is the Sheriff's fiancée. The outlaws lay siege to the property and take everyone inside hostage. The sheriff releases Ringo, who goes to the Hacienda and infiltrates Sancho's gang in the hope of freeing the hostages and recovering the stolen money. He gains Sancho's trust whilst the sheriff plans to attack the Hacienda after the hostages safety has been secured. Can Ringo successfully free the hostages without having his cover blown...?
After the release of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS(only 8 months prior to the release of this film),the Spaghetti western was firing on all cylinders. A PISTOL FOR RINGO is an excellent sign of things to come regarding the Spaghetti western. The film is just a joy to watch and this is down to several factors. It is fantastically scripted with strong characters and robust performances. The script provides Ringo and Sancho with sharp dialogue and cracking one liners which are scattered throughout the film. These one liners inject humour into the film and create fantastic chemistry between the hero and the villain, which is rarely seen in a Spaghetti western. The sharp dialogue meant the two leads could portray their characters vigorously and with aplomb.This,as well as the script is why I enjoyed the film so much. I found myself smiling and occasionally laughing throughout most of it's duration. The film was quite fast paced and I was impressed with the snappy editing which sped things up. Ringo is an immensely likable character, even though he's not the rugged,sadistic,stereotypical Spaghetti western brute, he is one of my favourite western action heroes. He's charming, witty and cool and is up there with granite edged characters played by Randolph Scott, James Stewart and John Wayne in the American westerns .Giuliano Gemma acquits himself magnificently in the role, he's definitely full of the get-up-and-go which is showcased in awesome fashion, particularly in the final shootout. Fernando Sancho is rather hilarious as the cruel bandit leader, although he still brings an air of ruthlessness to the film. There's one particular scene in which he is shaving and he brutally guns down a male and female hostage by aiming his pistol over his shoulder and looking at their reflection in his mirror. The well crafted dialogue and brilliant one liners are shared between himself and Gemma. George Martin also turned in a great performance as the sheriff and Lorella De Luca was quite a beautiful distraction.
The action scenes were utterly gripping and of quite a spectacular nature. The first shootout after the bandits rob the rob the bank set the tone for the other shootouts. These shootouts were also superb and included typical Spaghetti western deaths like guys flinging their arms in the air as they get shot and falling from rooftops. I also found some of these deaths rather funny,there's one where a guy opens the blinds and yawns, only to be shot in the head. The bruising fistfight between Ringo and one of the bandits was stupendously shot and choreographed. The frenzied final shootout between Ringo and Sancho was energetic and featured more terrific set pieces. I could really feel the tension as the two men shoot it out. The atmosphere could only be described as taut. Sancho's death is brilliantly overacted. The main title song "Angel face" by Maurizio Graf was exceptional and is one of my favourite Spaghetti western songs.
Masterfully directed by Duccio Tessari, A PISTOL FOR RINGO is escapism at it's greatest. This film, and many other Spaghetti westerns like it helped lay the foundations for what I believe to be the best sub-genre in the history of cinema. With a satisfying script,appealing characters and staunch performances from the two leads as well as rollicking action sequences, this one is a winner. I only hope Tessari can live up to expectations with the sequel, THE RETURN OF RINGO.10/10.
After the release of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS(only 8 months prior to the release of this film),the Spaghetti western was firing on all cylinders. A PISTOL FOR RINGO is an excellent sign of things to come regarding the Spaghetti western. The film is just a joy to watch and this is down to several factors. It is fantastically scripted with strong characters and robust performances. The script provides Ringo and Sancho with sharp dialogue and cracking one liners which are scattered throughout the film. These one liners inject humour into the film and create fantastic chemistry between the hero and the villain, which is rarely seen in a Spaghetti western. The sharp dialogue meant the two leads could portray their characters vigorously and with aplomb.This,as well as the script is why I enjoyed the film so much. I found myself smiling and occasionally laughing throughout most of it's duration. The film was quite fast paced and I was impressed with the snappy editing which sped things up. Ringo is an immensely likable character, even though he's not the rugged,sadistic,stereotypical Spaghetti western brute, he is one of my favourite western action heroes. He's charming, witty and cool and is up there with granite edged characters played by Randolph Scott, James Stewart and John Wayne in the American westerns .Giuliano Gemma acquits himself magnificently in the role, he's definitely full of the get-up-and-go which is showcased in awesome fashion, particularly in the final shootout. Fernando Sancho is rather hilarious as the cruel bandit leader, although he still brings an air of ruthlessness to the film. There's one particular scene in which he is shaving and he brutally guns down a male and female hostage by aiming his pistol over his shoulder and looking at their reflection in his mirror. The well crafted dialogue and brilliant one liners are shared between himself and Gemma. George Martin also turned in a great performance as the sheriff and Lorella De Luca was quite a beautiful distraction.
The action scenes were utterly gripping and of quite a spectacular nature. The first shootout after the bandits rob the rob the bank set the tone for the other shootouts. These shootouts were also superb and included typical Spaghetti western deaths like guys flinging their arms in the air as they get shot and falling from rooftops. I also found some of these deaths rather funny,there's one where a guy opens the blinds and yawns, only to be shot in the head. The bruising fistfight between Ringo and one of the bandits was stupendously shot and choreographed. The frenzied final shootout between Ringo and Sancho was energetic and featured more terrific set pieces. I could really feel the tension as the two men shoot it out. The atmosphere could only be described as taut. Sancho's death is brilliantly overacted. The main title song "Angel face" by Maurizio Graf was exceptional and is one of my favourite Spaghetti western songs.
Masterfully directed by Duccio Tessari, A PISTOL FOR RINGO is escapism at it's greatest. This film, and many other Spaghetti westerns like it helped lay the foundations for what I believe to be the best sub-genre in the history of cinema. With a satisfying script,appealing characters and staunch performances from the two leads as well as rollicking action sequences, this one is a winner. I only hope Tessari can live up to expectations with the sequel, THE RETURN OF RINGO.10/10.