Compared to other Italian cult genres, like the Giallo or the Poliziottesco, I don't watch many Spaghetti Westerns, but I can really look forward to them when it's been a while. And I'm also seeking out the very obscure and forgotten ones; not the stereotypical (and often overrated) Sergio Leone classics, but the extra gritty and low-budgeted ones. "Kidnapping!" fits the description quite well, as it's totally unknown even among cult-experts but nevertheless featuring an interesting plot and starring a few iconic faces (Montgomery Ford, Fernando Sancho). Alas, it's not a hidden gem.
The first 10 minutes are the best. Not just because they feature the most action and suspense, but also because there's weird stuff happening during the opening. The plot description talks about a drunkard Sheriff, but the theme song also seems to be sung by someone who's drunk. And the woods where the - admittedly uncanny - kidnapping of a young child takes place is enshrouded with thick red fog. Red fog! I never saw that before. After that, the plot becomes more standard. Bandits recruit former Sheriff Fred Leinster to collect the ransom they demanded for the kidnapping of beautiful widow Maria's young son Jerry. Leinster used to be a righteous and beloved Sheriff, but ever since the tragic death of his own wife and child, he's an emotional wreck and a drunkard. It's a fair and enjoyable western with some violent action, but not enough, and the plot twists near the end are also quite predictable.
As usual, the original Italian titles are much cooler than the dull international ones. In its original form, the film is known as "Pay or we kill your child" or "20,000$ Stained with Blood".
The first 10 minutes are the best. Not just because they feature the most action and suspense, but also because there's weird stuff happening during the opening. The plot description talks about a drunkard Sheriff, but the theme song also seems to be sung by someone who's drunk. And the woods where the - admittedly uncanny - kidnapping of a young child takes place is enshrouded with thick red fog. Red fog! I never saw that before. After that, the plot becomes more standard. Bandits recruit former Sheriff Fred Leinster to collect the ransom they demanded for the kidnapping of beautiful widow Maria's young son Jerry. Leinster used to be a righteous and beloved Sheriff, but ever since the tragic death of his own wife and child, he's an emotional wreck and a drunkard. It's a fair and enjoyable western with some violent action, but not enough, and the plot twists near the end are also quite predictable.
As usual, the original Italian titles are much cooler than the dull international ones. In its original form, the film is known as "Pay or we kill your child" or "20,000$ Stained with Blood".