For a Few Dollars More

Once again, the flawless Leone and his other contribution to the highlights of the western genre, which stands a little unfairly in the shadow of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. In addition to the traditionally excellent direction, script and music, the film is mainly driven by Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, who, as two rival bounty hunters, create a dangerous and "hellishly fast" central duo that I definitely wouldn't want to cross paths with. The story is not as extensive as in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but everything is made up for by the perfect atmosphere full of charged colts, delicious man-on-man fights and the character of the two mentioned "antiheroes", who spare smiles, but give joy to every genre fan. I have nothing to complain about, definitely my favorite western after Once Upon a Time in the West :) (21/04/2011)

Everything that was good about the first installment is here twice over. The stuffiness on screen is almost unbreathable, the villain here has definitely crossed the point of no return. The film mops the floor with the standards of previous westerns, drowning in anachronisms, drug taking, we’re witnesses to suicide and rape. The two protagonists are all the more fascinating for it, maintaining their rules, credos, and self-respect in such a world. Paradoxically, there is something of the essence of freedom in such a dirty and disillusioned film, as if suggesting that only a completely broken world can offer the ultimate possibility of self-realization; see further post-apocalyptic works, zombie films, etc. (08/07/2021)

One of the main plots of Once Upon a Time in the West, "Someone is going after someone, but it's not until the end that we find out why," was used by Leone here. It would seem that Clint's Monco is playing second fiddle in For a Few Dollars More... But he simply isn’t able to do that and he is great and draws attention to himself as always.__P.S.: Van Cleef is traditionally good, of course, but I like him even better as a villain.__P.P.S. I recommend listening to the soundtracks from A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The way Morricone develops and refines his music over time, how he interweaves individual motifs and makes them into an unforgettable work, deserves incredible admiration. (18/09/2007)

A memory: I’m about 13-14 years old and I’m resting on the sofa after a hearty lunch. Dad is watching a western on TV and I have half an eye on it too. Then that melody of the pocket watch began to chime and totally captivated me. I couldn’t get it out of my head for like ten years... For a few dollars more is a story about Lee Van Cleef’s Colonel Mortimer than about Clint’s Monk with the snappy lines, but they are given more or less the same amount of room. Leone raises his standard, develops the main characters more and offers a higher quality plot. Really, really good. (06/09/2009)

After rewatching For a Few Dollars More, I’m sticking with my original five-star rating, especially after giving A Fistful of Dollars four stars. Why? Because this one just hits harder for me. The story is more engaging, Lee Van Cleef is the perfect counterpart to Clint Eastwood (side note: if you’re a WoW player, the name Van Cleef is probably burned into your brain). Plus, Sergio Leone didn’t make the mistake of swapping out the genius behind the music—Morricone’s score is still a masterpiece. I’ve said it before in my review of A Fistful of Dollars, but it’s worth repeating: Leone’s spaghetti westerns outshine most of the American originals, and Clint Eastwood has always been more my style compared to, say, John Wayne (whose politics have always put me off, to be honest). So yeah, this one’s a winner. By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I needed a shower and a full dental cleaning—this movie is so dusty and gritty, it’s like the sand gets everywhere. / Lesson learned: $27,000 in cash takes up way more space than you'd think. (23/07/2023)