Autos Movie Reviews

Franco Nero is surely one of the pleasures of this film-- or rather, watching Nero before he started to parody the types of roles that made him famous in the first place (as he would soon do in Corbucci's work). Nero's carefully controlled performance (indeed, he seems to be modelling his persona after a Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, or early Burt Lancaster)lends gravity to a *very* thin plotline (sheriff Nero and his younger brother head south to finally find their father's murderer who [surprise!] turns out to be the younger brother's actual dad). Unfortunately, the generally good acting can't always hide the fact that there just isn't anything behind these stereotypes. If "For a Few Dollars More" (which, in an interview on the DVD, Nero mentions was filmed at the same time as "Adios") Leone was busy sending up the American western and consequently helping to forge a new genre, then writer/director Ferdinando Baldi was a bit too busy trying to fit every possible stock character into this "Americanized" spaghetti western--his screenplay just can't support the burden of his Oedipalized, archetypal tale. Even the superior music score seems a faithful copy of Elmer Bernstein or Max Steiner rather than a unique Morricone-like "homage". The outstanding photography (perfectly captured by this flawless anamorphic widescreen print)also helps to make up for some of the erratic pacing. In short, not a particularly inventive spaghetti Western, but fun viewing.

OK. So there's no way you can claim this is a classic. The dialogue is shocking (but that's the case with most spaghetti westerns). But I'm going to give it 5 stars for sheer enjoyment value. Like the great spaghetti westerns of the mid sixties (Navajo Joe, Django, the Leone trilogy, The Hills Run Red, Death Rides a Horse), Texas Adio starts with a hiss and a roar and just keeps on going at a break-neck pace, building up to what has to be one of the loudest gunfights in western history. The action is brutal and frequent as in all classic spaghettis, although the tone and manner is more like those big boisterous American westerns of the forties and fifties. I''ve only seen this on a wiedescreen version from the UK, so I can't comment on the DVD extras. But get it for the film content alone. it's one of the best.

I keep saying this but nobody seems to know what I am going on about: This must be 'the other' big influence on the original Star Wars film! The first being "The Hidden Fortress" which Lucas has credited. But as far as I know has never credited this.

Has anybody else spotted the 'cantina' scene (pistols instead of light sabres) - or the 'old ben' character in the desert... or the son going to avenge his father's death then finding out that... well you know the rest. There's a whole bunch of other bits you'll recognise too even if you're not a Star Wars nerd. The lead character even looks a bit like Luke Skywalker!

Besides that, it's a great film with a great score and beautifully shot.

This, along with Django, Bullet for the General (Quien Sabe), Compañeros, are all glorious in their own ways (and available on DVD!) but my favourite - just because it's a film like no other is The Great Silence... BUY IT NOW!!!