For a Few Dollars More

Sergio Leone had struck gold with his small spaghetti western, A Fistful of Dollars, in 1964 and, while that film had yet to make its way North America, he would release the 1965 the sequel, For a Few Dollars More with a bigger budget, and bigger ambitions. This has seen sequels since then fail to capture what made the original succeed but Leone did it again, making more money at the box office which seems appropriate given the title of the film.

Having plucked out the bad guys from the town in the last film, Eastwood's gunfighter sets his sights on a wanted Mexican outlaw, El Indio, who has broken free of a prison thanks to his posse of vicious criminals but finds out another bounty hunter is on the same trail, Col. Mortimer, who has more than money on his mind.

Alongside Eastwood and Leone returning, we also have Ennio Morricone providing another fantastic score, Massimo Dallamano's wonderful cinematography and surprisingly Gian Maria Volontè in a new role starring as El Indio. Volontè was great in the first film as the main villain even if there wasn't enough to warrant me highlighting him there but here he really excels as the unhinged gang leader that gives this film its darker edge. The other side to Volontè's performance is Lee Van Cleef's brilliant turn as the stoic Mortimer while Eastwood's gunfighter is caught in the middle and it's here where For a Few Dollars More succeeds on its own merits coming clear of the shadow from its predecessor with a more complex story that Leone carefully directs from start to finish. 

I can't say which is my favourite though as A Fistful of Dollars is a finally crafted, streamlined experience whereas For a Few Dollars More is just as entertaining but finds a new angle to take on the genre with an expanded cast of colourful characters. The action, visuals, score and pacing is just as great as before and Leone seals it all with a perfect conclusion making for a film I will gladly watch again.