After A Fistful of Dollars (1964) proved to be a success, the careers of three of its cast and crew dramatically changed. For Sergio Leone, his second film as a director had proved to be a breakthrough. For Clint Eastwood, the former Universal-International Pictures bit player and Rawhide TV star broke through as a leading man on the big screen. Finally, for Ennio Morricone, the up-and-coming composer had his first notable film score that garnered major attention. This trio would quickly reunite for a sequel, For A Few Dollars More; Kino has licensed the film for its UHD Blu-ray debut.
The Production: 4.5/5
In the late 19th Century along the US-Mexico border, two bounty killers are drawn together to take on the notorious bandit El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté). One – known only as Manco (Clint Eastwood) – wanders from town to town with no true agenda or motive, just only tracking down each bounty with a sly wit and a quick draw about him. The other – Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) – carries an arsenal of weapons on horseback and kills with brutal efficiency. They join forces to bring down El Indio and his gang – who are plotting the rob the bank in El Paso – but only one of the two has a very personal motive in bringing down El Indio…
For a Few Dollars More continues the redefinition of the Western genre while doing on a larger scale than its predecessor. Sergio Leone, along with screenwriters Sergio Donati and Luciano Vincenzoni, rework the bounty hunter troupe from previous Hollywood westerns and gives it a bleaker outlook than what films had used up to this point; the fact the film now refers to them as ‘bounty killers’ reinforces this point. Now working with a little larger budget, the scope of the film has expanded in terms of length while also pushing the boundaries of on-screen violence a little further than Fistful did; look at the scene where Indio and his gang massacres a double-crosser’s family before Indio guns him down. Even with the expansive scope, Leone still maintains a steady pace and assured handle on the story while bringing out solid performances. In short, Sergio Leone’s For a Few Dollars More builds upon an already sturdy foundation laid out by the previous film while also setting the tone for what may just be the definitive and iconic Spaghetti Western – and conclusion to the Dollars Trilogy – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Returning to the role that gave him his breakthrough, Clint Eastwood continued his rise to stardom here as Manco; he committed to returning to the role after seeing an Italian-language print of Fistful with an approving audience at a debut screening (despite the fact the audience may not have understood Italian). A Hollywood character best known for villainous parts, Lee Van Cleef gave a career reviving performance – one which would be parlayed into a successful second act in Europe in Spaghetti Westerns for the rest of the decade – as Col. Mortimer; the role was originally offered to Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda (both of whom would later appear in Once Upon a Time in the West) at different points before Van Cleef got the part. Also returning from Fistful, Gian Maria Volonte is memorable as the take-no-prisoners bandit El Indio; he achieved greater international recognition in two other Spaghetti Westerns – Damiano Damiani’s A Bullet for the General (1966) and Sergio Sollima’s Face to Face (1967) – before turning to more dramatic fare in the 1970’s. Rounding out the cast are Klaus Kinski as a hunchbacked member of Indio’s gang (he also has a memorable scene involving Col. Mortimer and a match), Luigi Pistilli, Aldo Sambrell, Werner Abrolat, Frank Braña, José Canalejas and Antonio Molino Rojo as members of Indio’s band of killers and thieves, Lorenzo Robledo as Indio’s betrayer and eventual victim (along with his family), Tomas Blanco as the Tucumcari sheriff and Rosemary Dexter and Peter Lee Lawrence as relatives of Col. Mortimer whose deaths are revealed to be a major plot point in the climax; look for future director Fernando Di Leo (who also made uncredited contributions to the script) as a cigar smoking card player while Sergio Leone’s whistling can be heard during the opening sequence.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film is presented in its original 2:35:1 Techniscope aspect ratio, taken from the 2018 HD transfer done by Kino with extensive shot-by-shot color grading done for this release. Color palette and fine details are faithfully represented with minimal to no cases of scratches, tears, vertical lines, reel change markers or dirt present; there’s also no instances of a slight yellow tint that plagued past home video releases either. While the movie doesn’t have HDR here (it’s presented in SDR on the 4K disc), cases of problematic digital fiddling that makes the picture look waxy is nowhere to be found on this release. Overall, this release is likely the best the movie will ever look on home video. One final note: this release doesn’t have the multicolored United Artists/Transamerica logo that opened the film on Kino’s 2018 Blu-ray release – due to the fact that the original theatrical release of the movie here in the US didn’t have the logo – on either the UHD Blu-ray or the Blu-ray discs here.
Audio: 5/5
There are two audio options on this release: a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track and a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue, sound mix and Ennio Morricone’s score are all faithfully presented with little to no cases of crackling, popping, hissing, distortion or flutter present on both tracks. This release is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 5/5
On both UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Discs
Commentary by film historian Tim Lucas – Carried over from the 2018 Kino Blu-ray release, Lucas goes over the production’s background and the careers of several of the key participants; some of the information here overlaps with the Frayling commentary.
Commentary by film historian and Sergio Leone biographer Sir Christopher Frayling – Recorded for the 2005 Special Edition DVD, Frayling covers production details and significance of key scenes and themes.
Blu-ray Disc Only
On location in Almería and Granada with Alex Cox (14:01) – Carried over from the 2018 Kino Blu-ray, Cox revisits the film’s locations and compares them to what they look like today.
The Christopher Frayling Archives: For a Few Dollars More (19:03) – This archival featurette has Frayling showing some of the promotional material and other keepsakes from the movie.
A New Standard: Sir Christopher Frayling on For a Few Dollars More (20:15) – The archival featurette from 2005 has Frayling recounting the film’s production as well as its place in the development of the Spaghetti Western genre.
Back for More: Clint Eastwood Remembers For a Few Dollars More (7:03) – This brief 2003 interview has Eastwood recalling his memories of working on the film.
Tre Voci: Three Friends Remember Sergio Leone (11:06) – The 2005 archival featurette has producer Alberto Grimaldi, screenwriter Sergio Donati and actor/voice dubber Mickey Knox remembering their involvement with the film and their memories of Leone.
American Release Version Scenes (5:19)
2005 Location Comparison (12:17)
Theatrical Trailer #1 (2:30)
Theatrical Trailer #2 (3:50)
Trailers from Hell with Ernest Dickerson (2:52)
“Burning at Both Ends” Double Feature Trailer (2:04)
Radio Spots (12) (7:35)
“Burning at Both Ends” Double Feature Radio Spot (1:02)
Image Galleries – Four still galleries with selections from Ennio Morricone’s score accompanying them are presented here: Promotional Material (Posters & Lobby Cards) (18:35), On the Set (6:39), Color Stills (6:02) & A Few Pictures More (7:35)
Bonus KLSC Trailers – A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dynamite & Death Rides a Horse
Overall: 5/5
Another success with both critics and audiences, For a Few Dollars More furthered the prospects of Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone while also further pushing the boundaries of the western genre. Kino has likely delivered the definitive release of the movie with an HD transfer that boasts the correct color timing while also carrying over the terrific slate of special features from the previous Kino Blu-ray (although the original UA logo that preceded the film on said previous release didn’t make the cut here). Very highly recommended.
For a Few Dollars More (4KUHD) [Blu-ray]
38% Off $39.95 $24.80
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads
- Matt Hough
- Blu-ray and UHD
2 3- Robert Harris
- Blu-ray and UHD
5 6 7