Once Upon a Time in Italy

Starring: Gian Maria Volonte, Klaus Kinski, Fabio Testi, Franco Nero

Directed by: Damiano Damiani, Sergio Corbucci, Ferdinando Baldi, Enzo G. Castellari, Lucio Fulci

RS: 3of 4 Stars

If your only exposure to the Italian "spaghetti western" is limited to the films Clint Eastwood made with Sergio Leone, check out this five-disc box set. Once Upon a Time in Italy features many of the genre's legends: stars Franco Nero and Tomas Milian, director Sergio Corbucci and music by il maestro himself, Ennio Morricone. A Bullet for the General and Compa-eros are perfect examples of politically fueled movies born of the Sixties that slammed Hollywood's sanitized version of history. Keoma is a brutal and surreal tale of racial prejudice with a wailing and droning soundtrack that plays like Joan Baez and Tom Waits trying to kill each other. Four of the Apocalypse is like a road movie through hell, and Texas, Adios is a revenge tale with hints of Shakespearean tragedy. A Bullet for the General is without question the best film here, an indictment of U.S. imperialism that is action-packed and humorous. The set's extras include original trailers, interviews and audio commentary. Considering that advance word on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 2 says it draws from Italian westerns as much as Vol. 1 did from Asian action films, the time is right for this collection -- a perfect introduction to a misunderstood and maligned genre.

PETER KENIS
(January 29, 2004)