I re-watched this again for probably the 10th time last night. I could go on for hours about this movie. The plot, the cinematography, the characters and development, the setting, the music, the emotional tone, the pacing are all perfect. But I just wanna discuss the characters today.Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name ("The Good") is nothing short of incredible. He is suave, cool, menacing, mysterious, skilled with a gun, a loner. We see him throughout the film doing what it takes to survive, and his morality is often self-driven. There are some exceptions to this, my favorite among them being when he gives a dying man his cigar as he lays dying. It adds some humanity to his character, and not only that, it provides a contrast to other things he does in the film that are not so much good as they are selfish (namely, doing any steps necessary to get the gold). My particular favorite scene is when he shoots three men out to get him. The third survives, but is barely alive. As he sits there suffering, Eastwood simply says "your spurs." and shoots him dead. I love that line, because he is going to shoot him, but still has the decency and humanity to explain to him how he knew they were going to ambush before the man dies. It adds more mystery and menace to his character. Love his skilled shooting, makes for great film!Lee Van Cleef as "The Bad" is probably my favorite villain ever, second only to maybe Darth Vader. There is not much mystery to his character: it is readily apparent that he is evil, twisted, sadistic, selfish, greedy, and uncaring. He is the perfect contrast to The Man With No Name, and Van Cleef gave an incredible performance. His facial expressions, line delivery, and mannerisms are all on point. It is chilling when he kills so quickly and easily for money. When he is introduced as The Bad, he shoots a man several times through a pillow and simply sits there and laughs to himself.And finally, my favorite: Eli Wallach as Tuco, "The Ugly". Tuco is, in my opinion, by far the most mysterious and interesting character. He is wildly unpredictable throughout, and the first time I watched I had no idea what he would do next. He is selfish, often cruel, angry, greedy, a thief, a robber, and just all around a criminal. He will do anything to survive and get ahead: kill, steal, escape from justice to further his own bounty so he can turn himself in and escape over and over for money. He also has a sadistic side too. After being left in the desert by The Good, he eventually has his vengeance and forces him to walk through the desert, starving and dying of thirst. Tuco sits back and laughs at his suffering, washing his feet and drinking fresh water under an umbrella on his horse. His Catholic faith adds an interesting dimension to his character: when people die, he does the sign of the cross and is clearly dedicated to his faith. But this is a stark contrast to his every day behavior. Basically he is a hypocrite. He is shifty and clever, which just further increases his unpredictability. Though he is all of the bad things mentioned, he does have some interesting moments that seem to show some humanity. When he robs the gun store (maybe it's just a general store, can't remember) and takes $200 from the store owner, he goes to pick up a bottle of liquor he's been sipping on: but then leaves it and gives the shopkeeper a grin. He leaves the booze for the man he just robbed so the man can drown his sorrows. Absolutely genius! In the midst of his evil act, he has a tiny shred of mercy.Again, I could probably write a small book on this movie and what's right with it. I just wanted to delve into these characters, so good! via /r/movies https://ift.tt/341K5JZ
