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A political cartoon made flesh kicks things off, election day ca. 1910, a shooting squad is at hand for anyone voting against Díaz. The Mexican Revolution and its odd mixtures, the earthy peon flirting with banditry (Tomas Milian) and the Swedish arms dealer with a caboose full of explosives (Franco Nero). ("Mors tua, vita mea" is the foreigner's dictum of choice, "Penguin" is the peon's nickname for him.) Principles herald "liberty and justice" but reality prefers "business and price," thus the opportunistic generalissimo (José Bódalo) facing the uncrackable safe. The combination rests with the pacifist leader locked up in Texas (Fernando Rey), the mismatched gunmen are sent on a breakout mission. "You know, I can be very useful to you, with my complete lack of scruples." Sergio Corbucci's remake of his own The Mercenary is keyed to an understanding of late-Sixties student protests, with the bonus of an oblique picture of Trotsky in Mexico. (Fernández's Un Día de Vida holds sway alongside the obvious model of Aldrich's Vera Cruz.) "Heat like this is bad for penguins," the ride through the desert is interrupted by Federales with a flashing camera mistaken by the campesino for a fusillade. Gringo territory is a fort that imports prostitutes by the cartload, there are also businessmen eyeing the oil south of the border and, above all, the louche vaudeville of Jack Palance's vengeful cutthroat, equipped with wooden hand, faithful falcon, and blazing reefer. Gatling gun and silver dollar, wasteland turtle and exploding bridge. "If the ideals you are striving for are just, you can win without violence." The treasure of wheat is a gag concurrent with Leone (Duck, You Sucker!), the closing exultation is a fade to red. With Iris Berben, Eduardo Fajardo, Karin Schubert, Gino Pernice, and Tito García.
--- Fernando F. Croce |