Friday, July 31, 2015

CEMETARY WITHOUT CROSSES: SOLID EXAMPLE OF THE SPAGHETTI WESTERN



It’s hard to believe these days that westerns were once a hit making genre when it came to movies in theaters. They were a mainstay for so long, faded a touch and then in the sixties were reinvigorated when a group of Italian and French directors began making westerns their way in tribute to the ones they grew up with. Film fans are already aware of Sergio Leone for his Man With No Name series of films but the rest for the most part were a footnote in the history of film. But they’re being rediscovered and DVD companies like Arrow are helping that rediscovery along with releases of some great Italian westerns, more commonly referred to as Spaghetti Westerns, made by other directors.

CEMETARY WITHOUT CROSSES isn’t found in the imdb.com database but THE ROPE AND THE COLT is. It’s the same movie but the new release goes by the first name. Directed by and starring French start Robert Hossein the movie takes place in the ever lawless land of the west. When Ben Caine is killed by the Rogers family to take over his land, his widow Maria (Michele Mercer) seeks revenge. The one man she can count on to help her is past love Manuel (Hossein). Living alone in a ghost town, Maria reaches out to him to be her angel of vengeance. He may deny her request but we know he will follow through.

To do so Manuel endears himself to the Rogers family by saving the lives of several brothers during a gun fight at the local saloon. They take him home and he’s offered a job as a ranch hand. This leads to an unusual but fun sequence involving the entire family and staff sitting down to eat what has to be the noisiest dinner ever filmed. It leads you one way then turns a different direction before it finishes. In the extras Hossein lets it be known that this sequence was shot by Sergio Leone who was a friend.

Manual eventually draws out the Rogers family from their ranch and while they’re away kidnaps the only daughter of Mr. Rogers. Taking her to the ghost town she is brutalized by Maria’s two ranch hands before they leave only to be captured by the Rogers family. In return for their lives they agree to get the daughter and return her home. But all never goes according to plan in movies like this.

The story seems fairly simple and indeed it is. But that’s part of the beauty of it all. It doesn’t need tons of extras or a huge plot to make it an interesting film that has you guessing from start to finish while waiting to see the outcome of the actions of all involved. The story itself is enough, one of revenge for wrongs done. There is no room for doubt as to the endplay of the story but when the dust settles and all grievances are answered for it all fits nicely into place.

The transfer here is done well, especially considering that the odds of finding a mint condition copy of this near 50 year old film is highly unlikely. The movie is offered in both original Italian language and dubbed English. The extras are short for Arrow (who tend to offer quite a bit) but chances are they are all that was available including short interviews and TV reporting on the film.

If you’re discovering the spaghetti western and learning just how entertaining they were then by all means pick up a copy of this one for your collection. For western fans you’ll find much to enjoy here as well. It’s a solid movie that entertains and offers just what you would expect from the genre.

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