In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Wednesday 25 October 2017

The Grand Duel (1972)

aka Storm Rider / The Big Showdown

Dir. Giancarlo Santi was Sergio Leone's A.D. on two of the greatest westerns ever made, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), so it's understandable that parts of Santi's first solo feature are heavily inspired by his working relationship with the Italian master.
It has an intriguing opening and an astonishingly good finale, but struggles to keep the momentum going in the middle section. The relationship between Lee Van Cleef and Alberto Dentice, a sheriff and a convicted criminal, respectively, is what keeps it afloat during that time. The music, too, is good.
Overall, I wouldn't include it on a list of genre greats, but I'd perhaps make it a wildcard selection for Western fans who might want to try something that's familiar but a little different at the same time.

2½ hiding spots out of 5

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