Moviecut—Face to Face

Faccia a faccia

Gian Maria Volonte gives a teriffic performance, not unlike his 'Indio" in "For a Few Dollars More." This time however he is transformed, and seriously corrupted, from a non violent professor, to a power hungry bandit. "Face to Face" is certainly a close second to Sergio Sollima's "The Big Gundown, and the story is quite original. Ennio Morricone does not disappoint in the music department, and the movie comes across as more of a spectacle than it actually is. Thomas Milan, William Berger, along with several other familiar faces are on board, but this is Volonte's film. No doubt about it. If you have been looking for an unfamiliar "Spaghetti Western", this is one to seek out. Others I would recommend are "Django Prepare a Coffin", and "Kill Them All and Come Back Alone." MERK

Gian Maria Volonte stars as the history professor whose timidity and physical ill-health turns, through his encounter with Tomas Milian's outlaw, into a fantasy of redemptive masculine violence and power that becomes ever more sadistic and irrational as he assumes a greater leadership position amongst a community of outsiders. If the 'Zapata westerns' tended to enact fantasies of Third Worldism through a sometimes confused melange of Fanonism, Guevarism and the (inverted) tropes of the Hollywood western, Sollima's film seems to suggest a class critique of that very framing: Volonte as the bourgeois intellectual whose eventual avocation of a fantasized violence become real merely replicates the violence of the class whose trappings he ostensibly rejects. That's to say: Fascism.

A history professor (Gian Maria Volontè) has a chance meeting with an infamous outlaw and eventually assumes leadership of his gang. Although in no way historically accurate, I have to appreciate that the writers included the personage of Charlie Siringo (1855-1928). Frankly, I was not aware of his existence, and I am somewhat surprised that anyone in 1967 really knew, either. Though I suppose at that time westerns were still in fashion, so even second-tier outlaws were probably lionized. Even more interesting, how many Italian-Americans were there in the 1850s? I suspect not many more than a handful, which might explain how he would be known to Italian filmmakers. And, heck, a book called "Charles A. Siringo: A Texas Picaro" was published in 1967...

The greatest actor of all time, Gian Maria Volontè, wasted in one incredible role, almost unfortunate, in a western which has absolutely no value. The music of the greatest author of film music, Ennio Morricone, also has no value. Boring and a waste of time, talent, everything. The only star is for the huge value of Gian Maria Volontè in his other great great films.

There are few Italian westerns that have more satisfaction for the viewer in my mind than 'Faccia a Faccia' does, Intelligent, fluid characterizations with shifting moral sands, there is nothing typical or predictable about this film. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Morricone's soundtrack is one of his best as well. Volante & Milan both are excellent but it's really Volante's character arc that drives the narrative & he is top notch in every respect. Highly recommended film that should be on every serious spaghetti western film fan's top 10 list IMO. It's a fairly complex film for the genre & challenges the viewer on many levels. Intelligent film making within the confines of the genre. Don't miss it!

Imaginative weren't the main qualities of the spaguetti genre, but this really surprised me entirely for an unprecedented plot where the real logic defy the common sense for us, where an intellectual professor played by Gian Maria Volonté starts a backward moviment, changing slowly to worst among of the criminal gang lead by a bloody guy called "Beau" the unmatched Tomas Milian, the professor under the wings of the chief is increasingly getting worse and finally becomes a dangerous mind, also has the great actor William Berger as a disguised Pinkerton's agent to get them, Solima made an upper classic italian western without american stars, accomplished with success!!! Resume: First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.25

Take three of the finest Spaghetti Western actors (Gian Maria Volente, Tomas Milian and William Berger), the great direction of Sergio Sollima (The Big Gundown) and a gripping topsy turvey story of power and you get Face to Face. Volente stars as Brad, a Professor that inadvertently becomes embroiled in Beau's (Milian) revolution when taken hostage by the bandit. It is not long before Brad becomes attracted to Beau's way of life, with the film superbly capturing his gradual corruption by power. Meanwhile, Beau's character develops an increasing compassion for his people and their life. The interplay between these two actors works brilliantly, and ably assisted by Berger as Siringo - a lawman disguised as one of Beau's gang. Morricone's soundtrack is, as ever, fantastic. All in all, this is a true Spaghetti gem - Italian cinema at its near finest.

This is a great western, one of the finest of the spaghetti-genre which has some political overtones. Everyone knows about the Eastwood/Leone movies but this is just the tip of the iceberg, there were hundreds of spaghetti westerns made & this is one of the best. Through a combination of illness & circumstance a mild mannered teacher is introduced to the world of bandit Solomon Beauregard Bennet. Gradually the two men begin to influence each other - for better & for worse - with the teacher becoming more vicious an outlaw than Solomon ever was. Solomon on the other hand begins to see another way of life & the folly of his criminal past.The transformation between the two characters is really interesting & believable, this coupled with some great western scenes, a score by Ennio Morricone, some familiar spaghetti western actors (including the excellent Tomas Milian) & an explosive finale make this a western to rival anything that the more well known Leone offered.