In his column “How About Now,” Mason Barrett ’28 reviews classic films through a modern lens.

This review contains spoilers. 

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

It’s time to return to the viciously violent world of Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy”. The second installment, “For a Few Dollars More” (1965), is the follow-up to the first movie of the trilogy, “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964). However, the two films are connected practically only by the film’s protagonist, played by Clint Eastwood. To be clear, Eastwood’s character in “A Fistful of Dollars” is not the same as his character in “For a Few Dollars More.” You can absolutely watch one without watching the other — it’s a trilogy in the loosest sense.

The film follows two bounty hunters, Manco (Clint Eastwood) and Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), who both come into conflict with one another whilst pursuing the same bounty. The bounty in question is for recent prison escapee El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté) and his gang of bandits who plan to rob the El Paso Bank. Manco and Mortimer set aside their differences and team up. Manco infiltrates the gang and works from the inside. It’s a story of near constant betrayal, treachery and surprises.

This film improves upon the frustration I outlined in my review of “A Fistful of Dollars.” I found the narrative of “A Fistful of Dollars” unclear and hard to follow to the point where it lost some of its emotional resonance. Relative to “A Fistful of Dollars,” this film is much easier to follow. 

The first half-hour exceptionally demonstrated this as Mortimer, Manco and El Indio were each given a separate sequence that introduced their skill, personality and morality. Their introductions were not only thrilling action sequences but also gripping introductions. The sequences effectively communicated that the rest of the film focuses on what happens when three powerful forces butt heads. 

The film is still complicated and hard to follow compared to most movies. Leone’s attitude toward storytelling is impatient and feels like that of a parent telling their child, “We’ll get there when we get there.” This can create an insecurity that you’re missing something important. This was a problem with both “A Fistful of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More”, but the latter retained its dramatic nature. The conflict between the three main characters was clear even when the plot and character motivations felt muddy, resulting in noticeable improvement.

The film is visually and audibly stunning. Ennio Morricone’s epic score compliments the gorgeous shots of the desert. Every shot with Mortimer, Manco or El Indio effectively presents each of them as intimidating and powerful. The cinematography does an excellent job of representing conflict to the point where most conversations feel like they toe the edge of violence. The men can be described as nothing short of mythic: portrayed more like superheroes or Greek gods than ordinary people. The music and visuals serve to heighten their power. The world bends to the titans as they clash.

I much prefer this film to its predecessor. It’s not a perfect film, but the clash between the characters makes it epic, causing the story to unfold in a much more emotionally powerful way. I’d recommend watching this film a second time, as it becomes a lot more powerful when you have a more complete understanding of the narrative. 

This spaghetti western is a flawed yet epic fantasy with great characters — main or side — beautiful cinematography and an incredible score.