Giù la testa: Join the Revolution!

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2003)

The trailer for this film says "Sergio Leone - the master of adventure." Maybe he was, but first of all he was the master of the Western-genre. This is his only "Zapata-Western" (A Western about the Mexican revolution) with as much bombs and explosions as gunfights. The word adventure fits in more with this film than it does with his dollar-trilogy or "C'era una volta il west".
"Giù la testa" is one of Leone's worst movies, but that isn't reason enough to not see it because this is still one of the best Westerns from the 1970's. The sets are magnificent. Even if it is a long film and misses the common Leone-action scenes, it is never boring or bad. The acting from Steiger and Coburn couldn't be better. And the dialog is almost magic at times. Personally I liked the flashback-scenes!
Morricone makes one of his best scores. The score is not so strange as some have said (it is called experimental and weird at times).
I recommend "Giù la testa". The only reason to miss this is because it's not that original - the style reminds very much of "C'era una volta il west" and it's story is a bit similar to "The Wild Bunch". I don't think that it is a reason strong enough to miss "Giù la testa". It is funny, beautiful and cool.
Rating: 8 of 10.