¡Viva la muerte... tua!

Plot synopsis:
In priestly disguise, the con artist Orlowsky learns from a last confession about a village where a treasure is hidden. He seeks out the Mexican bandit Max Lozoya, who knows more about its precise location – (part of) the instructions is tattooed on his ass.
At the same time, the Irish journalist Mary O'Donnell wants to fire up the revolutionary cause and bribes sheriff Randall to have the Mexican revolutionary El Salvador escape prison. Even though El Salvador is dead, the sheriff accepts, haggling up the price). It turns out that he has a scam going, where he takes money to let prisoners escape and then kills them to get a reward – and the prison warden gets half of the taking. They choose Lozoya for the escaping hero (as he is to be executed anyway). Randall is further elated when he finds the ”priest” with Lozoya, because Orlowsky is his cousin, which he blames for his handicap, some affliction of the back so he must wear an iron support under the clothes to be able to walk upright. So Orlowsky is locked up for later torture to death.
As it turns out the plans of the sheriff fail. The warden goes in to release Lozoya, and once they are in the corridor, the bandit knocks the warden out and helps Orlowsky to escape. It's no easy feat; Lozoya is out of shape and when he's being given a boost up by the rear over a wall, he doesn't like it. When they run into Mary, Orlowsky presents Lozoya as El Salvador and himself as his military advisor, and a confused Lozoya just goes along with it. Later it turns out that she recognised Lozoya from the beginning, but went along with it, something that gives further credit to Orlowsky’s accusation that she is a journalist – "someone that creates an idol and then destroys him" – out to start an uprising just to get a story.
Initially, Lozoya takes advantage of his ”El Salvador” identity solely to mobilise assistance in his play against Orlowsky. In a tavern, he frames Orlowsky for a watch theft so he can escape and talk to Mendoza alone and find the other half of the treasure map so he can have the cash for himself, but a fight breaks out, leaving Lozoya cornered in a well. Orlowsky arrives to save him, but not before punishing him by leaving him to struggle to stay on the surface first. Soon, Lozoya is forced to give the information to the treasure by dropping his pants, displaying the instructions to Orlowsky. But when Randall and the soldiers kill his sister Lupita and her boy he gets a genuine revolutionary motive. Heaving a trembling breath, he vows "to kill as many regulares as there are hairs on my sister's head.” This trail of vengeance leads to general Huerta and the two partners organise an uprising against his garrison, while Mary is obliged to put her virginity on the line in order to distract the commander (she tells him, ”There is more than one way to kill a woman”). However, the attack sends him running away in his underwear before she has had to go all the way.
As Huerta also had taken control of the aforementioned treasure, but Lozoya's gives away the money to medicine, schools and hospitals, because he ”can’t betray these people.” Orlowsky grumbles, ”I never leave empty-handed” and proceeds to betray ”El Salvador” to Huerta for $30.000. The hero is executed after an exhorting speech – ”For those who love freedom no idol is necessary, for those who do not, no idol is sufficient.” However this is all a ruse. Lozoya is executed with blank bullets, and Orlowsky sets off explosives that kill the soldiers and Huerta (who was just preparing to execute Orlowsky). Randall and his men ambush Orlowsky but they are killed, with the assistance of the ”resurrected” Lozoya. The two scoundrels then share the reward money, and Lozoya expresses relief to be ”an honest bandit” again.
When Mary appears to suggest that they carry their revolutionary activities to Guatemala, the two quickly ride off.

Tags: western, cult

Review:
Entertaining Spaghetti/Paella/Schnitzel Western co-produced by Italy/Spain/Germany.
Tua!" - Italy (original title) or "Don't Turn the Other Cheek" - USA title or ¨Viva La Muerte Tuya¨- Spanish title , is an amusing Western plenty of action , shoot'em up , humor and fun .
A radical journalist , A Russian prince , A Mexican bandit team up seeking a cache of gold .
A spaghetti/Paella/Schnitzel western in which three adventurers join forces during the Mexican Revolution .
It deals with a man calling himself Prince Dimitri Vassilovich Orlowsky (Franco Nero) who claims to be a Russian prince as he is aware a treasure has been hidden in Mexico territory , and along with a redheaded Irish girl named Mary O'Donnell (Lynn Redgrave) who wants to foment a peasant revolt in Mexico enlist other rogue character , a selfish bandit locked in Utah .
Both of them , reunite the help of a humorous Mexican outlaw named Lozoya (Elli Wallach) , by saving him from a death sentence in Fort Yuma .
Lozoya has the key to the treasure , but Nero knows where the other half of the map is , both of whom seeking a lost gold located in Piedras Negras and confronting a cruel Mexican general (Eduardo Fajardo) .This Zapata Western displays noisy action , thrills , stirring adventures, shoot'em up , riding pursuits and is pretty amusing .
Funny and thrilling screenplay by Massimo De Rita and Juan De Orduña , also producer , and based on the novel titled "The killer from Yuma" by Lewis B.
This is an acceptable S.W. full of action , shootouts , fist-play and some touches of humor in charge of Elli Wallach character .
Wallach portrays similarly to his popular "Tuco" character from ¨The good, the ugly and the bad¨ .
Elli Wallach is very fine, he ravages the screen as a seedy bandit , he hits , shots and runs ; plus jokes , laughs , he's a complete show .
Eduardo Fajardo as a cruelly baddie role as Mexican general is terrific , subsequently the would play similar role in other Spaghetti , mainly directed by Sergio Corbucci .
In the movie appears usual support actors as Spanish : Victor Israel , Lorenzo Robledo , Jose Jaspe , Jose Moreno , Tito Garcia , Rafael Albacin , as Italian players : Mirko Ellis , Marilu Tolo , Gisela Hahn and German : Horst Janson and Dan Van Husen who acted as secondary in many Spaghetti .
As always , the musician Ennio Morricone, composes a nice Spaghetti soundtrack and well conducted and splendid leitmotif ; it's full of enjoyable sounds and lively score .This Italian writer / filmmaker Duccio Tessari so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next .
Rating : 6 , acceptable and passable movie that will appeal to Spaghetti Western buffs ..
Long Live Your Death is a western comedy.
This film tries to pin down the staples of the genre while being funny, and it has to be said that in doing so it pretty much misses both targets; but thankfully, Duccio Tessari's film is entertaining in it's own right and the central cast is just about talented enough to pull it through.
The film takes obvious influence from the greatest of all Spaghetti Westerns; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and it could be said in fact that the film is basically a complete rip of the earlier film.
The film takes place during the Mexican revolution.
Mary O'Donnell, an Irish journalist, wants to inspire a revolt in Mexico and pays for a revolutionary to be released from prison; but unfortunately the man in question is already dead, so another Mexican is freed in his place.
He escapes along with a Prince Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky, who has designs on finding some buried treasure.
He teams up with the bandit and the two pursue the treasure; one knows the town where the gold is buried, the other knows the location.It's the central pairing of Franco Nero and Eli Wallach that ensure the film works; neither one delivers their best performance, but the pair is constantly entertaining on screen together.
They are joined by Lynn Redgrave (apparently Franco Nero's sister is law) and she dons an annoying Irish accent.
The film does have a sense of humour, and at times it is rather funny (the location of the treasure maps, for example) but it's never overly funny, and I'd still call it more of a western than a comedy.
Duccio Tessari (who also directed Giallo classic The Bloodstained Butterfly) packs his film with plenty of action and this does ensure that the film is entertaining.
To my knowledge it's only available on an old VHS tape called DON'T TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, with animated asses (donkeys) wiggling their behinds, totally out of character with the film, which is an action filled Eurowestern by the director of the popular Ringo films, Duccio Tessari.
Franco Nero plays another of his European adventurers, this time a Russian, who is seeking a lost treasure.
Eli Wallach portrays another version of his popular "Tuco" character, this time once more a Mexican after playing the Greek version in ACE HIGH.
Throw in Lynn Redgrave (slightly out of place in a spaghetti) as an Irish revolutionary and you have a film that is reminiscent of Sergio Corbucci's two popular political westerns THE MERCENARY (1968) and COMPANEROS (1970), both of which are superior to this.
However there's a lot to be said for LONG LIVE YOUR DEATH, especially since it's so hard to find; you'll find the search worthwhile, and in the meantime let's hope Anchor Bay, Wild East, or Blue Underground release a definitive DVD version..
light-hearted and violent fun for spaghetti western fans.
This movie shares a lot of elements with other Euro-westerns.
Those who are very familiar with the genre will recognize similarities to films such as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The Mercenary, Fistful of Dynamite, The Stranger and the Gunfighter, and other spaghetti westerns.
Recognizing these common themes is part of the fun of watching this movie.The story is full of spaghetti western clichés presented in a fun, tongue-in-cheek manner, yet it still delivers in the violence and action departments as well.
It matches the tone of the film, seems right for a slightly off-beat Euro-western, and definitely works in this movie.The movie boasts a phenomenal cast with Franco Nero, Eli Wallach, Lynn Redgrave, and Eduardo Fajardo.
It would be hard to make a bad spaghetti western with those four playing the main characters, but I do have to say that although this movie was good, I think it could have been better.
My guess is that the movie is much better in its complete form.At any rate, I highly recommend this movie to those like me who have seen and liked lots of spaghetti westerns.
Bandit Eli Wallach and European con-man Franco Nero are in turn, set up, mistaken for, and masquerade as a flamboyant Mexican revolutionary and his military adviser, a Russian prince!
The two know the partial whereabouts of a stashed fortune, but find it hard to get away from radical Irish journalist Lynn Redgrave long enough to go look for it.A typical, quirky Italian political western, Don't Turn The Other Cheek isn't as good as Sergio Corbucci's Companeros (also with Nero) or the fantastic (and non-comedic) A Bullet For The General starring A Fistful Of Dollars Gian Maria Volante.It's still a lot of fun though, with loads of action.
On the other hand, with the exception of a few key scenes, Redgrave doesn't really have much to do.One other familiar face is Nero's Django nemesis Eduardo Fajardo playing the film's number one heavy..
This film begins in the early 20th century on the American side of the Rio Grande with a Mexican bandit named "Max Lozoya" (Eli Wallach) having been captured, tried and subsequently sentenced to hang the next morning.
As it so happens, however, an Irish journalist named "Mary O'Donnell" (Lynn Redgrave) wants to start an uprising in Mexico so that she can get an exclusive story and bribes the local constable "Sheriff Randall" (Horst Jansen) to free a popular Mexican revolutionary named "El Salvador".
What she doesn't know is that El Salvador has already been executed and since she doesn't know what he looks like the sheriff convinces "the Warden" (played by Jose Moreno) to allow Max Lozoya to escape in El Salvador's place.
In the meantime, a Russian con artist named "Prince Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky" (Franco Nero) has learned that Max Lozoya has knowledge of some stolen treasure and masquerading as a priest is allowed entry to the prison to attend to Lozoya's final confession.
It's during this time that Lozoya is allowed to escape and Dmitri, quite naturally, goes with him.
Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, even though it was supposed to be a parody of a number of other famous "Spaghetti Westerns", this was still a difficult film to watch due in large part to the meandering plot.
Likewise, I didn't particularly like the rather preposterous action scenes which only served to lower my regard for the overall film as well.
In any case, those who enjoy Spaghetti Westerns might like this film but having said that I didn't especially care for it that much and for that reason I have rated it accordingly.
Gonzo Euro Comedy Spaghetti Western Mishmash That Tries Too Hard.
So the Spaghetti Western as a comedy.
You know whatever, there are some great examples of the approach; the TRINITY films, the priceless TOO MUCH GOLD FOR ONE GRINGO, Giulio Petroni's under-appreciated TEPAPA, various parts of DUCK YOU SUCKER ...
The formula works best when the filmmakers don't try too hard, simply allowing the conventions of the genre to be as absurd as they are naturally.
LONG LIVE YOUR DEATH tries to announce itself as a "funny" movie from the first frame with an oddball musical score and still images of Franco Nero yukkin' it up as a Russian Prince pretending to be a minister and holding up the congregation at a wedding ceremony for what turns out to be proceeds to help fund the Mexican Revolution.
He drives a car instead of riding a horse, packs an automatic pistol instead of a six-shooter, and after his automobile is wounded during a shootout he puts it out of it's misery with another bullet to the engine block.Eli Wallach was of course hilarious as THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY'S "Tuco", the poster child misfit Spaghetti Western serio-comic leading man, and is probably the film's greatest asset.
Here he plays a two bit Mexican chicken thief who may or may not know the location of a fortune in gold, but finds himself sprung from jail by a pretty, perky Lynne Redgrave, who wants to find the revolutionaries a hero to lead their struggle & write a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper story about it.
Nero and Wallach are good, but Redgrave is excellent and took her only Spaghetti Western performance to heart, trying a bit too hard, but we appreciate the effort.So already we have several "fish out of water" plot threads, a couple of "mistaken identity" skeins, and ample opportunities for Wallach to mug for the camera while he eats food, tries to proposition Redgrave, and form an uneasy buddy alliance with Mr. Nero to find the gold.
Just for added effect, Horst Jansen apes his rather wooden cinematic persona as a corrupt sheriff with back problems, Victor Isreal pops up as a mining executive with some rather eye opening thoughts about the Mexican workforce, and Eduardo Fajardo wanders in from some other film as an unscrupulous cavalry officer bent on capturing the mischievous trio & keeping the gold for himself.
As usual.A musical stopwatch gives composers Gianni Ferrio & Ennio Morricone an excuse to work yet another glockenspiel theme into their somewhat rushed sounding musical score, a sexy mute Spanish supporting actress gives Franco Nero someone to make googlie-eyes at, and director Duccio Tessari had a stable filled with scriptwriters to come up with all sorts of double-entrade laden dialog for Eli Wallach to belt out as quickly as possible when not running around jabbering excitedly and waving his arms in the air trying to be funny instead of just standing there being himself, which is hilarious all on it's own.
What is amazing is that he manages to be constantly upstaged by Lynn Redgrave even though she never displays her breasts.I am fairly certain the filmmakers had good intentions and talent to spare when cobbling this movie together and if it seems like I am just not getting into the spirit of things you are correct.
I have nothing but respect for everyone involved in the production, which is a nearly tactless, transparent attempt to cash-in on the notoriety of DUCK YOU SUCKER, TEPAPA, ARRIVA SABATA!, HEADS YOU DIE TALES I KILL YOU: THEY CALL HIM HALLELUJA and every other would-be gonzo Mexican Revolutionary Spaghetti Western made between 1968 and 1974 or so.The problem is that the number of jokes to be had about that conflict and it's ramifications was pretty much tapped out before DUCK YOU SUCKER entered it's fifteenth reel (I personally prefer TEPAPA with it's outrageous Thomas Millian performance as a prime example of the comic possibilities of the genre).
And come to think of it, why do these Mexican Revolution Spaghettis all turn out to be social satires with gonzo comedy broken up by spats of war atrocity scenes?
Don't get me wrong, LONG LIVE YOUR DEATH is a fine movie with some entertaining parts, including another great Eli Wallach meal as he scarfs down some form of stew while describing his childhood kills to Nero in his cell.
The problem is that this exchange -- the funniest in the movie -- happens in the first twelve minutes, and ninety minutes of additional "repeat and rinse" developments becomes nothing more than a bunch of Euro genre actors running around waving their arms & jabbering excitedly after a while.
It gets old quickly, and as such this rather tired example of the later period of the Spaghetti boom is perhaps as obscure & hard to find as it deserves to be.
They shouldn't care.4/10; You know your Spaghetti Western is in trouble when your best asset is upstaged by Lynn Redgrave with her shirt on..
Long Live Your Death AKA Don't Turn the Other Cheek!
Patten, and screenplay written by Massimo De Rita and Juan De Orduña, the movie tells the story of a Russian con artist, Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky (Franco Nero) whom dress up as a priest, hears from a last confession about a village where a treasure is hidden.
He seeks out a Mexican Bandit and mistaken war hero, Max Lozoya (Eli Wallach) who knows more about its precise location.
The movie isn't anything new, as there has been a lot of treasure hunting Spaghetti Westerns over the years like 1966's Sergio Leone's masterpiece film, 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'.
If you replace the American Civil War with the Mexican Revolution, replace the great actor, Clint Eastwood with mediocre, Franco Nero who sounds like he imitates Peter Lorne throughout the film, replace Angel Eyes with pretty, but annoying young red head angel eyes, Lynn Redgrave, replace the amazing music from Ennio Morricone with lousy Elevator music from Gianni Ferrio, then you got this movie.
Eli Wallach's Max Lozoya is just a mirror image of plain old, Tuco Ramirez.
The movie does have some interesting things that were later use or help influence other works such as the priest disguise that came to be used in films like 1974's The Gun and the Pulpit, and 1975's God Guns.
The movie is mostly a comedy, as most of its jokes were misses than hit.
Too bad, the movie took its concept way too serious at times, and the film got really dark.
The movie also has a lot of sub-plots that really goes nowhere.
I don't even know, why the writers made Dmitri Vassilovich Orlowsky into a prince.
It doesn't help that the movie go under many titles.
Star Eli Wallach came up with the title "Don't Turn the Other Cheek!" for the U.S. release as he did not like the Italian title.
Overall: I can't recommend this movie, unless you liked lots of stupid spaghetti westerns.
Taking part in the ICM Italian Challenge,I decided to check for films that I hope to watch, then sell.
Nearing the end of a pile, I found a Spaghetti Western Video that I had picked up ages ago,which led to me turning the other cheek.View on the film:Bringing the influence of director Duccio Tessari's work with Sergio Leone in their adaptation of Lewis B.
Patten's novel, the writers lean on Leone's landmark Spaghetti Westerns in the miss-matched friends relationship between Lozoya and Prince Dmitri,and a search for gold taking place against a Mexican Revolution backdrop.
Whilst not shying away from their inspirations, the writers give the title its own refreshingly quirky edge, via farcical comedy of the map being on Lozoya's bottom, and Mary O'Donnell standing out from the usual ladies of the genre,by diving into the fighting.Backed by a Morricone-sounding score from Gianni Ferrio, director Duccio Tessari & cinematographer José F.
Aguayo make the Spaghetti Western shoot-outs crackle with excitement,as the whip-pans rush to follow Dmitri and Lozoya's quest for gold.
Performing the theme song, Lynn Redgrave gives an energetic performance as O'Donnell,with Redgrave hitting the action scenes with a real relish.
Appearing in only his second Spaghetti Western, Franco Nero gives a terrific performance as Prince Dmitri,whose swift exchanges with Eli Wallach's very good performance as Lozoya balances slippery comedy and crunchy shoot-outs,where both of them turn the other cheek.