The musical score, cinematography, and strong performances make this particular western a great story that goes beyond the standard thematic gunslinger opera. This is an epic western filmed by a camera crew that let's the scenery interact with the performances. The music is great, and the opening credits have the hook that set the mood and the film delivers it with full fury. Lee Van Cleef gives his best performance on film. A many layered character study with humor and depth, the audience is rewarded by great on screen chemistry between Gemma and Cleef. A must see for anyone who is a fan of westerns, or the writing style of Elmore Leonard and Larry McMurtry.

Lee Van Cleef has always been an unsung hero. Although an instantly recognisable face with those cat-like eyes and chiselled cheekbones, there will be few casual film-goers who will be able to name many films of his outside of For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966). In Day of Anger, he may not take the lead role, but his Frank Talby, the dangerous yet charismatic gunfighter who wanders into town one day, steals the screen and your attention thanks to Van Cleef's formidable presence, proving that he was one of cinema's greatest character actors.In the small town of Clifton, bastard-born street sweeper Scott Mary (Euro-western legend Giuliano Gemma) is ridiculed and bullied due to his social status. When Frank Talby strolls into Clifton on the back of his horse, he sides with Scott, and ends up shooting a man in his defence. When Frank leaves, Scott follows in the hope of being taught how to be a great gunfighter. Frank agrees, but has some brutal lessons to teach him. But they find themselves returning to Clifton in the search of money owed to Frank by Wild Jack (Once Upon a Time in the West's (1968) Al Mulock), where Frank hopes to deal some swift justice and make a mark of his own.A protégé of Sergio Leone, this was director Tonino Valerri's second movie in the chair, and he certainly knows how to shoot a western. It doesn't share the extreme close-up's of Leone's work, but builds it's fair share of tension, climaxing in an inevitable yet thrilling climax between teacher and student. The film is superbly filmed, backed by a ridiculously catchy score by Riz Ortolani from which the title song was used in Django Unchained (2012). But the film's biggest boast is in the performances of Van Cleef and Gemma, the former proving he can play as good an anti-hero as any of his peers, and the latter convincing throughout his massive character shift. Highly recommended.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

It's one of my favorite westerns of all times.I've seen it on the theater, in 71, and several times on the telly. Usually, critics reviewing it, claim it's above average for the two actors efforts, so it comes as an unpleasant surprise to see it scorched here. Classic bits: when Van Cleef says to Scott he should call himself Scott Marry, after his mother only known name,and as Scott says that everybody would laugh at him if he used such name, Talby (Van Cleef) replies: Who cares??? And the scene where Scott asks for his old broom, just to shoot it apart, costumers in the saloon get impressed, and the camera focus on Gemma smiling. Simply perfect!

The first time I saw this western was on a triple bill with a Bruce Lee film and a Charles Bronson western. It holds it's own against any of the non-Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns that made their way stateside. Lee Van Cleef's Talby is as chilling as his Angel Eyes in The Good,The Bad, and The Ugly and Giuliano Gemma shows why he was once one of Italy's top stars. Beware, that there is a 85 minute version in circulation that is choppy. The original version that was shown here at 109 minutes is recommended.