A Sky Full Of Stars For A Roof (1968)

This Spaghetti Western seems to be mishmash of two different films: an excellent revenge/survival film and a reasonably decent "buddy" movie. Giuliano Gemma plays a (moderately) likeable conman who steals some money from a prospector (Mario Adorf). The prospector then spends some time tracking him with the intention of getting his money back, during which time they gradually become friends. Alongside this, a band of villains led by a slightly deranged family is chasing him (Gemma) to kill him for some barely specified transgression. This aspect of the film is surprisingly brutal, with a trail of (innocent) bodies left in their wake.

The revenge/survival aspect I really enjoyed: the villains are truly nasty, it's stylishly shot, and the fact that the hero is the hunted rather than the hunter (and just wants out) makes for an interesting twist. The buddy aspect was less good, if only because those type of Spaghetti Westerns tend to be less interesting (and it's difficult to pull off well in any film), however both Gemma and Adorf are likeable enough—if let down by a slightly poor English dub—which works in it's favour, their friendship seems real enough, and their escapades are usually amusing. The biggest flaw is probably that the two parts don't really mesh together.

The opening scene is notable and often commented on – it's firstly a genuinely touching scene, and secondly the Morricone theme tune is also excellent. A scene later where the prospector is about to be hanged also stuck in my mind, although the resolution wasn't as good as the setup.

Given that the film seemed to be split into two slightly incompatible parts it was also notable that there were also some abrupt transitions between Spanish desert and (presumably) Italian green hills. The green hilly landscapes were actually pretty good (they looked like they could fit) but you didn't quite believe they were part of the same place.

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