El Cisco film review
El Cisco (Italy 1966 / Director: Sergio Bergonzelli)
Patience pays off
A man called El Cisco (William Berger) is to be hanged for a crime he did not commit. His last wish, to smoke the cigar in his breast pocket, is gladly granted, but not in the way the sheriff and his assistants had in mind. After lighting it, he drops it on the ground and it goes up in smoke after a small explosion, causing enough confusion for him to escape.
Five years later, with a $5,000 reward on his head, El Cisco returns to Calabasa because the whole affair is giving him no peace and he wants to find out who framed him for the bank robbery in Dallas, for which he was almost hanged. Larry, as he understandably calls himself, takes a job on the farm of cattle farmer Lowett (Consalvo Dell'Arti) in order to get back on his feet. However, Lowett does not store the large amount of money for his herd of cattle, which he has sold, in the bank but in a secret hiding place (which will still play a role) under the carpet in the living room. The other cattle ranchers in the area don't get this idea and deposit their money in the local bank, owned by businessman Burt Challenge (Tom Felleghy), whose bulging vault is sure to be the target of a bank robbery.
After an ambush is laid for him on behalf of Burt, Larry El Cisco makes his first exclamation mark and gives the three crooks "kisses on the forehead", which, however, create unsightly round openings in their heads, which of course they do not survive. Larry joins the gang around the Mexican bandit Tuscarora (George Wang). He is planning to rob the bank in Calabasa. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, to find out more information about the people who had accused him of robbing the bank, and secondly, to get the loot from the bank robbery on the side so that the crooks can get at each other for the money.
Fortunately, he has Doc Martin (Nino Vingelli) on his side ,who sends him to the realm of the dead and the beautiful Maria (Antonella Murgia), but she also makes him vulnerable. He stirs up a lot of dust in the process and steps on the toes of big and powerful city dwellers, causing him great physical discomfort.
What role does the town's cemetery play?
Can Larry finally get his revenge and hunt down the culprits?
It could have been an interesting story, but the realization is lacking and El Cisco comes along without any big highlights, only the shootout towards the end is convincing, despite the nice gimmick with the exploding cigars, also the little love story is a bit out of place, but overall still an average spaghetti western and especially worth seeing for fans of William Berger. William Berger in his second spaghetti western makes the best of it and was fortunately able to improve in his other roles.
Director Sergio Bergonzelli directed four spaghetti westerns, after which he turned to more raunchy films, for which he perhaps had a better knack (but I can't judge, as I haven't seen any). What makes this movie stand out from the crowd is the score by none other than Bruno Nicolai, who later composed several masterpieces for spaghetti westerns and didn't have to hide even next to the maestro!
Medium: The German DVD from KSM.
A rating is difficult, as I am a fan of William Berger and therefore a little biased, but 5 + 1 Berger point/10 should do the movie justice.
Written by Perdono, April 2024
