BLACK JACK is a dark, dark example of the spaghetti western, replacing the usual light comedy found in these films with an almost vicious streak of violence which, while not explicit, still hits the mark. No doubt it was made as a result of DJANGO and the writer's efforts to go one step further in delivering a nihilistic storyline.
Robert Woods plays an effective character as the leader of a group of thieves pulling off a big robbery. All goes according to plan, until the inevitable 'thieves fall out' aftermath, in which he's betrayed and left for dead by the bad guys, who also rape, murder, and scalp (!) his sister for good measure. Woods survives, albeit in a crippled form, and goes on a mission of vengeance against his former allies, tackling them one at a time.
It's a simplistic plot but one that supports a film with a good visual style, including touches of Poe, no less, here and there, especially at the Roger Corman/Poe cycle inspired climax. The violent scenes are well directed and Woods plays a memorable character, dressed all in black and limping difficultly across the screen. BLACK JACK isn't what I'd call a classic, but spaghetti western fans are well advised to seek it out.
Robert Woods plays an effective character as the leader of a group of thieves pulling off a big robbery. All goes according to plan, until the inevitable 'thieves fall out' aftermath, in which he's betrayed and left for dead by the bad guys, who also rape, murder, and scalp (!) his sister for good measure. Woods survives, albeit in a crippled form, and goes on a mission of vengeance against his former allies, tackling them one at a time.
It's a simplistic plot but one that supports a film with a good visual style, including touches of Poe, no less, here and there, especially at the Roger Corman/Poe cycle inspired climax. The violent scenes are well directed and Woods plays a memorable character, dressed all in black and limping difficultly across the screen. BLACK JACK isn't what I'd call a classic, but spaghetti western fans are well advised to seek it out.