Death Rides a Horse (1967) User Reviews

Far from ordinary.

[lost-in-limbo · 8/10 · 20 August 2005]

When Bill (John Phillip Law) was a young child he witnesses a gang kill his father, and rape and kill his mother and sister, while he was spared. Now Bill is a young man who is now intent on exacting revenge on those who were responsible for killing his family. He also meets a gunslinger/ex-con Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) who has just been released from jail and who's out to even the score with those exact outlaws, which betrayed him. So, now the two, tussle with each other to see who'll get to them first, but with the time they spend with each other, Bill also learns some valuable tips from Ryan.

As a kid growing up I loved my Westerns, but they had to be Cowboys and Indians, if there were no Indians, I just didn't give a damn. But how have times changed. I have just started to get back into the genre (and no, I don't care if there ain't no Indians), and lately the spaghetti western sub-genre. I'm a big fan of Sergio Leone' s Dollar films, which people say are the catalyst for spaghetti westerns. I didn't know anything of this film and probably wouldn't have paid much attention to it, but since I read some positive comments about it on a thread (in the horror board, of all places), I thought it would definitely be worth a look. But, I didn't have to go out of my way to find it, as it pop up on TV a week or two later. Anyhow, I've babbled enough about my personal experience, back to the film.

What gripping stuff! It surly was better, than I expected. A lively spaghetti western that had plenty of surprises along the way and it just wasn't a shoot-'em-up story with plenty of violence, but the cleverly laid out plot, builds on the revenge tale with some mystery and panache and kept the violence within the story's limits. Everything comes together rather perfectly with such a dark and macabre opening to its fitting finale. The story did kind of reminded me off Leone's "For A Few Dollars More", which Luciano Vincenzoni who penned this film, was also co-writer in the last two Dollar films. As for the script, there is lot spite, wit, but also it was rather standard and stiff dialogue. There probably could've been a bit more flair, especially from American actor John Phillip Law who was basically dead as wood in delivery and probably the film's weakest point. But the same can't be said of legendary actor Lee Van Cleef's performance. He brought a hard-boiled character that also added some dry humour and sizzling skills that ideally fitted in the overall tone. Combination between Cleef and Law goes down quite well and adds another dimension into the film (father and son figure). The rest (especially, the villains) gave your usual mean performances. Though, throughout the film, those Mexican outlaws seem to find the funny side of things, out of really nothing. I just find it rather amusing, especially because of the irony of it all. Ennio Morricone (also from the Dollar films) came up with a standout music score, which mixed some soothing Mexican music with an uplifting and rousing western score. The camera-work isn't that potent, but it still gets some flashy treatment. With its sharp and encroaching shots. It also captured the vastly desolated landscape that sprawls on the screen. Direction by Giulio Petroni keeps the film grounded and keeps a rather brisk pace. He creates some well-designed shootouts and sequences. One being the eerie opening and another an explosive showdown amongst an empty town during a dust storm. By the way, it's a great title isn't it?

A must-see for any Western or Lee Van Cleef fan.

Powerful

[Ramon_Rojo · 7/10 · 27 October 2003]

From the stark opening, director Giulio Petroni lets us know that he is going to take us on an interesting ride. The sequence for which we watch through Bill's eyes as his family is brutalized and murdered is one of the most disturbing ten minutes ever put on film.

Even more stunning is the sequence for which there is jump cut from Bill as a child after the carnage to Bill as an adult, as a living killing machine. It plays like a version of THE TERMINATOR if it was set in the 19th Century American West.

What progresses from there is a very interesting revenge film, loosely patterned like POINT BLANK (1967) where Bill is the wild card in the middle of Ryan's quest for vengeance.(Watch both films....Van Cleef and Marvin's characters function the same way...."All I want is $15,000...nothing more, nothing less...)

What I found the most interesting is the way Petroni chose to photograph the three sections of the film. They are all visually distinct and this change seems to map the character's journey through out the film, that being Bill's progression from a traumatized child to a hate-filled adult on the road to hell.

My only complaint is the quality of the prints.

I hope MGM manages to track down a decent negative and have this film restored.

It deserves it.

Good movie, bad DVD

[EyeDunno · 8/10 · 22 May 2004]

Death Rides a Horse is one that Spaghetti Western fans (and fans of Lee Van Cleef) would thoroughly enjoy. The FILM is most watchable (read below about the DVD and possible hopes for a Region 1 letterbox DVD release), and Van Cleef is at his best in this one, playing a thug who is betrayed by his com padres. We usually see him playing the ultimate bad guy in most of his films, with his knife-deep stare filling the screen. At times, though, Van Cleef exposes his compassionate side for just a tease, and then just as quickly masks his inner humanity behind The Stare, as he plays Ryan, who arm-wrestles throughout the movie with stubborn youngster Bill (John Phillip Law), who has forsaken his lady and his life by embracing only revenge - and a single spur - after watching his father murdered, only to then bear witness to his mother and older sister brutalized at the hands of an out-of-control gang, greedy for gold.

The match-up between Ryan and Bill is one that plays itself out quite well, as Ryan acts as surrogate father, dishing out advice through some memorable quotes, teaching young Bill with his words and actions. Bill's anger is worn heavily on his sleeve, while Ryan steadily and calmly works out his own dishes of revenge, suppressing his anger even better than his empathy for Bill, which he touches on even as the pair first meet. Phillip Law was okay, but not thoroughly convincing as a bitter young man who witnessed his family's killing. Every once in a while, he might could have done just another take or two, but it's an easy pill to swallow since Van Cleef balances him out.

I wouldn't want to go deeper into reviewing the movie, except that there's a nice plot twist somewhere inside the film. Many of the actors seen in this 1968 film have been in films by the great Sergio Leone. It seems that there was a core of actors who performed in a number of Italian Westerns, and for good reason: the chemistry was there. Add a good dose of Ennio Morricone film scores, and you have the potential for a quite watchable film. Most spaghetti's would be overcooked and unpalatable if not for Morricone music, which acts as an unseen, yet incredibly talented main character.

Once in a while, the dialog (like Bill's off-balance delivery: "I'll find out who he is. If he is who I think he is...get ready to get mad") detracts from the slow and steady pace of Death Rides a Horse (that line makes me want to Kill Bill, myself), but the overall storyline works well enough to entertain Spaghetti Western fans. There are very few plot holes to pick at in the film, which has an air of dread or darkness throughout much of its length. A lighter moment always seems to pop in just when the viewer might like to come up for air (like a character who offers Bill a kiss).

For those concerned about bad or unbelievable endings, Death Rides delivers without disappointment.

Now, for the DVD: Sadly, there seems to be no Region 1 release that does this nice yet overlooked film, justice. Mine, which is a 2-4-1 DVD with "God's Gun" on the same side, and "Quality" as the title logo, is horribly lacking in everything but bad quality, perhaps one of the worst DVD productions I have EVER seen. The letterboxed original, cropped to pan/scan, suffers from multi-generational degradation of image quality.

One particular scene that makes the argument to respect the director's intent by preserving a film's original screen aspect ratio is the card game between Bill and Burt Cavanaugh (Anthony Dawson). Watch as the camera pans the players. Terrible cuts were placed into the scene at the card table as the camera panned the players, in order to preserve timing since the film transfer is a TV format crop from letterbox. It's an unforgivable way to present such a scene, which can lead the viewer to believe that it was the fault of a lazy film editor, or an incompetent director . I can't wait to see the film in its original format.

There is not one frame in my DVD that has any kind of decent image quality with respect to color, tone, or saturation. Its terribly washed out and either too contrasty and bright, or too muddy and dark, and neither extreme results in any texture. And in some scenes, the image degrades to a pixelated mess, which you'll see in the opening scene, and it returns of and on throughout the presentation. The only reason I watch it again and again is to enjoy the Morricone tracks and view an entertaining film. MGM has released a PAL-Region 2 DVD, and subsequent DVD reviews suggest that they finally did "Death Rides a Horse" justice. It has the original letterbox (2.35:1) and infinitely better video quality. Search online for some businesses in the UK as I will, and once I get it, I'll burn my copy and play it in my region-free DVD player.

Saddle up for some spaghetti-flavoured revenge.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 19 February 2015]

Fifteen years after the brutal massacre of his family by vicious outlaws, Bill (John Phillip Law) is finally ready for revenge, having perfected his gun-slinging skills; however, the young man finds himself facing competition from recently released criminal Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), who is also gunning for the murderous gang.

Death Rides a Horse marks my very first foray into the spaghetti western genre outside of the relative safety of Sergio Leone's better known movies, and while it's not quite on a par with the Leone classics, the film is still a solidly entertaining adventure that certainly can't be accused of not trying…

Between the film's brutal, rain-lashed opening massacre and its wind-swept gun-fight finalé, Death Rides A Horse delivers almost all the elements one might reasonably expect from the genre: a dashing, gun-slinging hero hell-bent on revenge, a grizzled ex-convict with a score to settle, loathsome villains, wonderful widescreen cinematography, a jail-break, a lynch-mob, fist fights, whisky drinking, poker playing, lots of rapid-zoom close-ups of eyes, a cool Ennio Morricone score, a village of scared Mexicans, and just a little gallows humour.

Where the film suffers somewhat is with its rather pedestrian plot, that offers too few genuine surprises, and which, at almost two hours, resorts to padding out the action by having the lead characters take it in turns to put themselves in mortal danger, only for one to be saved by the other. This nonsense takes some swallowing, but director Giulio Petroni's stylish handling, some gritty violence, and a fine performance from Van Cleef ensure that the film never drags.

While this might not be a top-tier spaghetti western, it's impressed me enough to make me want to check out further non-Leone movies.

Lee Van Cleef shines in this underrated revenge thriller. One of the better non-Leone spaghetti westerns.

[Infofreak · 24 April 2004]

It's hard not to think of Sergio Leone when watching 'Death Rides A Horse', and not just because Leone is the king of spaghetti westerns. The connections are even closer than that. Lee Van Cleef ("Angel Eyes" in 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly') co-stars, and the supporting cast includes Mario Brega and Luigi Pistilli, both familiar faces from Leone's Dollars trilogy. Plus it was written by Luciano Vincenzoni and scored by Morricone. Giulio Petroni however is the director instead of Leone. Maybe that's why it isn't as impressive as one might expect. Even so it's an underrated revenge thriller, and Van Cleef gives an excellent performance. He plays Ryan, an ex-con wanting some payback from a group of outlaws who double crossed him. John Phillip Law ('Diabolik') is Bill, a young guy obsessed with avenging the rape and murder of his mother and the slaying of his father and sister. Pretty soon Bill crosses paths with Ryan and comes to realize that they after the same men. The two form an uneasy relationship which in many ways is that of a surrogate father and son. 'Death Rides A Horse' may not be quite as great as Leone but it's still very good, and one of the better spaghetti westerns. It's particularly recommended to fans of Lee Van Cleef, who is just wonderful to watch.

DEATH RIDES A HORSE (Giulio Petroni, 1967) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 24 August 2006]

This is one of the most legendary Spaghetti Western titles (also because, until recently, it was so difficult to watch in decent form having fallen into the Public Domain), a fine revenge drama well handled by former documentarist Petroni (this was his first genre effort) - though it's somewhat overlong and slowly-paced to boot!

Once again, we have the tension-filled relationship between two unlikely characters - one the experienced and betrayed ex-con Lee Van Cleef and the other the brash and hate-filled youth John Philip Law - both gunning after the same gang seeking revenge. They're not exactly allies but when one hasn't preceded the other and their paths cross, they tend to help each other out (though it's more often Van Cleef who has to watch over the still-green Law); in one memorable and oft re-used scene, the latter is interred up to his neck and left to the mercy of insects, vultures and the scorching desert sun! The villains include Euro-Cult favorite Luigi Pistilli (his role here was basically replicated for Sergio Corbucci's THE GREAT SILENCE [1968]) and veteran British actor Anthony Dawson.

The twist at the end - also one which has seen much service, particularly in recent thrillers - is very effective, threatening to dissolve the growing friendship between the two men (Van Cleef has actually come to consider Law as the son he never had!) and which compels them to a face-off (with surprising results). Ennio Morricone's odd and mostly vocal score was actually utilized by Quentin Tarantino for his KILL BILL (2003/4) saga.

I had first watched this via a PD-release and this re-acquaintance came by way of a VHS recording off Cable TV, still in an English-dubbed (though, at least, featuring the leads' own voices) pan-and-scan version; I was aware that the film had been issued on R2 DVD by MGM, though I wasn't sure if the Italian track was included. Still, in spite of the lowly price, the utter lack of extras has dissuaded me from a purchase - given that it's yet to receive an official release on R1 and it may very well turn up in a SE from Italy (the director's subsequent film, TEPEPA [1968; reviewed below], received the deluxe 2-Disc treatment, with Petroni himself contributing an intermittent Audio Commentary!)...

Death ride a horse is far from dead, it's a lively film. Worth-watching, but still has some mistakes.

[ironhorse_iv · 6/10 · 29 September 2013]

There is a reason why people love Spaghetti Westerns. Most of the time, the movies that came out of this era were a little bit more realistic then its American counterpart, in the way, the films are made. Most of the men have sun-scorched, dirty, sweaty, unshaven faces clothes in these films as it look like what an violent, anarchic wild west settling would look like. It doesn't look like the typical Hollywood movies at the time with clean-shaven, clean clothes, romantic boy-scout good guys VS evil guys. Most of the characters in a Spaghetti Western would probably have a shade of grey to their character. If you're a fan of Spaghetti Westerns like me, then this movie is a must-watch and it's pretty watchable. Death Rides a Horse is a very interesting movie, as it somewhat become more popular due to another way popular film call Kill Bill (2003). There are several influences from and reference of Death Rides a Horse in Quentin Tarantino's movie. Some good examples are this, both stories are really similar. The story of Death Rides a Horse, is about Bill Meceita, (John Phillip Law), a man who as a child, witnesses the slaughter of his family, is now a young adult bend to sets out to track down the outlaws that kill his family from the clues he remembers from that night. Whenever, Bill encounters one of the bandits that kill his family. The footage of the bandit attacking one of his family member in the past, is superimposed over Bill's face showing anger and memory. The same thing happens in Kill Bill whenever the Bride confronted one of the Deadly Vipers in that film. The scene where the young boy, Bill watches his family being killed off, in-part is reenacted in the animated scene of Kill Bill with a few changes like skull necklace is depicted as a skull ring, worn by the man who kills O-Ren's father. The theme song by Spaghetti Western legend Ennio Morricone is even use in Kill Bill when it relates to the relationship to the Bride character and O-Ren character. It's seem like they have a connection to each other. While, Bill search each member of the gang, Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), just got released from prison, is on the same trail like Bill to search for those bandits that has robbed and double-crossed him. What starts as a rivalry turns into a deadly cooperation, and the discovery of their linked pasts, and both hunters find himself having more in common, then they want to know. Like, Ryan and Bill; both Kill Bill and Death rides a horse has similar things to each other, and find themselves more in common, then it does seems to be. Directed by Giulio Petroni, Death rides a Horse has lapsed into the public domain and can be found anywhere from Youtube, libraries to DVDs. It's not too hard to find like the other Spaghetti Westerns due to its new found popularity with cult followers. Just be warn, that like other westerns of the time, the title of the film might be different depending where you live, as it had to be copy and translate back into English speaker language. Other names that this movie goes under is Viva Django, Man to Man or Two Deadliest Guns Alive. The original name for the film was 'Duel in the Wind', but Lee Van Cleef came up with the Italian title while discussing the movie with co-star, John Phillip Law who thought of the movie as a 'man to man' story by Luciano Vincenzoni. Hints why it's sometimes call 'Man to Man', but the title was subsequently retitled to 'Death Rides a Horse' to the English market. The English dubbing is pretty awful, as you can see people still talking in German or Italian in the background. Worth noting, the movie is a bit lengthy, but if you get the Italian version, it runs six minutes longer than the complete English assembly. There seem to be some scenes cut in the English version like when the Sheriff talks about Betsy. We never see Betsy in the English version of the film. The movie is far from perfect, as it has a clutter of clichés such as the one kill shots, and a high death count: 49 if you're counting. Why do some shooting victims have to do a little dance when they are dying? It just takes away from the realistic of the film. The intro was forgettable, and there were some bit boring parts toward the middle of the film, but it get better toward the end. I do like the sandstorm/ fort showdown, even if parts of it was a bit silly with identical shoots use multiply times. I don't know, why the villains took so long to attack them after retaking the fort. There were a few other problems, I notice as the movie scenes cut from day to night, back to day, and back to night. A good example of this is when Ryan is dumped by the bandits after the night of the robbery on the road to be captured by the Sheriff. Then the scene cuts back to the night of the robbery. What is going on here? I have to say that John Phillip Law's acting is mediocre. It kinda sank the picture in my opinion whenever they did a close up on his face and he reads his line out like a cardboard cut out. I do have to say, I did like the 'Revenge serve cold' speech between Ryan and Bill. Lee Van Cleef really made the film stand out. Overall: good movie at the time, and a lot better than some of the other films, I have saw. It's still have a few mistakes that hurt the film. This is truly a movie about revenge, and there is nothing sweet about it.

Death Rides a Horse': Can you beat that title??

[westerner357 · 8/10 · 7 May 2003]

Can you beat a title like that? 'Death Rides a Horse...' Only the Italians could come up with something like that.

Western vengeance tale with John Phillip Law going after those who murdered his family, 15 years after the fact. Van Cleef has a connection to these murders which will become apparent towards the end of the film. I won't give away the spoiler, here.

What must have been shocking and brutal for 1967 was the fact that white men were shown to gun down women and children, something a Hollywood western would never touch unless they were depicting the Indians doing it. That was OK since they were bloodthirsty, heathen savages who had no morals and could be portrayed as such.

But for 'civilized' white men to do so, that was a no-no. No wonder John Wayne hated these kinds of westerns. They threw the 'code of the west' right out the window.

Putting aside Van Cleef's appearance in Leone's westerns, I would rate this one as high as 'The Big Gundown' (1967) and 'Sabata' (1970) as my all-time favorites.

And yes, the Morricone score goes well with the film. Especially the scenes where Ryan (Van Cleef) has just walked out the door of a prison and is buying the horse, and later when he meets Bill (Law) for the first time (as an adult) on his farm. Man, that score is unnerving. If you can track it down on old vinyl or CD, buy it. Nothing beats those soaring choruses or Spanish guitars, jangling tensely in the background.

Get's an 8 out of 10 for sheer entertainment value...

A vendetta western with two sensational main actors : Van Cleef and Law and shot in Almeria, of course.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 20 February 2008]

This is a revenge movie, a Spaghetti Western with full of thrills, shootous and follows the wake of Sergio Leone . It starts with impressive scenes , death all a beloved family by a killer gang , there only escapes a little boy. Some years later, the survivor named Bill (John Philip Law) seeks vengeance . Meanwhile , a convict (Lee Van Cleef) goes out of prison where he was for fifteen years and he also wishes revenge and reckoning. Mysterious gunman Ryan acts as protector of the young gunfighter and vice versa , Bill also saves him when Ryan is falsely accused of bank robbing. Duo starring undergoing a strange relation of comradeship and paternal-filial feeling .

¨Da Uomo a Uomo¨ that was subsequently retitled "Death Rides a Horse" is a "man to man" story; being one of the best spaghetti western of the film history in connection Sergio Leone's universe by intervention of writer Luciano Vincenzoni and musical score by Ennio Morricone, both of them are habitual Leone's collaborators , and artificers of 'Trilogy of dollars' : ¨A fistful of dollars¨ , ¨A few dollars more¨ and ¨The Good , Ugly and Bad¨; besides , other Leone flicks as ¨Duck you, sucker¨ and ¨Once upon a time in the West¨. Duo protagonists are frankly magnificent. A serious and smooth-talking Lee Van Cleef as an experienced gunman and cool John Philip Law as a brave young , though impulsive and revenger ; at the same time (1967) he starred various hits , such as : ¨Diabolik¨ by Mario Bava , ¨Barbarella¨ by Roger Vadim, ¨Red Baron¨ by Roger Corman, among others . Furthermore, there appear other usual secondaries from Spaghetti , such as Luigi Pistilli , Mario Brega , Jose Torres , Romano Puppo, Bruno Corazzari, Ignazio Leone, Guglielmo Spoletini or William Bogart and special acting by Anthony Dawson (no confusion with Italian director Anthony M. Dawson-Margheriti), famous strangler of Grace Kelly in Hitchcock's ¨Dial M for murder¨. The film displays adequate cinematography by cameraman Carlo Carlini and powerful soundtrack by the great Ennio Morricone. The motion picture whose original title was "Duel in the Wind¨ or "Da Uomo a Uomo" was well directed by Giulio Petroni, author of another excellent S. W. titled ¨Tepepa¨ (with Orson Welles and Tomas Milian) and two minor Italian Westerns, such as : ¨Night of serpent (with Luke Askew, Luigi Pistilli) ¨ and ¨A sky full of stars for a roof (with Giuliano Gemma, Mario Adorf)¨.

This is the masterpiece of a peculiar sub-genre dealing with master-disciple gunmen relationship, Spaghetti's ordinary plot, such as : ¨Day of anger (by Tonino Valeri)¨ with Van Cleef-Giuliano Gemma ; ¨Bandidos (Massimo Dallamano)¨ with Enrico Mª Salerno-Venantino Venantini , and ¨Allómbra di Colt (Giovanni Grimaldi)¨ with Conrado San Martin-Stephen Forsyth. Rating : Better than average Spaghetti, the film will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fans. It is essential and indispensable to see it for Spaghetti Western enthusiasts, being considered worldwide one of the best, usually being among the first on the lists that are usually made.

An Excellent Revenge Driven Spaghetti Western.

[JohnWelles · 8/10 · 12 January 2010]

"Death Rides a Horse" AKA "As Man to Man" (1967), directed by Giulio Petroni, is among the best Spaghetti Westerns. Leen, mean and with with plenty of action, it never slows down from the brilliantly executed murder and rape during a thunder-storm that sets in motion Bill Meceita

(John Phillip Law)trail of bloody vengeance. Of course the real star of this film is Lee Van Cleef. Tougth and savage, this master thespian can easily hold his own against scowling villains One-Eye (Mario Brega) or Walcott (Luigi Pistilli). The photography is fine and the screenplay by Luciano Vincenzoni is a mini-masterpiece of revenge-drama.

But now, the vices. Quite a few shots of "canyons" seem to have been filmed in quarry's, some of the supporting cast are weak, notably Carlo Pisacane and José Torres. Also, the one real weakness that detracts from this otherwise great movie is when, each time Bill sees someone who was involved in killing his father, there is a quick, red tinted flash-back showing what evil crime they had committed against his family. As there are five people to kill, this soon becomes rather monotonous.

Apart from the few flaws mentioned, this is a almost perfect example of a normal Spaghetti Western. A sheer joy to watch.

They came in the window. It wasn't to wish me pleasant dreams

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 27 December 2010]

They came in the window. It wasn't to wish me pleasant dreams After thieves steal $200,000 awkwardly expositioned by one of the keepers, they attack a home, kill the husband and... I don't know, it may be inferred that there is suggested rape of the wife and daughter, but if so, they're the fastest guns in the state(see what I did there?), so more likely, they're just messing up their clothes some. Anyway, fifteen years later, the surviving boy wants revenge, and so does the bad-ass Lee Van Cleef who was framed and has been in jail for stealing the cash. Other than that the subtitles are hilarious(they write *everything* - including almost the entirety of the credits, as they're on the screen - and the punctuation is lazy), this is a pretty dependable 114 minutes of spaghetti Western. Gunslinging, card games, a saloon with doors that swing open, a sense of honor and even hot chicks. In best Leone style we have close-ups(and the great faces that make these work), build-up, genuine tension and a nice climax. The coolness is also very much present, and the dialog is good and well-delivered, and some of it clever. This is filmed and edited well, with occasional odd framing. The humor has strong moments. This has really solid acting for all involved. The DVD comes with a trailer for other works from the period. I recommend this to fans of the genre. 7/10

As Good, As Bad, and As Ugly As They Say.

[Steve_Nyland · 8/10 · 7 February 2005]

This is another of what I would call a "Gateway Film", one that can lead to a serious addiction to a given genre; In this case, the (sic) Pasghetti western. And while I have only seen it two or three times, DEATH RIDES A HORSE reminded me instantly of why I love this genre -- Recklessness, and a willingness to work within certain constraints even when the outcome doesn't work to well. The film doesn't give a damn & doesn't look back for a second, and is one of the best ways to throw away 114 minutes of your life that I can think of.

The movie's follows the tried & true Pasta Oater revenge formula: A young boy witnesses the brutal robbery, rape & murder of his family, and grows up to be John Phillip Law. He can shoot like the dickens, wears suspenders, and everyone of significance that he comes in contact with during the course of the film is somehow connected to the murder of his family.

One of them will be Lee Van Cleef, who is to Pasghetti Westerns what carbon is to life on Earth. He made them accessible, was their greatest co-dependent enabler, and yet he never rose to the stardom Clint Eastwood knew, but in a way that suggests he wasn't interested in stardom. He was interested in making westerns, and making them in the somewhat amoral way that the post-Leone Italians excelled at.

Just how Van Cleef fits into Law's equation for vengeance I will leave a surprise, though watching the film for the first time it was not a question to me of whether or not Van Cleef may have been involved, but how. As explained in the movie's final act it's somewhat miraculous that Law doesn't figure it out on his own, but then again his character isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the lighthouse, and his near fate of being buried up to his neck in the sand provides a chance for some really fabulous photography & editing, and good enough material to be re-salvaged in dozens of action/buddy films to come afterwards.

I must say, though, that the ending did not live up to the promise of the film's opening movements, especially the beginning, which is one of the gnarliest openings to a western ever put to film. This isn't a film for 12 year olds to wile away a rainy afternoon. Unconventional camera-work and a genuinely unnerving Ennio Morioconne score make the first half of the film a dizzying experience the first time you see it, and at times one has to struggle to keep track of the plot. The visceral effect of watching the film becomes the focus, and the story very correctly plays second fiddle to style, mood, pacing and motif.

But that's why John Phillip Law is so perfect in this role: He seems like he is a capable gunslinger & all, but in way over his head, and if it wasn't for Van Cleef's careful manipulation of events he wouldn't have a chance. He is an underdog, and we root for him in a way that Clint never really seemed to need it. The only problem is that the movie will leave you feeling empty & wanting to see more of the like, and there are SO many more of the like it's hard to choose which way to go.

But for anyone who may be ready to advance beyond Leone Territory into Italian westerns DEATH RIDES A HORSE is as good a place to start as any, and deserves a proper restorative effort immediately: There are 93 minute and 114 minute English language versions kicking around that suggest a truly grand film waiting to be rediscovered -- look for the longer print on a 4 movie DVD box set called THE GUNSLINGERS. It's a pretty bad fullframe version that looks cut to me. But until something else comes wandering down the trail this cold little dish of vengeance will have to do.

***1/2 out of ****

This world is full of nervous characters.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 22 September 2013]

Death Rides a Horse (AKA: Da uomo a uomo/As Man to Man) is directed by Giulio Petroni and written by Luciano Vincenzoni. It stars Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law, Carlo Pisacane, Luigi Pistilli, Anthony Dawson, Jose Torres and Carla Cassola. A Technicolor/Techniscope production, music is by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Carlo Carlini.

As a young boy Bill Meceita (Law), hidden away and cowering, was witness to the rape and murder of his family. 15 years later he is out for revenge against the gang who committed the crimes. Also after the same gang is Ryan (Cleef), fresh out of prison and with his own reasons for vengeance. Two men with the same objective, but not "exactly" working together even as they keep crossing each others paths…

Highly regarded by staunch Spaghetti Western fans, Death Rides a Horse has all the staple requirements in place to understand why that is the case. However, and it is a fun, violent and technically smart picture, it still comes across as a little jaded, even unadventurous. Certainly as an appetiser to the more well known Spaghetti's from the houses of Leone, Corbucci et al, it's filling for sure, a good starting point in fact for those exploring the sub-genre for the first time. But it hardly transcends Spaghetti Western World.

It's ripe with scope landscapes, sweaty close ups of hard bastard anti- heroes and low life villains, violence that grabs the senses as Morricone whirls his musical baton of sublime distortional sounds, and of course there's Van Cleef doing what he does best, acting with a visual skill that says so much whilst actually doing very little. The by-play between Cleef and Law, a future Sinbad no less, is truly enjoyable, as their characters get caught somewhere in the middle of a dusky void that asks them to help or hinder their respective rival.

It all builds to the big finale, where a pretty gentle twist fails to derail the momentum of the action and tension. While Petroni drops in some visual flares which obviously had future directors taking notes. All told it isn't that great a film to feel confident enough about recommending it to the casual film fan, but anyone with an interest in Spaghetti Westerns will find rewards. On proviso that is, that expectation level is set at a suitable level. 7/10

Not the classic I had hoped it would be

[Gloede_The_Saint · 5/10 · 28 February 2010]

I'm a big fan of Sphagetti Westerns but for some reason I didn't watch this until today. Lee Van Cleef is always a joy to watch. One of the greatest western star(no matter nationality) and he keeps it up in this one too. However the rest of the cast, safe a few bad guys, does a pretty poor job. I mean seriously, any chance of John Phillip Law being Steven Seagals father, lol. Same face through the whole damn thing.

I hadn't seen anything from Giulio Petroni before so I had no idea what to expect. I must say I'm not likely to check out any of his other films. He takes the simplest, most cliché shots and manages to even screw up some of them. The films look is just completely unspectacular and far below average. Of course this can be blamed on camera men, the editing room, etc. but it's still the directors job to make sure everything turns out alright.

Now it wasn't horrible. Far from it, pretty OK actually. It's a pretty cool and entertaining, less than I had hoped for, but still very enjoyable. Sadly the poor direction is not the only problem, the films plot and dialog just yells simplicity and thoughtlessness. Silly one-liners and everything falls into place perfectly.

I watched the English version (mainly because the Italian one doesn't appear to exist) and the dubbing was pretty darn weak. There's even scenes were people are "talking" without moving their lips. I'm not sure how much this is a fault of the actual film as every film should be viewed in it's original language. And though this is partly American it is possible that the Italians but more work into their sound. If you are a Spaghetti fan you will probably check it out, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't familiar with the genre.

The expressive eyes make dialog practically unnecessary.

[edd-6 · 13 June 1999]

On a remote Firebase in Vietnam, we received a 16mm movie each day by helicopter. We typically watched about 3:00AM in our small fire direction center (FDC). "Death Rides a Horse" was delivered at least 15 times in 10 months. We were moved by the expressive eyes and dramatic stares throughout the movie. After several viewings, we'd decided to leave the sound off and provide our own dialog. This movie was a great tension buster in the middle of undesired action. Thank you Lee VanCleef!

Great idea for a film, but the villains seemed amazingly stupid

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 19 June 2009]

This film begins with a very brutal scene--even by Spaghetti Western standards. A man is killed, his wife and daughter are raped and killed and it's all witnessed by the young son. The scene abruptly changes, and you see John Phillip Law doing amazing things practicing with his guns. Amazing because one of his 6-shooters fires 9 bullets and the other 11 without being reloaded. I am not sure if this was perhaps a deliberate mistake or the film makers were idiots. I would assume this was done deliberately. By the way the scene is done, you'd assume Law was this boy grown up and practicing for the day he meets up with any of the group of men who destroyed his family.

Next, the scene switches to a prison out West. Lee Van Cleef (in my opinion, the baddest character from this genre) is finally getting out after 15 years. Soon after being released, he is attacked by two men and in typical Van Cleef fashion, he air conditions their bodies. When Law finds out that one of the dead men is one of the guys who killed his family, he tries to find Van Cleef. It turns out that they BOTH hate the gang and want revenge, but Van Cleef doesn't want any partners--he wants the pleasure of killing them all himself.

For much of the rest of the film, the two trade off who kills the next gang member--not that either is concerned with sharing. I liked this idea, though the intelligence of these killing machines isn't great--too often one of them would get caught and would need a miracle to escape. And, in each case, the villains are so freaking stupid that they always leave a possibility for survival. Now considering that the bad guys KNOW these two have vowed revenge, you'd think they would just kill them instantly and be done with it.

In many ways, the film reminds me of the classics FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (both with Van Cleef), as in these films the two male "heroes" both try to outdo each other by killing the bad guys. However, in this film it's less about money but about revenge. In fact, aside from the stupidity of the villains, I'd say these three movies are nearly equal in quality and excitement and the film certainly did end well.

Lee Van Cleef becomes a star

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 July 2013]

After Lee Van Cleef scored in the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western films and after years of support he became a star on his own. Not exactly leading man material, Van Cleef became a kind of lower case Lee Marvin for the rest of his career. His first starring vehicle was Death Rides A Horse where he plays an old outlaw who has a score to settle with an outlaw gang that betrayed him.

Also having a score to settle is young John Phillip Law who as a child saw the same band murder his parents and sister. One of the outlaws feeling sorry for him, carried him from a burning building.

This is hardly an original plot and has been done in American and spaghetti westerns a Gazillion times best known as the storyline in Once Upon A Time In The West. Still veteran westerner Van Cleef and Law carry it off with aplomb.

I'm not a big fan of spaghetti westerns, but this one is all right.

"You've got a stupid face but you get it."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 6 September 2014]

A young man (John Phillip Law), whose family was murdered when he was a child, sets out to avenge them with help from a gunfighter (Lee Van Cleef) just released from prison. Good Spaghetti Western with a wonderful Ennio Morricone score. Kill Bill fans will recognize a lot of it. Lee Van Cleef is always awesome to watch. Luigi Pistilli, Mario Brega, and Anthony Dawson are all fine. A major negative is the casting of John Phillip Law. With his steel blue eyes and All-American good looks, Law was perhaps someone's idea of the next Paul Newman back in the day. Unfortunately he doesn't have one-tenth of the charisma of Newman. He's a very wooden actor lacking in the kind of screen presence needed to hold his own with the great Lee Van Cleef. Still, despite this drawback and a slower than necessary pace, it's a good movie. The story is simple but they generally were with Spaghetti Westerns. It's the appeal of Van Cleef coupled with the style of the sub-genre that should please most viewers.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 17 November 2017]

One can hardly blame young Bill Meceita (John Phillip Law) for wanting vengeance. As a child, he'd had to watch while a particularly rotten gang of bandits murdered the rest of his family (taking the time to rape his sister and mother first). As an adult, he hooks up with a stranger named Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), who has his own reasons for wanting to get back at the gang.

As Luciano Vincenzonis' script plays out, Bill and Ryan will take turns bailing the other out of trouble. Ryan warns Bill that his lust for vengeance could be deadly, but as it turns out, the two of them do need each other. Among the targets of their missions: banker Walcott (Luigi Pistilli) and saloon owner Burt Cavanaugh (Anthony Dawson).

"Death Rides a Horse" is an awesome title (although Law himself is not fond of it) for this very long, meticulously paced Spaghetti Western saga. Gorgeously shot by Carlo Carlini in Technicscope, it features yet another grandiose and effective soundtrack composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone. Violent without being gory, it's still pretty grim and powerful. This doesn't mean, however, that the script is without a sense of humour.

Van Cleef, showing us what screen charisma is all about, once again gets to play a character who is a truly cool customer. He remains a pleasure to watch, but is very well supported by the sincere Law. Dawson ("Dial M for Murder", "Dr. No") and Italian cinema veterans Pistilli ("Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key", "A Bay of Blood") and Mario Brega (Leones' "Dollars" trilogy, "Once Upon a Time in America") are villains par excellence.

At the core of this film is the interesting relationship between the older and younger man, as Ryan imparts wisdom and becomes something of a father figure in Bills' life.

Stylish and exciting, "Death Rides a Horse" leaves a vivid impression on the viewer.

Eight out of 10.

The title shudda been The showdown at the windy village or the boy with strong observing n memory power.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 21 March 2019]

A small boy Bill (John Phillip Law) witnesses the extermination of his entire family by a gang. But our boy succeeded in memorizing all the signs n symbols of the culprits so that he can exact revenge. Maybe Liam Neeson from Taken taught him that. One has a tattoo of four aces on his chest, another a scar, one a distinctive earring, one a chain with a skull pendant n one fella's mean face was visible. 15 years later n all the fellas r still carrying on with the same signs n symbols but in the meantime our boy has grown into a man with solid gun practice n has a penchant for toothpicks. A gunfighter named Ryan (Van Cleef), recently released from a prison aft serving 15 years wants to track down the same gang which Bill is after. We r never shown how n why Cleef's character got betrayed by his gang. The climax scene is shot in a Mexican village wher the wind storm seems to happen only around a small compound. Even during the entire shootout, the wind storm is present n the moment the shootout ends, the storm stops. What happens to the men from the village is never explained cos suddenly everyone disappears n we have only Phillip Law n a shirtless Van Cleef fighting off the entire gang.

There is a scene where the fella who is wearing the earring is shown facing forward n when he removes the hat he faces sideways as if he purposely did that to show his earring. Ther is action but no impactful shootout or showdown but the innovative torture method of burryin alive from the neck down n then thrusting salt in the mouth n keeping the water bowl in front of the head in the scorching sun is brutal. I first saw this in the 90s on a vhs. Revisited it few days back.

One of the best non-Sergio Leone/Sergio Corbucci Spaghetti Westerns

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 7 July 2007]

"Death Rides A Horse" ranks as one of the best non-Sergio Leone/Sergio Corbucci spaghetti westerns.

The chief reason that many connoisseurs lump Giulio Petroni's suspenseful but savage horse-play in the same league with Leone may owe to the fact that scenarist Luciano Vincenzoni, who penned this inventive Lee Van Cleef oater, collaborated with Leone on "For A Few Dollars More," "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," and "A Fistful of Dynamite." Vincenzoni was a talented writer in his own right and his contributions to the Leone westerns appears more obvious in his solo scripting here. Like "FAFDM," "Death Rides A Horse" explores the relationship between an older man and a younger one in their mutual pursuit of men that have wronged them. Indeed, the John Phillip Law gunslinger wears apparel similar to what the Clint Eastwood bounty hunter wore in the "Dollar" epics.

Conversely, Lee Van Cleef is not a former Confederate officer in "Death Rides A Horse," but an ex-con outlaw who has completed a long stretch in prison. Composer Ennio Morricone,who scored all Leone's westerns, provides a flavorful but downbeat orchestral soundtrack that captures the savagery of the action; Morricone's score differs thematically from his Leone's because it lacks the lively bells and whistles. Skull-faced Luigi Pistilli and barrel-chested Mario Brega, who appeared in Leone's westerns, are the villains. Of course, Lee Van Cleef played in "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." He gives a terrific performance in one of his better spaghetti western roles as Ryan, a hardcase outlaw condemned to serve a fifteen year prison sentence for a crime that he did not commit. "Danger: Diabolik's" John Phillip Law co-stars as sharp-shooting tin-horn gunslinger Bill Meceita; Bill has sworn a vow to avenge the murders of his father, mother, and sister since the night that he witnessed the atrocity. Indeed, the same dastards that framed Ryan for the Meceita Ranch massacre and robbery butchered Bill's family.

The Meceita Ranch slaughter could only have occurred in an abrasive Italian western. The "Death Rides A Horse" villains are unrepentant bastards. They don't topple like ten-pins when the heroes cross their trails with guns blazing. The grim, unsavory opening scene where this evil gang steals $200-thousand dollars and then murders an innocent family, molests the women, and burns down the house almost as afterthought, gets the action off to a grisly start. Vincenzoni earmarks each amoral malefactor by body jewelry, tattoos, facial scars, or parts of their apparel. As with most westerns, the wardrobe and appearance of each individual tells us volumes more about them than they would ever be allowed to reveal in dialogue. The most important example of body jewelry is the Death's Head pedant that dangles from the neck of the outlaw who pulls young Bill out of the conflagration and conceals him from his cohorts. Vincenzoni's clever screenplay pays off this mystery in the last half-hour and furnishes a surprise ending to top it off. This high body count sagebrusher can be divided roughly into two acts based on its settings. The first half takes place in Texas after Bill has grown up and Ryan has gotten out of jail. The second half occurs in dusty Mexico and blends elements of "The Magnificent Seven" when Ryan and Bill organize the peasants to fight Walcott's gang that has terrorized them for too long. The shoot'em up finale where the villains serenade the heroes the night before with a funeral march, such as in both versions of "The Alamo" and "Rio Bravo," is genuinely atmospheric. You don't see stuff like that in most Hollywood westerns. Petroni goes even farther with the finale by staging the gunfight in a sandstorm, just to make sure that nobody has the easy way out. Ryan and Bill both qualify as sympathetic, outnumbered heroes, but they are vulnerable, too.

Vincenzoni's screenplay is not a straightforward revenge melodrama where the heroes kill the villains one by one. The villains, who have become pillars of the community during the fifteen years that Ryan rotted in prison, commit an even greater crime, and they frame Ryan for their latest crime. Similarly, Bill runs into trouble in Mexico and winds up buried up to his chin in the parched earth with the sun blazing down on him and fistful of salt crammed in his mouth. The scene when Ryan shows up at the mission, masquerading as a peasant himself, and meets Bill again is the only time that Petroni allows humor in this abrasive western. Essentially, while they are capable heroes, they are not unrealistically invincible, and this makes them believable. The cat and mouse relationship between Ryan and Bill enlivens the action. At first, Ryan leaves Bill afoot in the middle of nowhere, and then later Bill rescues Ryan from jail but strands him. They indulge in a constant game of one-upmanship with the older man pointing out the youngster's error, a staple theme in most Hollywood westerns. There are some neat little touches here that stand out. In a similar saloon scene where the younger hero helps out a less fortunate individual, there is a shoot. In this scene, a derringer flies out of a dead man's grip and lands on a piano and strikes a dramatic note. Before this shoot-out, the hero calls for the pianist to hit three notes and then the gunplay can commence something like the finale in "For A Few Dollars More" with its timepiece melody. When "Death Rides A Horse" ends, Ryan and Bill have made reconciliation, but when Bill rides off, the feeling is one of finality rather than renewal. Anybody that considers himself or herself a Lee Van Cleef fan should watch "Death Rides A Horse."

Cowboys, shootouts, bank robbers, Mexican villages and Lee Van Cleef

[imranahmedsg · 7/10 · 8 November 2020]

No Indians in this spaghetti Western. It's about revenge and hunting down the killers of one man's family.

All the ingredients of a watchable Spaghetti Western including a well cast Lee Van Cleef. Music by the talented Ennio Morricone adds to the film.

As far as Spaghetti Westerns go this is one of the better ones.

Piano Player. Three notes!

[ster2001 · 10/10 · 8 January 2004]

This is without question one of the best Spaghetti westerns. Where is a decent print of this movie? The print quality form the ones for sale on DVD are atrocious! I had to borrow a decent vhs taped off AMC to see how it should really look. Lee van Cleef is superb, one of his best jobs after "For a few dollars more" Also fantastic score by Morricone, almost avant garde in some spots. Great one liners abound and special kudos to veteran bad guy Anthony Dawson for the most histrionic death scene ever, which is preceeded by three overly dramatized notes on the piano. And the ending manages to be quite touching. Brilliant!!

Japanese Dubbing

[arfdawg-1 · 6/10 · 28 March 2014]

As a child, Bill witnesses the murder of his family by four robbers.

Fifteen years later, he embarks on his revenge.

During his quest, he crosses paths with Ryan, an ex-con who wants the money the robbers owe him.

Saw the good reviews. Let me say up front the version I saw had the worst dubbing ever. People's mouths would move and no voice would come out until 4 seconds later. It was like some bad Japanese dubbed movie!

That said, it's well made and apparently influenced Tarantino in Kill Bill. John Philip Law cannot act but Lee Van Cleef saves the day.

I'm not a huge fan of spaghetti westerns, but I liked this movie. If you ARE a fan, you'll probably love it.

Some entertainment value but seriously flawed

[wineandkerosene · 5/10 · 25 October 2010]

First the good news: This is a decent revenge yarn with a standout performance by Lee Van Cleef. And there are some creative touches like the red tinted flashback scenes, which were famously copied by Tarantino.

Now for the bad news: The editing is awful, the acting is mediocre (aside from the aforementioned Van Cleef), and the score by Ennio Morricone is surprisingly ordinary. Also the DVD I rented looked like a transfer from an old VHS tape.

If you like spaghetti westerns you should find something to enjoy here, but this should not be your introduction to the genre.