Adiós, Sabata (1970) User Reviews

Entertaining Brynner-starring spaghetti western, although it's not a Sabata film

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 1 February 2017]

I saw this Yul Brynner-starring spaghetti western under the title ADIOS SABATA, even though it has nothing to do with the two Lee Van Cleef-starring SABATA films. It's not as good as the first Van Cleef film but better than the second. The coolest thing about this movie is seeing Yul Brynner in a wicked '70s set up complete with black costume, open shirt, and the like. Brynner's name is Indio Black in the original, Sabata in the version attempting to tie it in to the Van Cleef series.

Once again the plot centres around a gold shipment and efforts by rival parties to get their hands on it. Brynner sort of moves in and out of the story and takes care of a bunch of soldiers and henchmen along the way. The Mexican revolutionaries are posited as the 'good' characters in this film; perhaps the Italians identified with them better given that this was shot in Spain. Care is taken to make the main bad guy an Austrian rather than American. The film is well shot and written, and proves an entertaining example of the spaghetti western genre.

This exciting film packs action , explosions , adventures and laughs with a sensational star : Yul Brynner

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 10 January 2007]

The film talks about Sabata or Indio Black (Yul Brynner) , a gunfighter dressed in dark buckskin with fringes . He along with a motley group of revolutionary bandits have purports to steal a wagon loaded of gold from a devious Austrian Colonel called Skimmel (Gerard Herter) serving to Emperor Maximiliano during the Mexican Civil War against Benito Juarez . The misfit group is formed by different characters each one with particular ability , as the deaf-mute (Sal Borgese) is an expert thrower of balls , the dancer Gitano or Gypsy (Joseph Persaud) who does a Flamenco dance of death ; besides a fat , ironic Mexican (Pedro Sanchez or Ignacio Spalla acting in similar roles to Spaghetti idol Fernando Sancho) and a cocky , ruddy young man (the singer Dean Reed , early deceased) .

The picture contains Western action , gun-play , comedy , tongue-in-cheek and a little bit of violence . The film gets the comic remarks from Western parody united the features of typical Spaghetti as violent confrontation , ambitious antiheroes , bloody and spectacular showdown with several deaths , quick zooms and extreme baddies . This was not originally a Sabata film , the original Italian title translates as "Indio Black, you know what? You're a big son of a..." . Indio Black being the character played by Yul Brynner , but the title and Brynner's character name were changed for the American release to cash in on Sabata (1969) , the original film . Yul Brynner as a tough gunfighter with technical weaponry (like a Western James Bond) is enjoyable , similarly the previous Sabata : Lee Van Cleef , who was playing the role as 'Chris' in the following to first entry ¨The Seven magnificent¨ whose starring was the famous bald . At the same time Brynner filmed ¨Catlow¨ by Sam Wanamaker also in a lookalike role and similar plot , but it also narrates the robbing a Mexican gold shipment . Gerard Herter as a nasty and cruel Austrian officer with monocle named Colonel Skimmel is magnificent , but he repeats the role who starred in ¨The big gundown¨ (by Sergio Sollima with Lee Van Cleef) also with Nieves Navarro , here playing a very secondary role as a gorgeous saloon dancer . Bruno Nicolai musical score is lively and atmospheric , he's an usual collaborator to Ennio Morricone . The picture was well produced by Albert Grimaldi (¨Trilogy of dollars¨ producer) . The film was professionally directed by Frank Kramer (pseudonym of Gianfranco Parolini) who made the original and best ¨Sabata¨, continuing with ¨The return of Sabata¨ ; besides directing another Spaghetti hero : ¨Sartana¨ with Gianni Garco and Klaus Kinski, and his last Western again with Lee Van Cleef : ¨Diamante Lobo¨ . The flick will appeal to Yul Brynner fans and Spaghetti Western enthusiasts.

"great" spaghetti

[rmahaney4 · 6/10 · 19 January 2002]

The manic westerns of Gianfranco Parolini are like surreal comic books with outrageous editing and angles, bizarre weaponry, confusing language, episodic plots where every scene has a punchline, and ridiculous costumes. His films have a sense of tongue in cheek fun that comes through clearly thirty years later. It appears that the circus was his model, unpretentious entertainment pure and simple. There is absolutely no serious intention in his movies. That is why he remains the guilty pleasure of a number of fans of spaghetti westerns and eurotrash films in general. Along with Sabata (1970), Adios, Sabata is one of his "best".

The score by Bruno Nicolai is excellent, though reminiscent of Morricone's scores for the first 2 Leone movies.

The movie was originally intended be about a character called Indio Black, but with the success of Sabata the names were changed.

The five best things about this film: 1)Yul Brynner's black outfit with leather trim, an open vest, and bell bottoms 2)Lines like (spoken by Brynner), "Now let's get moving. Every Austrian in the territory will be looking for us." 3)The devious Colonel Skimmel 4)Every Austrian wears a black suit, tie, and bowler hat, making them somewhat conspicuous 5)The cast of revolutionary characters each with a unique ability or weapon

Top spaghetti western list http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849907

Average SWs http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849889

For fanatics only (bottom of the barrel) http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849890

OK but should have been better

[spider89119 · 6/10 · 6 December 2005]

This is not the same "Sabata" character as in the Lee Van Cleef movies. This character was actually supposed to be named "Indio Black" but they changed his name for the English version. Why they thought that a western with a big star like Yul Brynner wouldn't be popular enough on it's own, and tried to cash in on the Sabata name is beyond me, but studios and distributors did a lot of stupid things to film titles back then, especially with the international releases, so it's par for the course.

Yul Brynner is interesting as the protagonist in this film. Too bad he didn't appear in any other spaghetti westerns. He's no Lee Van Cleef, but he does have a style of his own. His accent makes him sound like Arnold Schwartzeneggar in some parts. Gerard Herter is great as the wicked, Nazi-like Austrian Colonel. I wasn't very impressed with any of the other actors in the movie. Dean Reed was especially awful, and his character, "Ballantyne" was very irritating. I kept hoping he would get killed throughout the whole movie, but that damned Indio Black kept saving him.

The music score is OK, but not as good as most of Bruno Nicolai's other work, and there are very long stretches of the film with no music at all where it probably could use some.

The movie drags a little from the middle to the end. There's lots of action, but it just doesn't have the pizazz or suspense of the really great spaghetti westerns. It would probably be better if it was shorter. Some movies, like Sergio Leone's westerns for example, are able to go on for 2 or 3 hours and not have a dull moment, but this movie isn't one of them. It could have been 15 or 20 minutes shorter.

Overall, the production quality is good, and the story is OK, though it's nothing original. This one is worth watching, but probably for spaghetti western fans only.

Yul Brynner in black buckskin

[westerner357 · 6/10 · 29 January 2004]

Ok so it was supposed to be called INDIO BLACK as well as it should have been.

After all, Yul Brynner played the character far differently than Lee Van Cleef did and this film really shouldn't be associated with the other two Sabata films. It's a different character look altogether with the Brynner version dressed in black buckskin and silver buckles while the Van Cleef version of Sabata settled more for the conservative Bret Maverick gambler look.

Also notably stars failed American singer Dean Reed who would later die under mysterious circumstances in East Germany during the 1980s.

The Bruno Nicolai score is excellent although derivative of other scores for the genre. If you like soundtracks for these types of films, then it's well worth picking up. I know I'll be on the lookout for it.

Lots of explosions and gunfire in this one as Brynner & Co. battle the Austrians under Maximillian (in Mexico circa 1867) and steal their gold. There's nothing boring about it and it's face-paced with a few tricks such as the model of the ship in Colonel Skimmel's study that shoots real live ammo everytime someone opens the drawer below it. I also like Brynner's sawed-off rifle with the clip that loads from the side. He keeps a cigar in the last chamber and lights it up after every gun battle. Very tongue-in-cheek.

I liked it. Too bad the widescreen version was cropped for television.

6 out of 10

24 carot spaghetti western and Brynner's only.

[johnwaynefreak · 4 February 2003]

Firstly, this is *not* a sequel to 1970's "Sabata" ("Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso!") although it can be considered a follow up of sorts. Lee Van Cleef did not reprise the role until 1971's "Return of Sabata". "Adiós Sabata" was originally about a character called Indio Black and completely unrelated to the previous Sabata story - Indio, I believe, was meant to be nothing more than a bandit. The name was changed to cash in on the success of "Sabata" - though this film could be considered a true Sabata entry as a couple of stars return (Pedro Sanchez, Gianni Rizzo) and the screenwriters and director are the same. Gianfranco Parolini (Frank Kramer) perhaps out does the previous film here, keeping everything tighter - "Sabata" was a little too jokey (although still excellent and one of the truly great Italian westerns) whereas this is blatantly tongue in cheek. I feel the music is better in this film, never intrusive and always fitting: a triumph for Bruno Nicolai, despite the fact that it is incredibly reminiscent of Morricone.

As Sabata, Brynner is a kind of anti-hero counterpart to Chris from "The Magnificent Seven"; he even dresses out all in black here too. Gérard Herter is great as the Austrian Colonel Skimmel at the time of Emperor Maximillian's Mexico - a kind of borderline camp, Bond villain type, complete with monacle and perfectly trimmed moustache. Oh, and yes, he is a dead shot with a rifle. In "Sabata", Franco Ressel's Stengel had his shootout's behind man shaped shields (to live at the peak of danger or some such nonsense) as his playtoy; Herter's Skimmel has an even better one - a drawer beneath a model ship that when opened fires each cannon on the model directly into whoever opens the drawer. Like "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (which this film contains some surprisingly subtle references to) the plot centres around a shipment of gold: Sabata, Escudo (Sanchez) and Ballantine (Dean Reed) want the wagon load of gold, but it is also coveted by Maximillian's rebels. The scenes with the gold and the gold dust being poured out/spilled is nicely complimented by Nicolai's incidental music which really does bring out the joy of the characters.

I personally think it's a shame that Brynner and the others weren't brought back for another Sabata film because he plays the role much straighter than Van Cleef did and really does come across as a tough guy here, who doesn't need to rely on his gun. "Adiós Sabata" is a classic in it's own right and doesn't need to be viewed with the other Sabata entries. It's only downside is that after surpassing the superb original, it left most people disappointed with the later "Return of Sabata".

Are these subtle hints to Leone's 1966 masterpiece? Sanchez: "Me, I'd make a hiding place no-one would find - stick it in the ground, maybe in a cemetery..." Reed (the last line): "Hey fellas - are you gonna help me pick up the gold or not, you sons of...!" (music takes over)

I'll be back.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 12 April 2009]

Long before the Terminator, Sabata (this time Yul Brynner in his only spaghetti western) uttered the infamous words, "I'll be back." This is the second of Gianfranco Parolini's Sabata trilogy, but it is not a sequel, as the characters and story are different. Like the first, it is also written by Renato Izzo, who went on to write the video nasty Night Train Murders after finishing the trilogy.

Brynner had the cool look that probably got him the Westworld gig a few years later.

Ignazio Spalla is back from the fist film, but with a different name (Escudo). Maybe he changed it to hide.

Sabata joins Escudo and revolutionaries trying to overthrow Austrian Archduke Maximillion, who ruled over Mexico as an imperial dictator; of course, Sabata was only after gold. Others were as well, so it was not a walk in the park.

It is fortunate that the Archduke had plenty of soldiers to sacrifice to the cause.

Well, Lee Van Cleef, Ignazio Spalla, and Aldo Canti will be back in the final Sabata film.

A little better than a real Sabata film, actually.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 22 August 2013]

This is not really a Sabata film, but often Italian westerns pretended to be sequels just to get unwitting customers to come to see the films*. For example, Franco Nero's "Django" was very successful so practically every Italian film producer brought out a Django film but with a different leading man--and a completely different plot! Here, cashing in on the Sabata craze (small as it was), a non-Sabata film starring Yul Brynner is suddenly a Sabata film thanks to dubbing! In fact, originally, Brynner's character was called 'Indigo Black'. I checked and there were seven Sabata films--only two which are REAL Sabata films with Lee Van Cleef. The rest, like "Adios Sabata" are just rip-offs. So is this a BAD rip-off or a decent and watchable rip-off? Read on to see...

The plot of this film is close to that of a real Sabata film in that although he looks mean and shoots people by the score, this incarnation finds him doing this in order to help the Mexican Civil War of 1867. Now that doesn't mean he won't take a percentage for himself as well! A percentage of what you may ask....GOLD. It seems an evil (but very stylish) Austrian colonel is shipping gold--gold which could be used by the revolutionaries to buy weapons. However, Sabata isn't alone in this quest--he's taking along a fat guy, two VERY strange acrobats and a pretty-boy named Ballentine--who you KNOW is up to no good.

As far as Italian westerns go, this theme is VERY common--though most of the time the hero is helping the anti-Diaz forces of the Mexican Civil War of the 1910s. This one is set much earlier and has to do with getting rid of the imposed leader, Maximillian. Regardless, this one is reasonably entertaining, full of insanely good shots and has a touch of humor. Worth seeing but not a particularly novel film...except when it comes to one of the acrobats. His skill is handling a very large ball bearing kind of like a hacky sack--which he then hurls with his foot at people with deadly accuracy! Ha...worth seeing just to see this guy in action. ball bearing guy

*The same spirit of intellectual dishonesty was also rampant in Asian films after the death of Bruce Lee. Many supposedly new and recently discovered Lee films flooded the market--starring folks such as Bruce Li or consisting of home movies of Lee or outtakes from his films interspersed with a double wearing sunglasses! These films were ALL horrible--whereas a few of the Italian knockoffs were actually watchable. Plus, at least the Italian films had cool music.

Yul Is Cool. The Movie's Mediocre.

[FightingWesterner · 5/10 · 7 May 2010]

Yul Brynner and Dean (The Red Elvis) Reed team up with a group of Mexican revolutionaries in order to steal a shipment of gold belonging to the invading Austrian army and use it to buy guns for the resistance. However, the vicious Austrian occupiers have a few tricks up their sleeves and so does Brynner.

Yul's only real spaghetti western, his performance, flamboyant outfit, and neat gun-play elevates this very much typical, though well-made production to a higher level than it otherwise would have been. It's still too bland though.

The score by frequent Ennio Morricone collaborator Bruno Nicolai is pretty good.

From the producers and director of the earlier Sabata, this similarly themed film only became a sequel in the dubbing booth.

Brynner supplants Van Cleef as The Man With The Gunsight Eyes. Does it work?

[billywiggins1967 · 7/10 · 12 September 2011]

The director, writer, and producer are all the same, and we have several supporting players returning, but Brynner supplants Van Cleef as The Man With The Gunsight Eyes. Does it work? Well, yes, to a point. ADIOS SABATA is, like the other movies in this series, a densely plotted, somewhat tongue-in-cheek western yarn. In each of the Sabata films, I promise you, you will lose track of who is plotting against whom, and with which ne'er-do-wells on his side. There will also be moments of wry humor, along with acrobatic stunt work. And stuff will blow up, and people will be improbably shot from a long distance away.

All of that happens in ADIOS, but it happens with Brynner at the helm, so the charisma factor is lessened by a notch or two. Where Van Cleef had steel-eyed machismo and a barbed tongue, ol' Yul provides an exotic gypsy-style appeal, all flowing frills and phallic rifle. For real, this Sabata looks like a backup dancer in a Vegas revue, with his all-black outfit and open-shirt styling. As for the sense-of-humor aspect of the character, Brynner's unusual accent tends to give those sardonic Sabata one-liners a bit of a Schwarzenegger feel, but still yet, he's charming, so it works.

Brynner, like LVC, has a great supporting cast to back him up. Returning from the first film (in different roles) are the stolid Gianni Rizzo and the boisterous Pedro Sanchez. American ex-pat Dean Reed is present as a handsome, sleazy sidekick; Gerard Herter portrays a cruel Colonel; and the wonderful Sal Borgese shines as Sabata's mute, music-box-obsessed cohort. All are excellent, with Borgese and Sanchez really notable for fine work.

Gianfranco Parolini/Frank Kramer, who handled the direction of all three Sabata flicks, is equally capable of staging big, booming explosions and a subtle eyebrow tilt; I'd say he's more adept at the latter. He gets a lot from a knowing glance, curious peek, or simple crossing of legs, putting each actor's business to great use in moving the story.

At 1 hour 44 minutes, ADIOS SABATA gets a little long, with its protracted showdown and search for gold. That said, the pic is an ably-produced, entertaining Spaghetti Western, good of its type, and recommended to fans of its star and genre enthusiasts. 7/10.

Where's Lee?

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 16 August 2020]

Known in Italy as Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di (Indio Black, you know what I'm going to tell you... You're a big son of a...), this is the second Sabata entry for director Gianfranco Parolini but switches out the lead role of Sabata.

This time, Yul Brynner is the man in black, taking over for Lee Van Cleef.

Set in Mexico under the rule of Emperor Maximilian I, Sabata/Indio Black is hired by the Señor Ocaño (Franco Fantasia, Zombi) to steal some gold, but our hero and his partners Escudo (Ignazio Spalla, who is in every Sabata movie) and Ballantine (Dean "Red Elvis" Reed, who defected to East Germany a few years after this movie and continued his singing and acting career) soon learn that they've only got sand. Colonel Skimmel has the gold and their money, so they set out for revenge.

It's not bad, but nowhere near as good as the original. That said, it wasn't intended to be a sequel, but the name change was because Sabata did so well in the U.S.

In name only sequel to the first Sabata film is a very good western worth your time and popcorn

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 15 July 2006]

Sort of sequel to the earlier Sabata with Lee Van Cleef, this was filmed as Indio Black and is known as that in several countries. The title was changed when the distributor paid for the right to use the name Sabata from the original films producer. The result is Sabata becomes a dead ringer for Chris, Yul Brynner's character from the Magnificent Seven films (a character Van Cleef was playing in a movie shot at the same time as this).

Aren't the back stage maneuvering of Spaghetti Westerns fun? Some times the stories are more fun than the movies.Fortunately this movie is more fun than the story.

The plot has Sabata (Yul Brenner) helping Mexican revolutionaries attempting to over throw the Emperor Maximilian. Sabata is to steal some gold and then use it to buy guns to attack an evil General. However things don't go as planned and when they go to steal the gold someone else is already there. Add to the whole mix spies, greed and some odd left turns and you get one entertaining, but not very coherent movie.

Don't get me wrong I like this movie a great deal, I just wish it made some sense. Characters appear out of left field when it suits the plot, people don't do anything logical (I mean if you just stole a wagon full of gold you'd make sure that the gold was really there wouldn't you?), after a certain point its never clear if they are keeping the gold or giving it to the revolution. Its enough to drive you crazy if you let it. I didn't since a good many of the spaghetti westerns I've seen make even less sense then this one.

If you like Westerns this is one to see. Its perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. I'm still not sure if I think of Brenner's character as Sabata, but it doesn't matter since no matter what he's called he's a kick ass hero with a smart ass mouth. What more could you want?

Adiós Sabata, Hello Maximilian The First!

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 6 July 2019]

Adiós, Sabata is directed by Gianfranco Parolini (AKA: Frank Kramer) and Parolini co-writes the screenplay with Renato Izzo. It stars Yul Brynner, Dean Reed, Ignazio Spalla, Gerard Herter, Pedro Sanchez, Joseph Persaud, Salvatore Borgese and Susan Scott. Music is by Bruno Nicolai and the Technicolor/Techniscope cinematography is by Sandro Mancori.

The second of what would eventually be known as The Sabata Trilogy, we here have Brynner stepping into the shoes previously worn by Van Cleef. We are in Mexico under the self imposed rule of Emperor Maximilian I, and Sabata is hired by guerrilla leader Señor Ocaño to steal a wagonload of gold from the Austrian army. Unfortunately the gold has already been appropriated by Colonel Skimmel and so Sabata and his dubious cohorts set about stealing the gold back.

This has all the good and bad hallmarks of Spaghetti Western film making, the action is outrageously entertaining, the weaponry and methods of death and destruction are enterprising, and the lead man is cool and quippy. Conversely it's all very absurd and the plot is wafer thin - but Spaghetti Western fans kind of embrace these as virtues and have a good time if the film isn't insulting one's expectation levels. There's a less comedic tone running through this one than that of the first picture, helped by Brynner's machismo fronted bad boy act. The comedy that is here sits safe within the fruity period set-up, and even as acrobat stunts in battle seem oddly at war with the greed and power hungry thematics pulsing away, it's easy to just sit in tight and go with the flow.

In the mix we have a toy model ship that actually fires killer ammunition, Sabata's awesome sawed off side loading lever action rifle (with a chamber for Sabata's cigar as well), and a man who flings ball bearings with his feet!! Sabata can also play a killer tune on the piano, as can his dubious ally, Ballantine (Reed). There's the usual Spaghetti trait of vibrant camera workings on offer, likewise the musical accompaniments, and it all builds to a ferocious battle (stunt men earning their keep for sure) and chase finale that has a tongue in cheek charm about it. It's probably not one that even the hardcore sub-genre fans would revisit often, but while it's playing it holds the attention and entertains accordingly. 6.5/10

Meh

[apararas · 4/10 · 31 March 2020]

Don;t waste your time.Except Brynner the rest of the film is dull.I was looking forward to the end.There are other much better westerns to see like ''the magnficent seven''.

The greatest spaghetti western of them all

[TankGuy · 21 October 2011]

Adios sabata is basically an all guns blazing action movie. It is extremely high on action and the bodycout rockets. Among the action are lots of shootouts, fistfights, explosions, an ambush and an epic scale battle sequence.

Yul Byrnner plays sabata this time round, but he's just as good as Lee Van Cleef. One of the best things about this movie is sabatas rifle which fires off several bullets and even houses one cigar.

Adios sabata is just as cheesy as the first sabata movie, if not cheesier. The fight scenes, shootouts and deaths are spectacularly staged in spaghetti western B movie fashion.

The battle between sabatas motley army and the austrian forces is one of the highlights of the film. It makes ear blasting use of cannons, rifles, dynamite and Gattling guns which is how a movie battle scene should be.

The characters are very likable and are very well played. The theme tune is excellent. The best sabata movie and the best spaghetti western.

This is a must see for anybody. A masterpiece

Brynner shoots em up!

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 24 September 2002]

Satisfying Italian action western, with plenty of gunfire and explosions. Not a true sequel to Sabata (which stars Lee Van Cleef). Good photography, direction, music. Many shots and visual compositions are very interesting, but like Sabata the story somewhat lacks big scope and has a pretty unoriginal premise. Brynner is excellent, though, and the action is relentless and occasionally thrilling.

Adios, to a below average series of westerns

[The_Void · 6/10 · 28 September 2009]

I didn't like Sabata, or Return of Sabata; which begs the question; why did I watch Adios, Sabata? Well basically because I got the set on DVD. This film is set apart from the other two owing to the fact that unlike them, it doesn't star Lee Van Cleef. I thought this might condemn the film to being even worse than the first two; but Yul Brynner steps in and does a fairly good job with the title role. The plot does not follow on from the other two films and is just your basic Spaghetti Western stuff, with the title character this time helping a bunch of people steal some gold. The first thing I noticed about this film is that the music is a lot better than it was in the last one and there isn't so much of the jokey style, which is welcome. The plot is a bit of a problem as it's rather confusing and this makes things difficult to follow. It's also not all that interesting, which doesn't help. Director Gianfranco Parolini does well with the Spaghetti Western style and the cinematography is not bad. Overall, I can't say I'm a fan of this film; or of the series on the whole, but at least this third entry isn't any worse than the other two.

Sabata likes the lying down

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 21 October 2017]

The second Sabata film mixes the Mexican Revolution plot with the stolen Gold plot and manages to make it work through an avalanche of stupid characters and the fact that instead of the usual bounty hunters and bandits the bad guys are a bunch of arrogant Austrians up for a killing. One of them even says 'I'll be back!' Yul Bryner plays Sabata this time round, a bounty killer with a good heart and no concept of money. The money he makes from shoot outs goes to the local monastery (they don't approve!), so when he's roped into killing one of the local Austrian senior officers he's all for it, until he realises that this is your usual double crossing gold stealing plot.

All is not lost. Even though this plot is played out like some Western frontier mine, we still get a few quirks to keep our attention, like Sal Borgese's mute bandit character. He doesn't say much, but he has two musket balls that he drops into special pockets in his shoes that he then fires at people's heads. He also has a friend who dances while the head bandit guy prepares to kill someone.

There's also an insanely high body count even for a film like this, where most of Mexico is killed in a barrage of dynamite and bullets, and of course there's the tenuous relationship between Yul and the other good guy that results in gold swapping hands various times which leads to an ending which drags on slightly for those who have witnessed it several times by this point.

The always engaging Yul shoots his way through a terrible script

[kellyadmirer · 7/10 · 14 November 2009]

This is one of the strangest westerns ever made, and that includes the various incarnations of the spaghetti variety. And it isn't all bad. Yul Brynner is at the top of his game, and that is saying something. But everything around him is so bizarre that it's almost like walking into an episode of "The Prisoner," with nothing looking quite right and nobody taking things quite seriously enough. The difference is that there, it's not supposed to look like it makes sense. Here, unfortunately, it is supposed to - I think.

Anyway, Yul plays your standard-issue cool, unshakable, unbeatable gunfighter, naturally clad all in black, the kind that pops up with great regularity in bad movies. But he is such a fine actor that he adds a knowing look here, a smirk there to show an intelligence usually missing in these kind of heroes. He even plays classical piano - Clint Eastwood never did THAT.

But he isn't given much to play off. Dean Reed (who?) plays the closest thing to a buddy he has here, a completely out-of-place traitor to the infamous Mexican Maximilian government (and to everyone else). As is always, always, always the case in these films about the Maximilian days, it all comes down to the government's gold, and who gets it. I won't spoil the ending, but if you've seen any other film about the Maximilian days, you already know who will get the gold that everybody is after. More evidence of a poor script....

The plot itself is pretty much beside the point, though. Even Yul, good as he is, is really just window dressing. The really striking thing about this film is the villains. Maximilian and his henchmen are always portrayed so originally in films about the period. In the fine "Veracruz," they were portrayed as medieval French knights. In "Undefeated," basically overdressed locals. Here, they are Austrians (yes, you read that right, Austrians) wearing bowler hats (yes, big old bowlers in the hot sun) and three piece suits (no, I'm really not kidding). Come on, where else are you going to see grimy revolutionaries in hand-to-hand combat with downtown bankers? Seriously! And Blofeld, I mean "Colonel Skimmer," is busy adjusting his monocle (!) while pulling the strings and using prisoners for his target practice.

Worth it for the surreal nature of the bad guys, the glaringly obvious references to better spaghetti westerns (the visuals, the music, the ubiquitous musical watch, the reference to burying the gold in a cemetery), and of course, unforgettable Yul.

The Horizontal Magazine

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 13 November 2009]

In his one and only venture into the pasta western, Yul Brynner finds himself succeeding Lee Van Cleef as the mysterious gunfighter Sabata who gets himself involved in Mexican politics in trying to overthrow the Emperor Maximilian. There hasn't been a film yet where the Juaristas aren't the good guys, even in Juarez where Brian Aherne made a sympathetic if somewhat naive Maximilian. It's such a clear case of imperialism.

But Yul isn't a total good guy and he teams up with three partners to steal a shipment of gold from the occupiers and give it to the Juaristas ostensibly. Actually the four of them are only as good as they have to be. And they've got another along, an American played by the only American actor in Adios Sabata, Dean Reed, who has an agenda all his own who keeps a positively explosive diary.

As most of us know even those who get their history from films, the Emperor Maximilian was an Austrian, but who was put on the newly created Mexican throne by the French and sustained by the French army. But here we have Austrian occupiers including an Austrian commander who also has a private agenda. I'm betting the producers were thinking that German types make so much better villains than the French.

Sabata's distinguishing characteristic was a rife that he had a long holster for and drew like a revolver. This rife had a unique horizontal magazine from where the bullets came. But the last chamber always had a cigar which Yul would light up after a killing well done.

I'm not a fan of spaghetti westerns and don't usually give them good reviews. It's the American genre and should be done by Americans. This one is no exception. But I will say that Yul Brynner's cynical look throughout the film is quite priceless.

"The lord is Sabata".

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 9 September 2011]

Writer / director Gianfranco Parolini's crisp follow up two years later was simply just another crack, but Lee Van Cleef wouldn't return. Instead we get Yul Brynner decked in black as our man the bounty hunter Sabata, who's quick with a gun. As much as I liked Van Cleef in the title role, a curt Brynner stuck with me more. As it's hard to take your eyes off the man. While the cold edge was there, the humane side still showed without really letting you in. This made his shady character a lot more mysterious. Although Van Cleef would return to the Sabata role in Parolini's next sequel "Return of Sabata".

Hired gunslinger Sabata takes on a job to steal a wagon of gold from the Austrian army to help the fighting Mexican revolutionaries, but the job doesn't entirely go to plan. The narrative had some recurring themes that feel like they have been lifted right out of the original source. Despite the familiar staples, the pessimistic plot is never too straight-forward with its scheming, humour and there's a new gimmick or two (anyone up for stone marbles). The surprises are foreseeable, but its operatic style consists of flair and danger in a much more expansive manner. The shoot-outs (involving Mexicans and gun-runners) are mechanically staged, but there are some jarringly artistic shots, local flavour from the locations and sharp camera-work along with the bombastic music score. The way the camera presented some scenes, if would have you believing that maybe this was shot in 3D. That would have been interesting if so. The performances are spot on and fruitful in characterisations, as Parolini reuses some the actors from the original in different roles. Dean Reed works off Brynner quite well, which reminded me of the pairing of Van Cleef and Berger in Sabata. Too bad I found the latter to be better implemented though. Ignazio Spalla gives an animated turn as one of the Mexican revolutionaries and Gerard Herter is imposing as the gleefully sadistic Austrian Colonel Skimmel.

Conventional, but capable Italian western.

"I play solo".

Not a true sequel but a good movie none the less

[pkzeewiz · 5/10 · 6 May 2010]

This time Sabata helps some Mexican revolutionaries steal gold for their people and take down some corrupt officials in the process. He is helped by a con man named Valentine, even though Valentine isn't exactly trying to help anyone but himself.

First of all this wasn't meant to be a sequel to Sabata - it is called Indio Black: you know what you are a son of a ... It had different characters and was actually a lot different, but they ultimately changed a few things and made it a sequel or at least promoted it as one. Cleef had took on a role in The Magnificent Seven sequel made famous by Bryner and Bryner took on this role made famous by Cleef.

There is a lot of changes here. About the only thing the same is the black clothes, but Bryners suit is way different and his style is different. He does carry the little pistol with bullets in the butt, but he also carries a Winchestor with a nice magazine always with a bullet short for his cigar.

Frank Kramer is back doing his beautiful direction and also with his co-writing partner Renato Izzo. The composer is different and I like it better even though it doesn't sound completely original, it's almost cliché, but I liked it.

Acting wise of course Bryner replaces Cleef, but all the rest of the characters are someone different if they made it back at all. Pedro Sanchez is a different guy as is Gianni Rizzo and a few others. Alley cat was replaced by a similar character in here, only now a dancing Mexican fills the shoes.

This movie was less original, had slower parts and just not nearly as fun or exciting as the first - I give it 5/10 stars.

One of the Top Ten Spaghetti Western Classics!!!

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 1 June 2010]

Gianfranco Parolini's "Adios, Sabata" ranks as one of the top 10 Spaghetti westerns of all time. Its' scenic photography, clever dialogue, marvelously choreographed gunfights, fantastic music, and harsh rugged scenery make this outlandish Yul Brynner horse opera worth watching. No, it has nothing to do with the Lee Van Cleef movies oaters "Sabata" (1969) and "Return of Sabata" (1971). The original title for this exhilarating Yul Brynner shoot'em up was "Indio Black." Like most successful Spaghetti westerns, it adopted the name of a profitable screen hero. Scores of westerns were named after "Django," "Sartana," and "Trinity." Indeed, where Lee Van Cleef's Sabata is elegant and well-dressed, Indio adopts the garb of a cavalry scout. He wears a fringed buckskin outfit. Unlike Sabata, who relied primarily on a derringer, Indio wields a sawed-off, lever-action, repeating carbine with a sideways ammunition magazine. He reserves the last chamber in the magazine to a cheroot. After he kills them, he likes to enjoy his tobacco. Black brandishes a derringer, too, but rarely uses it to kill. In fact, "Indio Black" was the only Spaghetti western that Brynner made, but it qualifies as a superior sagebrusher with provocative characters, a larger-than-life plot with loads of narrative foreshadowing, and one of composer Bruno Nicolai's liveliest orchestral scores. Parolini lacks the baroque visual artistry of Sergio Leone. However, he knew how to tell a good story and he could arrange interesting set-pieces. Parolini co-authored the screenplay with Renato Izzo who had penned "Kill and Pray" and "A Man Called Amen."

Yul Brynner plays a sympathetic, sharp-shooting, American soldier-of-fortune in black. He supports the Mexican revolutionaries in their cause to expel the Austrians from their country during the post American Civil War period. Hollywood hasn't made that many westerns about Emperor Maximilian's rule in Mexico. The best of the bunch is Robert Aldrich's "Vera Cruz," rivaled only by Don Siegel's "Two Mules for Sister Sara." As the villain, Austrian Colonel Skimmel dresses as elegantly as he shoots straight, and he behaves like an egotist. Indeed, he has commissioned a portrait of himself, apparently for himself, since he has nobody living with him. Skimmel has no qualms about killing and makes an excellent villain. He detests informers, uses their information, and then kills them. Half-way between Sabata and Skimmel is Ballantine. This soldier-of-fortune (Dean Reed of "God Made Them... I Kill Them") is an opportunists who throws his lot in with Sabata. Actually, he has no qualms about getting whatever there is for himself and nobody else. ("Three Crosses of Death" lenser Sandro Mancori captures the arid Spanish landscape in all its eternal grandeur and the vistas are beautiful. Mancori and Parolini hail from the school of film-making that relied heavily on zoom shots. "Indio Black" has more than its share of zoom-out shots and zoom-in shots. "Indio Black" is a hugely entertaining, late 1860s epic that boasts the usual ritualistic duels and gunfights, intrigue, situations, and surprises.

The action opens at a Catholic mission in the wilderness as the priest Father Mike addresses a young Mexican village boy, Juanito (Luciano Casamonica of "Tepepa") laments the descent of mankind into savagery. "There is too much violence in the world." Juanito reminds him that the Murdock brothers who stole everything from them and they deserve punishment. Ever gentle Father Mike replies, "You must try to forgive. Not sink into revenge." Colonel Skimmel, a manacled, bewhiskered, autocrat in a crisp uniform. He likes to demonstrate his marksmanship with a rifle. Skimmel's favorite practice is to turn loose prisoners below on the drill grounds and let them see if they can outrun him without being shot down. Colonel Skimmel never misses. Meanwhile, in Texas, the Murdock brothers show up at the County Hunter Agency and shoot it out with Sabata. Mind you, they don't stand a chance against Sabata. Sabata wipes them out without getting a scratch. Parolini does an excellent job orchestrating this opening shoot-out. The three Murdocks ride into the station. One drives a wagon with a coffin on it. "We're all set for you to go out in style," the oldest Murdock brother boasts." A weather vane whirls around in front of the station, and the duelists warm up with each. Before they open fire on each other, Sabata and old man Murdock provide a sample of their deadly marksmanship. They start the vane spinning with their bullets, and they are told that once the vane comes to a stop, they can blast away at each other. Even after Sabata has killed them, he fires more shots at them. A Murdock hanging on a corral fence falls when Sabata's bullets smash into the railing. Sabata shoots the coffin lid so it falls shut on another dead Murdock.

After the gunfight, Señor Ocaño (Franco Fantasia of "The Lion of St. Mark") approaches Sabata about helping them. Sabata agrees to help them and gives the money to Juanito to take back to Father Mike. Basically, our hero has agreed to find out when the gold leaves the fort at Guadalupe. He is also supposed to tell the revolutionaries which road the gold travels and he will make arrangements with the men who will sell the revolution firearms. Ocaño informs his ally, Escudo (Pedro Sanchez of "Any Gun Can Play"), about Sabata, but Escudo hates that the revolution must depend on a foreign soldier-of-fortune. Colonel Skimmel has cooked up some schemes about smuggling a horde of gold out of the fort at Guadalupe.

Writer & director Parolini does an excellent job of setting up and paying off several situations. The opening gunfight is exemplary. Colonel Skimmel's model of a sailing vessel perched atop a dresser is wired to the highest drawer so that when an unsuspecting fool opens the drawer, the movement trips the small canon sticking out of the side of the ship. If you love Spaghetti westerns, you owe it to yourself to watch "Adios, Sabata."

The unusual mix of nuances is entertaing enough.

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 2 August 2023]

(1970) Adios, Sabata/ Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di... DUBBED SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Like Django and Sartana or even James Bond, where the role is not owned by a single actor, this time it's Yul Brynner opting the Sabata role after Lee Van Cleef. Co-written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini that takes place during the Mexican revolution, that has ruthless Colonel Skimmel (Gérard Herter) along with his major, Metternich (Antonio Gradoli) residing for the intention of transporting it's gold out of Mexico. Meanwhile, a leader of his small unit, Escudo (Ignazio Spalla) along with his two trusted helpers of Septiembre (Sal Borgese) and Gitano (Joseph Persaud)) are wanting to retrieve the gold to fund the Mexican cause. Both them and Sabata -a soldier of fortune are going to come together to steal the gold along with the help of self serving, gambler/ painter Ballantine (Dean Reed).

Like the other Spaghetti Western movies, you are watching it for the nuances that is not often shown on other American westerns like the gun Sabata uses here, is not unlike any other gun shown before. And the mute dropping steelie marbles on his shoe and manages to hit people with accuracy and the deadly flamenco tap dance by Escudo's command.

A little bit of history, a lot of gunfire, and a few memorable bits of irony.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 7 September 2020]

The performance of Yul Brynner here is basically quiet yet filled with wry observation as the title character out to steal gold so he can purchase ammunition needed for the Mexican revolution against Emperor Maximilian. He proves himself immediately as an expert rifleman, spinning into action after a pensive stand and taking down anybody within seconds as they prepare to fire on him or the revolutionary supporters. Dean Reed played a brave American aligned with the revolutionaries, and Gérard Herter is the highly decorated Austrian colonel determined to take down the revolutionaries no matter the cost.

The middle of a trio of Sabata films (with Spaghetti western legend Lee Van Cleef in the other two), this is enjoyable for its fast moving and violent action sequences, giving another side of the revolution more well known from classics like "Viva Villa", "Juarez" and "Viva Zapata!", yet not as polished. The long action sequences extend this a good 15 minutes longer than it needed to be, but very good photography and a memorably haunting musical score (featuring a sole whistler) helps this maintain the viewer's attention.