Riz Ortolani’s jazzy, bombastic, memorable score to Day Of Anger (1967; I giorni dell’ira) was used in a key sequence of Tarantino’s Django Unchained and is known from the soundtrack. Sitting down to watch this Lee Van Cleef spaghetti western, there’s also a similar plot to Django with an older, experienced gun fighter Talby (Van Cleef) mentoring a young, inexperienced street-sweeper Scott (Giuliano Gemma) and teaching him how to be the quickest hand with a gun. Even though Giuliano Gemma is the most attractive guy in the movie with his leading man looks, the townsfolk mock and belittle him for being the orphan of a sex-worker. When Van Cleef arrives to settle a score, he takes a shine to the lad and after some resistance, they become partners, working against the corrupt establishment. However, the plot keeps twisting and turning as Scott starts to reject the ruthlessness and criminality of his mentor and friend Talby. I thought this was great with some nifty sequences (including a horseback duel with an assassin) and good chemistry between Van Cleef and Gemma. Directed by Tonino Valerii. Recommended if you are a western or Van Cleef fan (isn’t that one and the same, I guess?)
VHS Tracking 