I was not familiar with the Sartana spaghetti westerns until Arrow Video released a boxset, their remastered versions available on Tubi to stream. The first one I watched was I Am Sartana, Your Angel Of Death (1969; Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino), the second in the series, and what a character, dressed in all black with a black coat with red lining. There’s a magician vibe to this bounty hunter gambling hero (played by the rugged Gianni Garko), particularly with his close up magic card tricks, which are on display in the opening credit sequence. The plot? Basically a robbery goes down in a town where one of the main bandits is dressed as Sartana. With different bounty hunters out for the reward money, Sartana begins an investigation into who robbed a bank dressed up in his iconic get up and sullying his good name. And that involves teaming up with a filthy bandit Buddy Bill (played by Frank Wolff), and making his presence known in a crooked gambling town run by shady characters. Klaus Kinski also shows up as a gambling bounty hunter with a losing streak, and is surprisingly less of an evil bastard than you expect, more of a gentleman associate that feels like an extended cameo. Look, this was a fun watch as I was definitely in the mood for a spaghetti western, and it’s a comic-book larger-than-life story (shades of James Bond); it’s not as violent as some, not as memorable as the classics by Sergio Leone. There are some great sets and costumes with a signature sense of style, plenty of shootouts and showdowns, and an effective climax in a darkened church. I look forward to watching more of this Sartana guy and more card tricks before the bullets fly. Recommended, if you’re keen on a fun spaghetti western.
VHS Tracking 