I thought Eli Wallach stole this film. He acted circles around Eastwood and Van Cleef. What a great performance for a Jewish guy from Brooklyn.
shareWallach was never exactly a subtle actor but his broad strokes worked well for Tuco. Most striking and compelling character in the film, yes, although I’m not sure I’d go so far as to call it a great performance.
shareI would, without hesitation, go so far as to call Wallach's performance great.
shareHe was great in the film but not sure why him being Jewish from Brooklyn has anything to do with it?
shareJust the irony of Hollywood at the time rarely hiring Mexican actors to play Mexicans, but hiring a Jewish actor to play one. In his biography Wallach talks about early roles playing Mexicans and Italians, when the studios wouldn’t hire actual Mexicans and Italians for ethnic roles. In retrospect they were some of his career defining roles. Not bad for a Jewish boy from Brooklyn....
sharebecause he did brownface.
shareI will say he did better than Eastwood but in Van Cleef's defense, it was a much smaller role with a lot less development and potential depth. It's always been one of my complaints about the film; TGTBTU is already too busy as it is and they hint at a back story for Angel Eyes that never gets addressed properly. I don't know if that was lazy writing or if something ended up on the cutting room floor but either way his character should have been written without a making it seem like he had a history with Tuco and Blondie.
shareHard to argue with that.
shareMy favorite scene is when they are listing off his crimes at the first hanging, and he looks into the crowd, with an ....And? look, and it made me question if he really did commit these crimes or if they are being exaggerated to up his bounty.
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