'Duck you Sucker' review by MartialHorror

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DUCK YOU SUCKER(1971)

(Directed by Sergio Leone)

"The title actually is more fitting than it sounds."- Signed by MartialHorror

Plot: Two men are bound together by unpleasant circumstances and set out to rob a bank in the midst of revolution. Also known as “Fistful of Dynamite” and “Gui la tesla”

Review:

I initially didn’t intend to review “Duck you Sucker”, one of the lesser known Leone films. But I was so enthralled that I felt I had to say something about it. Besides “Colossus of Rhodes”, which sucked, “Duck you Sucker” is probably the most unappreciated of Leone’s films. All of his movies have been reevaluated and are held in high regard now, but I keep hearing how this is one of his lesser films. I’m not sure why.

The plot is relatively simple at first. Juan(Steiger) is a bandit, who robs coaches with his family. By chance, he comes across John(Coburn), who at one point refers to himself as Sean, making it possible that he’s another man with no name. John is an explosives expert, who seems to really like blowing stuff up. After a less than cordial encounter, John shows off a powerful, but controlled explosion. Juan realizes that John may be his path to riches. If only he can convince him to rob this very wealthy bank…..Eventually he’s able to do so and they go at it, using the cover of an upcoming revolution. But what makes the plot so wonderful is that it is not what it seems. There are plenty of turns, filled with rich irony that we always can expect from Leone.

But what makes “Duck you Sucker” stick out isn’t its plot, but its characters. Starting with “A Fistful of Dollars”, Leone created mythical heroes who are style incarnate. This would be carried on in “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, the last showing touches of humanity. Even his masterpiece, “Once Upon a Time in the West” tells a tale of larger than life characters. But with “Duck you Sucker”, he creates real people who develop as the story goes on. Leone would take this farther in “Once Upon a Time in America”. It seems like his characters, Leone was developing as well..

But don’t worry folks, Leone’s obsession with scope and production values are still present. If anything, “Duck you sucker” is his most epic movie, showcasing some amazing explosions that make Michael Bay’s explosions in “Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen” seem amateur. Leone never lets his production values get in the way of his talent. He showcases lots of style with great compositions, superb camera tricks and an expert use of sound. As expected, Leone’s collaboration with Ennio Morricone(the composer) is magnificent, and I find myself thinking that they improved their craft every time they made a movie. While the film is long, it isn’t poorly paced and the action scenes are intense. I did find myself missing Leone’s trademark ’final duel’ sequence though. Oh well, you can’t ask for everything.

Allegedly, Clint Eastwood was offered the role of John, but declined thinking it was just another variation on his previous character. They must have changed the role because James Coburn created his own type of character. I wish he dropped the accent though, because it keeps disappearing. Rod Steiger(Juan) at first feels like a 2nd rate Eli Wallach. You really can see how the role was written for Wallach, but Steiger eventually grew on me and he ends up being magnificent at it. The two also have wonderful chemistry together. Whoa, is that David Warbeck(“The Beyond”) in the flashback scenes? It is!

“Duck you Sucker” shows Leone’s growth as a filmmaker and storyteller. I don’t know why people tend to consider it 2nd-rate to his other works. I find it to be just as good as the others, if not better. Ah, there is really nothing like watching a Leone movie. He knows how to create the finest cinematic experiences. I’d also like to point out that unlike “Once Upon a Time in the West”, which required multiple viewings to comprehend, “Duck you Sucker” wowed me during my first sitting.

Violence: There are some moments of violence that are harsh, but strangely my disk says its rated PG. They use a lot of profanity for a PG movie.

Nudity: None, but there is an implied rape scene. It wasn’t really necessary….

Overall: You know, the profanity and rape could’ve been taken out, and if anything that shows how Leone’s films were becoming more adult each time. But it’s still a damn good film and Leone is one of the best directors of all time.

4/4 Stars


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