Giulio PetroniCritiques

"Da Uomo a Uomo" (Death Rides a Horse) is a relentless, revenge-driven superior spaghetti western. The story revolves around Bill (John Phillip Law) who as a small boy saw his family slaughtered by a ruthless gang of outlaws. Bill grows up to be a master gunman, obsessed with finding and killing the murderers. Meanwhile gunfighter Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) is released from jail after 15 years and is out for revenge on the same gang. Ryan and Bill develop a grudging admiration as they each strive to kill the gang before the other, before eventually being forced into an uneasy alliance. Directed by Giulio Petroni who delivers something of a masterclass in sustained suspense and moody drama. The opening scene in a rainstorm when Bill's family are murdered and the closing sequence where Bill and Ryan face off against the gang and their allies, before settling their own scores, are both brilliantly directed and edited sequences. In between there is plenty of pace, action and cleverly executed gun fights, with Luciano Vincenzoni's script also making space for clever and subtle character development. Lee Van Cleef plays Ryan as tough, laconic, hard-bitten and streetwise but with a buried sadness. John Phillip Law is almost as good as the vengeful Bill and Luigi Pistilli makes for a finely drawn villain. Ennio Morricone provides another masterful score; this one combing Mexican motifs with choral interludes and a typically rousing classically-inspired Western theme.