"When a man with a .45 meets a man with a rifle, you said the man with a pistol's a dead man. Let's see if that's true. Go ahead, load up and shoot."

Actually fucking magnificent. We'll never see a film lit and shot as well as this again! One of Morricone's greatest scores and plays so well into the "man with no name" mythology. Speaking of, this really challenges the lone wolf mentality that the majority of westerns adopted in a way I didn't really think about the first time around. Yes, he's an amazing shot and can obviously handle himself, but he would be dead three times over if it weren't for the people he befriended. Still unsure how much this movie uses women as props for male character development rather than giving them their own characters. On one hand, Marisol feels pretty one-noted, and her being held prisoner is really only the catalyst for Joe's heroism to take hold. On the other hand, the matriarch of the Baxters feels really significant and has both agency and independent judgement that doesn't necessarily align with the main character, or really any of the men.

Anyways, all that to say I loved this way more this time around! Beautifully shot, amazing direction, and the first big hit for my favorite American cowboy <3

(Also that finale! Oh my god!!!!)