Un esercito di 5 uomini (The Five Man Army) is directed by Don Taylor and written by Marc Richards and Dario Argento. It stars Peter Graves, James Daly, Bud Spencer, Nino Castelnuovo, Tetsurô Tanba and Claudio Gora. Music is scored by Ennio Morricone and cinematography is by Enzo Barboni.
It's 1914, the Mexican Revolution, and five bandits of fortune plan to rob a train load of gold from the army...
Out of MGM and filmed in Metrocolor, Don Taylor's film is a delicious bowl of Spaghetti. All that you would want from a film titled The Five Man Army is delivered here, as our group of tough bastardos follow firmly in the splendid men on a mission footprints laid by Magnificent Seven and Dirty Dozen et al.
As per formula, this is a group of odds and sods brought together in the hope they can actually come together to achieve their goal. Each man has skills, be it dynamite, knives, guns, sling-shot or being a Samurai warrior, these dudes are bad-ass and not to be messed with.
Led by The Dutchman (Graves), who is a sort of John 'Hannibal' Smith prototype, this group get into all sorts of scrapes, where peril and excitement is never far away, the makers seizing every opportunity for a chase sequence, a fight of some sort, a prison breakout, even some sexy smoulder in amongst the machismo.
It all builds to a final third involving the actual train heist. Superbly staged and with thought in the writing, it's a thrilling sequence of events as the small army go about taking over a train packed with soldiers and enough weaponry to obliterate a small country. Then there's a grand finale, even taking time out for a kick in the tale.
Locations are neatly photographed by Barboni, the dusty sands and rock formations a perfect setting for the blood sweat and tears. Morricone offers up another tremendous Spaghetti score. Typical compositions mix with shrill strings and disconcerting woodwinds, while the keen of ear will notice an early arrangement that will form the score for John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).
There's the usual mix of good and bad in the acting department, and as is often the way in Spag Westerns some scenes have corners cut to hurry up the narrative, but this delivers on the title's promise. Great fun. 8/10
It's 1914, the Mexican Revolution, and five bandits of fortune plan to rob a train load of gold from the army...
Out of MGM and filmed in Metrocolor, Don Taylor's film is a delicious bowl of Spaghetti. All that you would want from a film titled The Five Man Army is delivered here, as our group of tough bastardos follow firmly in the splendid men on a mission footprints laid by Magnificent Seven and Dirty Dozen et al.
As per formula, this is a group of odds and sods brought together in the hope they can actually come together to achieve their goal. Each man has skills, be it dynamite, knives, guns, sling-shot or being a Samurai warrior, these dudes are bad-ass and not to be messed with.
Led by The Dutchman (Graves), who is a sort of John 'Hannibal' Smith prototype, this group get into all sorts of scrapes, where peril and excitement is never far away, the makers seizing every opportunity for a chase sequence, a fight of some sort, a prison breakout, even some sexy smoulder in amongst the machismo.
It all builds to a final third involving the actual train heist. Superbly staged and with thought in the writing, it's a thrilling sequence of events as the small army go about taking over a train packed with soldiers and enough weaponry to obliterate a small country. Then there's a grand finale, even taking time out for a kick in the tale.
Locations are neatly photographed by Barboni, the dusty sands and rock formations a perfect setting for the blood sweat and tears. Morricone offers up another tremendous Spaghetti score. Typical compositions mix with shrill strings and disconcerting woodwinds, while the keen of ear will notice an early arrangement that will form the score for John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).
There's the usual mix of good and bad in the acting department, and as is often the way in Spag Westerns some scenes have corners cut to hurry up the narrative, but this delivers on the title's promise. Great fun. 8/10