A mute, violent hero (the leader of an outlaw band) single-minded in taking vengeance (on the accomplices who have betrayed him)... Well, it looks as though the viewer is off for just another spaghetti western. And during the first undistinguished half, their fears ARE well-founded. But hope should not be given up, all is not lost. Indeed the man at the helm is none other than Antonio Margheriti (aka Anthony Dawson), a pleasant minor master particularly at ease in fantasy films ("Horror Castle", "Castle of Blood"). And when (rather unexpectedly to be true) the director suddenly remembers what he is really good at, the run-of-the-mill flick is metamorphosed into an unidentified (and inspired) cinematic object. "Vengeance" is still a western, complete with duels, showdown and Morricone-like score, but from then on it gets mixed with thriller (the delayed discovery of the traitor; the astonishing flashback unveiling the true facts about the bank robbery) and horror ((the long final sequence in the sulfur mine with its extravagant lightings and baroque framework ; the villain appearing as a grotesque clown). No longer apathetic, the viewer is now agape. The lesson to be drawn is that if you demand more of a film than just B (or Z) features, just have patience and you will be rewarded. Like Rocco, the hero of the story in a way...

VENGEANCE is one of the better films in Italian director Antonio Margheriti's long and entertaining career. It stars Richard Harrison in what is probably his best spaghetti western; he plays the usual vengeful gunslinger whose brother is murdered in an eye-watering way in the film's most memorable moment, the opening sequence. Harrison then goes on his revenge trek, bumping off the gang members one at a time. This is a dusty, gritty western, with a very dark look and feel. It's full of death scenes and torture as Harrison kills and is variously captured and abused by the bad guys in turn. A fine supporting cast includes the underrated Werner Pochath and Luciano Pigozzi, both underrated actors in their own right. Margheriti keeps the pace fast and shoots his action scenes with speed and aplomb, leaving this a film without a single extraneous moment.

It's a standard Spagehetti Western plot: A stranger on the trail of several men who killed his friend/brother/wife/sister/horse. Death Sentence had the same plot, but also had Tomas Milian as an albino who could smell gold. This one has several eccentrics all ready to be killed by Richard Harrison, and works for the same reason.

It helps that Antonio Margheriti is the director too - his camera angles are pretty inventive here, which makes the film a lot more livelier than it would normally be. The set design is good too, so the showdown in a mine stands out a lot.

Richard Harrison is the stranger this time around, turning those steely eyes towards five guys who double-crossed him during a gold robbery and killing his mate by pulling him to pieces by horses. This doesn't go down too well with Richard, who starts his revenge by tracking down Mexican Luciano Pigozzi. Next up his a card player who is sending a red-head to his friend Loredo in another town (Loredo being yet another target for Richard). The red-head also becomes the romantic interest for Richard, as well as a possible captive audience while Richard has a lengthy flashback about the gold heist. It seems eccentric Mexican Claudio Camaso was the mastermind behind the heist, but he disappeared when the ceiling collapsed in the room holding the gold. I bet that's got nothing to do with the mysterious fifth killer at the start of the film!

The best part is when Werner Pochatch turns up as 'the kid' and gets the drop on Richard, holding his eyes open with toothpicks in the midday sun (and that looks genuinely painful, so kudos to Harrison for putting up with that). This is obviously the bit in the Spaghetti Western were the hero gets a drubbing before bouncing back, but this one is done a little differently as a unique duel is set up between the two in a bar. Margheriti does well in building the tension in this bit, although I did chuckle at Harrison's 'nearly blind' acting face.

While not as good as Margheriti's Klaus-Kinski-As-Unstoppable-Killer And God Said To Cain...that two films would make a good double-bill. The man could turn his hand to anything and make it his own. Not only that, he can make a fine entertaining film into the bargain. Claudio Camaso stands out acting wise as the demented Professor, but doesn't get a great amount of screen time. Mariangela Giordano also turns up as his unwilling girlfriend.