Spaghetti western has steadily gained critical acclaim
The film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, was released on this day in Italy in 1966.
It was the third and final instalment in the Dollars Trilogy, following 'A Fistful of Dollars' and 'For A Few Dollars More'.
Despite mixed reviews to begin with, it was a financial success, grossing more then $25 million at the box office.
The film has gained respect over the years and is now seen as a highly influential example of the Western film genre and has been acclaimed as one of the greatest films of all time.
Directed by Sergio Leone, the film, known in Italian as Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo, was made partly at the Cinecittà studio in Rome and partly on location.
Listen to Ennio Morricone's iconic theme tune
It became categorised as a 'spaghetti western' and was distinctive because of Leone's film–making style, which involved juxtaposing close-ups with lengthy long shots.
Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach star in the title roles. They are three gunslingers out to find buried gold against the backdrop of the violence of the American Civil War.
The score for the film was composed by Ennio Morricone and the iconic main theme for the film became a popular hit in 1968, with the full soundtrack staying in the album charts for more than a year.
Cinecittà in Rome, the hub of the Italian film industry, is a large studio complex to the south of the city, built during the fascist era under the personal direction of Benito Mussolini and his son, Vittorio. The studios were bombed by the Allies in the Second World War but were rebuilt and used again in the 1950s for large productions, such as Ben-Hur. These days a range of productions, from television drama to music videos, are filmed there and it has its own dedicated Metro stop.
Cinecittà is the hub of the Italian film industry
Photo JRibax (CC BY-SA 3.0)
A movie-themed amusement park, Cinecittà World, was opened in 2014 in Via di Castel Romano, to the south of Fiumicino Airport and to the south east of Ostia There are two roller coaster rides and several film sets to explore. The Sergio Leone-inspired western set has music composed by Ennio Morricone playing as you look round. Visit www.cinecittaworld.it for more details.
Labels: 1966, Cinema, December, Film, History, Music, Rome, Sergio Leone
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