“There are directors, and there are authors. I think I am more of an author than a director.”
When it comes to movies that have revolutionized cinema but have been all but forgotten by the general public nonetheless, Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name trilogy immediately comes to mind. Though most people can likely say they’ve heard of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1967) or recognize Clint Eastwood’s iconic wardrobe, as less and less people watch the films, the trilogy fades from America’s collective memory.
Though an easily recognizable title, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is only the third of a groundbreaking trilogy directed by Italian director Sergio Leone, composed of A Fistful Of Dollars (1964) and For A Few Dollars More (1965). Cinephiles refer to the franchise as the “Dollars trilogy” or the “Man With No Name trilogy” named after Eastwood’s ironically anonymous protagonist.
Though its names vary, most audience members agree on one thing: the movies are masterpieces of modern cinema and paradigms of the western genre. The series anthologically follows the titular (no pun intended) man with no name, played by Eastwood, as he uses his gunslinging prowess across the unforgiving and harsh western frontier in various different situations. A Fistful of Dollars sees him deceptively con two warring clans. In For A Few Dollars More, he partners with an equally skilled, competing bounty hunter to stop a gang’s bank robbery. And The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, a violent Civil War spurs a search for Confederate gold.
Eastwood’s morally ambiguous character helped define the increasingly popular antihero archetype now pervasive throughout Hollywood. Without The Man WIth No Name, there would be no Joker (2019), Dexter, Deadpool (2016), or Breaking Bad.
Arguably the best element of the trilogy is the cinematography present throughout the films. Movies where every single frame is so masterfully thought out are tragically rare in Hollywood today. This attention to beauty throughout the film ensures that, for Leone and his audience, every shot is a work of art. Leone believed that “cinema through spectacle, through the entertainment of spectacle, tells the story of many actual problems in life.” The breathtaking composition of the Dollars trilogy achieves this flawlessly.
Leone consistently varies his shots throughout the course of the movies. Thanks to developments in filmmaking in the mid-twentieth century, movies were less limited to stagnant or fixed camera angles and positions. This is what results in the unmistakably famous, head-on close ups or scenic ultrawide shots to capture the vast landscape.
Another of the many aspects worth praising in the films is their unforgettable soundtrack. Regardless of how many newer generations have seen any of Leone’s pictures, they almost certainly are able to recognize the innovative scores composed by Ennio Morricone. Morricone’s work, particularly in The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, is hailed as one of the top film soundtracks ever–often being credited with establishing the stereotypical sounds of the Wild West. Within a few seconds of listening to Morricone’s music, listeners are transported to a world of showdowns and tumbleweeds.
Ennio Morricone’s scores sold 70+ million records worldwide. “The Ecstasy of Gold” is one of the most iconic themes ever, being used as a Metallica concert opener and trending TikTok sound decades afterwards.
The influence and impact that Leone has had on cinema doesn’t just affect audiences. The director’s work has been sourced by many modern directors as their inspiration. The trilogy has been subject to tributes from Martin Scorsese, John Woo, and the Coen Brothers. Though impossible to list, some films made possible through the Dollars trilogy include Desperado (1995), No Country For Old Men (2007), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Even The Mandalorian, considered “the spaghetti western in space,” is attributed to the franchise.
Most associated with praising the films, however, is American director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has referred to the movies as “the only perfect trilogy.” The films’ distinct use of close-up or long, scenic cinematography and explicit violence appear constantly throughout Tarantino’s work. Primarily, the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds (2009) is almost a shot-for-shot tribute to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly–a movie he considers the “best-directed film of all time.”
Initially, the films received criticism. Reviewers considered them appallingly violent, superficial, and shallow. Many regarded them as nothing more than “violent, derivative B-movies.” Luckily, with time, audiences begin to appreciate their artistic value, and the films have since been met with the undeniable, unquantifiable praise they deserve.
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