Old friends Ringo (Anthony Steffen) and Tim (Eduardo Fajardo) see three gunmen chasing a lone man into a canyon. Curious, and sensing that the hunted man must have something of value, Ringo shoots the gunmen - the saved Fidel thanks them but only has a few dollars to give. Later, spending their money on some drink, Ringo and Tim again see Fidel, this time being cheated at cards by Trikie (Frank Wolff), and when a brawl starts they again save his life. Checking him over in their hotel room, Tim discovers that Fidel has a map tattooed on his back and they learn that it is half of a treasure map. Along with Trikie who overhears the discussion and forces himself into the group, the four men set out to find the other half of the map, and the gold that awaits - but when there is money on the line, betrayals and conspiracies are not far behind...
Ringo, Face of Revenge
is a very minor chapter in Spaghetti Western history - its adventure
movie storyline is a hark back to the American Westerns and none of the
politics and gritty or comic tones of the later European Westerns are
here, it is a simply told story. Fortunately the plot is strong enough
to keep the film rolling and the constant scheming keeps the audience
on their toes with some unexpected twists. There are a few plot holes,
but generally the film makes sense and builds up to a good climax.
Direction is rather generic but does the job well and there is a forgettable soundtrack from Francesco De Masi. Anthony Steffen is suitably cast as Ringo with Frank Wolff giving a strong performance as the slimy Trikie. Eduardo Fajardo is cast very much against type compared to his best known role as Major Jackson in Django (1966) and is almost unrecognisable as Ringo's loyal friend, Tim.
Ultimately an interesting, well written film, and suitable entertainment for a Spaghetti Western fan, but nothing new or exciting here, and certainly not a recommended place for genre newcomers. Partly recommended.
| Anyone famous in it? | Anthony Steffen - a frequent Spaghetti Western star who also starred in Some Dollars for Django (1966). Frank Wolff. A highly rated Euro actor who played the luckless Sheriff Burnett in The Grand Silence (1969) |
| Directed by anyone interesting? |
Mario Caiano - a lesser known European director who also shot Spaghetti Westerns My Name Is Shanghai Joe (1972) and Train for Durango (1967). |
| Any gore/violence? | A
little blood. |
| Any sex? | No |
| Who is it for? |
Spaghetti Western fans should enjoy, but not for newcomers to the genre. |
| Visuals | Ratio - 1.85:1 (no cropping evident, suggesting this is the OAR). Anamorphically Enhanced. Colour A generally good print, although some noticable grain and print damage (heaviest during the opening credits). |
| Audio | English, Italian and German mono. English and German sound good, Italian is a little muffled. |
| Subtitles | None. |
| Run Time | Main Feature: 1hr 37m 20s |
| Extras | The disc features:
|
| Availability | German release. DVD Title: Es Geht um Deinen Kopf Amigo |
| Region | Region 2 - PAL |
| Other regions? | None known. |
| Cuts? | Believed to be fully uncut. Print has Italian credits. |
