Er säte den Tod

Seminò La Morte... Lo Chiamavano Castigo Di Dio [1972] was the last of Roberto Mauri's string of ultra-low budget Italian westerns. Two of his films, Vendetta è Il Mio Perdono, La [1968] and Sartana Nella Valle Degli Avvoltoi [1970] are straightforward b-movies that are alright diversions for euro-western fans, but this movie and Colorado Charlie [1965] are exercises in incompetence and would serve as good fodder for Mystery Science Theater. The dubbing, in particular, is so bad that it has to be seen to be believed.

Durango (or Django in the English version) is seen leaving a midnight tryst the same night that a bank robbery occurs. Accused of the robbery, he is thrown in jail with the bandit/revolutionary Santo. When Santo is freed out by a mysterious figure, Durango flees with him and sets out to discover the identity of the bank robbers.

Italian and Spanish westerns were something of an improvisational genre – based on a foreign model, then off of a few successful translations of that model (Leone, Tessari, Corbucci), these movies took the same basic elements and recombined or re-emphasized them, a tendency that in the end gave the genre unique delirious over-the-top character. While this movie was late in the cycle and poorly made, it is variation on earlier, better films. The relationship between Santo and Durango is reminiscent of the Gringo/Revolutionary duos of La Resa Dei Conti [1966] or Vamos A Matar, Compañeros (1970). The overall revenge film plot was very popular through the genre, though what is often emphasized is the aspect of mystery of this type of plot.

In Mauri's better westerns, dialog is sparse. However, in this movie the villain Scott spends far too much time in his study describing his traps for Django. Then Mauri cuts to Django and his escape from the dastardly plan. Mauri never figured out how the more successful films in the genre created tension and narrative drive. They used distorted angles and tense, faces and presences that imposed themselves onto the scene and the audience in a dynamic visual tension, and eccentric music and gestures that were exaggerated until they were radically out of proportion.

This is movie would only be of interest to euro-western fans.

Top spaghetti western list http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849907

Average SWs http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849889

For fanatics only (bottom of the barrel) http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=21849890

Of course he was never the best actor, but somehow the American CINECITTA Divo Brad HARRIS (1933-2017) was often unlucky in the selection of his film productions. With THREE STARS FILM he was supposed to make three spaghetti westerns, two of which were made. He played with the Greek actor Vassili KARIS in WANTED SABATA (1970) and with his Venezuelan colleague Jose TORRES in DURANGO IS COMING, PAY OR DIE! (1971). After these two films, the production company went bankrupt. What now? The clever low-budget film director Roberto MAURI combined scenes from both films into a third film, under the responsibility of the quickly founded production company VIRGINIA. It's somehow understandable that everything doesn't always fit together. But that's not how a good film is made!

Durango (Brad HARRIS) ends up in prison unjustly because he is accused of murder and robbery. He manages to escape through fellow prisoner Spirito Santo (Jose TORRES). Now Durango wants to prove his innocence while Spirito Santo is after the money. At the same time, Durango also wants revenge on Scott (Vassili KARIS), whom he holds responsible for the murder of his family. All of this makes for a bit of plausible back and forth, which isn't made any more entertaining by the numerous fights and shootings.

It's a shame about the missed opportunity! So this film is only recommended for die-hard Brad HARRIS fans or completists when it comes to spaghetti westerns!