China 9, Liberty 37

One of the few (only?) westerns where sex is the main motivator, a wonderful spaghetti western with Fabio Testi and Jenny Agutter, with Warren Oates and a rare performance by Sam Peckingpaugh. An important film in the ouvre of Monte Hellman, quintessential 70's cult director; a man who has made more great films than Coppola yet remains mostly unknown in his home country. See "Two-Lane Blacktop," "Cockfighter," and "The Shooting."

'China 9, Liberty 37' is last of Monte Hellman's westerns, and his weakest attempt in that genre. The film tries to combine elements of spaghetti western with Hellman's usual existential vision. Although entertaining and thrilling at moments, the film falls into mediocrity as there isn't enough spaghetti nor existentialism.

Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is a gunslinger waiting to be hanged, but is given last minute pardon when men from railroad company hire him to kill Matthew Sabinek (Warren Oates) who used to work as a hired gun for same men years ago. Sounds interesting? Clayton rides into the farm where Matthew lives with his young wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter). The younger and faster gunslinger, who has grown weary of the killing, decides not to complete his mission when he starts to like Matthew and two men become sort of friends. And then enters farmer's gorgeous looking wife.

There is the feel of growing tension in the first quarter of the film, that promises to become tense thriller, but then falls flat as generic love triangle and revenge story. Fabio Testi's lack of charisma against the talents and gravely looks of great Warren Oates becomes obstacle that doesn't allow proper chemistry to evolve between two main characters. Monte Hellman's other westerns (or western type movies) weren't always very thick and original on plot either, but they were executed with fascinating ways and ideas.

Recommended to the fans of Warren Oates and Monte Hellman, and when you do, try to get the uncut version as there are some meaty lines (an nudity) to juice things up a little bit.

Also, another great western director Sam Peckinpah treats the fans of the genre with wonderful cameo as an author Wilbur Olsen who wants to write story based on Clayton's life.

This one comes very late in the Spaghetti Western timeline, is directed by an American, and plays out like a love story. It's different to say the least.

Fabio Testi is Clayton, a condemned man who is reprieved at the last minute, as long as he tracks down Warren Oates and kills him. Oates used to work for the Railroad and they don't like loose ends, so Clayton has to take him out. A problem arises in the form of Jenny Agutter, Warren's much younger, hot wife whom Clayton first spies skinny dipping. Clayton shacks up at the Oates/Agutter household under the pretence that he's passing through, but Oates is no fool, and Agutter starts making goo-goo eyes at the hunky Clayton.

Not a shot is fired in anger for the first fifty minutes of this film, as Clayton decides he can't kill Oates by he can get it on with Agutter, which leads to Oates attacked her and Agutter retaliating in a surprisingly violent way (she stabs him in the back and brains him with a rolling pin). Clayton and Agutter think Oates is dead and they can be a couple, but Oates wakes up and gathers his numerous brothers for some revenge...as does the Railroad when they find out Oates isn't dead...

As this is a late era Spaghetti Western, the pacing isn't exactly full throttle, but I was surprised to see that the violence was very realistic - people get shot and fall over instead of clutching themselves and spinning around the place, and the violence is very abrupt and sudden, like the accidental shooting of a hooker through a window or two corpses being shot over and over again.

Plus, Testi stands out as the lightening fast Clayton, made weak through his love for Agutter. Apart from her dodgy Irish accent, Agutter does well too and spends a lot of time naked with Testi (I actually gave birth to Testi's child just by watching this film!). Warren Oates stands out too, with his mumbly, tired character.

This must be one of the very last Spaghetti Westerns, and it's worth tracking down if you can find an uncut version of it. Sam Peckinpah makes a surreal cameo too, just to add to the sense of weirdness.

It's 1881. Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is given a last-minute opportunity to escape the hangman's noose by the railway men. He has to kill a rancher named Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates) who owns land wanted by the railway company. Matthew lives in the middle of nowhere with his wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter).

This is mostly for Agutter fans. Warren Oates has been in many superior westerns and I don't know Testi. This is more a romance novel than a spaghetti western. The movie should have stayed on that dirt farm until one of them is dead. The End. That's the movie. The story loses steam once it moves away from the farm and the tension from the isolation. It's not great but some of it is still interesting.

China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)

** (out of 4)

Condemned gunman Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is saved from the noose but he must track down farmer Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates) and kill him since he refuses to sell his valuable land to the railroad company. Clayton goes to do the deed but ends up falling in love with the man's wife (Jenny Agutter), which just adds more problems. This Italian/Spanish co-production from cult director Hellman has a few decent moments but in the end this is a pretty boring affair from start to finish. I know Hellman has a strong cult following among some film fans but I can't say I'm one of them. This film here is yet another Spaghetti Western that tells a rather familiar story but Hellman puts his own spin on things and these spins actually hurt more than help. This film has a lot of problems including letting the viewer know who we should be cheering for. The film starts off with Testi being the bad guy and we're given Matthew to like. At around the thirty-minute mark we switch sides as it turns out Matthew is a real jerk who abuses his wife and the director has decided to put us in a love story. The love story between Testi and Agutter never works for several reasons. One reason is that the two have no chemistry and one can't help but roll their eyes at the love banter they give at each other. The screenplay mentions that Agutter is shy and "changes her clothes in the barn" but that doesn't keep her from being nude in this thing at least six different times. The nude scenes are only available in the R-rated cut (most boots are of the TV print) and are the main reasons to watch this thing. Agutter is an incredibly beautiful woman so seeing her nude is about the only thing that keeps this sucker moving. However, even the sex scenes are messed up by Hellman as he decides to film them in a slow-motion fashion with an incredibly bad score over them and a couple even has some sort of weak pop song. Why on Earth Hellman decided to do this is anyone's guess but it doesn't work. I also didn't believe Testi in his role too much but then again this could be due to the fact that Hellman seemed more interested in showing off his body than anything else. Oates is always dependable and he turns in a good performance even though the screenplay does him no favors. Agutter's role is pretty thankless but she gives it all she can. Look quick for Sam Peckinpah as a writer.