Danza di guerra per Ringo

This film opens with a ruthless conman known as "the Oil Prince" (Harald Leipnitz), who tries to convince a banker, "Mr. Kovacz" (Gerd Frickhoffer), that he owns land rich in oil. Meanwhile, a wagon train of German settlers approaches the same region, hoping to persuade the leaders of the local Utah and Navajo tribes to grant them that tract of land in exchange for developing it for the benefit of everyone involved. To assist in this endeavor, they are led by the renowned scout "Old Surehand" (Stewart Granger) and his trusted friend, the Apache chief "Winnetou" (Pierre Brice). What neither Old Surehand nor Winnetou realizes, however, is that the Oil Prince is aware of their plans and is willing to do whatever it takes to convince the Utes and Navajos to give him the land instead. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will simply say that I didn't particularly care for this movie, largely due to its meandering plot and lethargic acting from all involved. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a bad movie necessarily, it just didn't interest me all that much, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

I must admit I am not really a fan of foreign westerns- and as an American- why should I be!? ..but this one really takes the cake- I could not even finish watching this rotten tomato...totally fake voices, poor audio dubbing, actors that are the fakest excuse for Indians I have ever seen..an almost blatant disregard for a coherent plot..constant injections of idiotic scenes which have little or nothing to do with the story...lousy script, terrible actors..just FAKE, FAKE , FAKE in every respect...how I made it through an entire hour I do not know..How in the world these other people can give this movie a good review is beyond me- but it just goes to show that the vast majority of these reviews are from people who would not know a good movie if it walked up behind them and bit them in the gluteus maximus

This Winnetou movie contains a story with whole look at Winnetous opposite OIL PRINCE Harald Leipnitz. Stewart Granger's script gave him a rather passive position. Heinz Erhard (piano-player) could turn it into a comedy, but he fails sometimes. Terence Hill ads the famous actor set, surrounded by the famous soundtrack. Psychological cruelty enriches the Winnetou plot and turns newer aspects in an attractive western.

Surehand and his Apache sidekick Winnetou endeavor to capture the outlaws who killed their friend the wagon master. The unscrupulous oil prince has concocted a large-scale fraud: he is about to sell a non-existent oil source to the president of the Arizona Commercial Bank. However, the plan goes awry at the last minute, as a group of settlers discover the road to the lake and take possession of the area. In order for the plan not to be revealed, the oil prince kills the leader of the settlers and puts his own man in his place. Fortunately, Winnetou and Old Surehand see through the deception and rush to the aid of the settlers. The enraged oil prince forges a diabolical plan: he kills the son of the chief of the local Navajo tribe and shifts the suspicion to the settlers...

This entertaining and imaginative Euro western is given a much joyful boost by Stewart Granger, who plays Old Sure-hand. His unique brand of charm and elegance adds to the character. The cinematography is superb, the location - European setting replacing the American terrain - is well-captured and the story is told really well with a touch of zest. The action is fine, especially the waterfall scene. The villain is a standout and is quite a menacing character.

This is the second "Winnetou" western I've seen, and though I have yet to see more of the series, I'm getting the feeling they are more or less the same. Stewart Granger actually makes a good hero - though starting to age, he has both a charm and a heroic presence that fits this particular "Hand" hero he plays. Other than that, it's more of the same - nice scenery, but bogged down by a leaden pace, blatant padding (especially toward the end) plus comic relief that's both utterly unfunny and childish. There is some interest in seeing a young Terence Hill, several years before he became a European superstar, and there is some amusement to see HIM being the one slapped and punched around for a change!