I lunghi giorni della vendetta (Faccia d'angelo)

With the fist scene in a rock quarry, things start with a bang, and rarely let up. This "Spaghetti Western" has above average photography, music, and interesting characters. Even though the story will be the quite familiar revenge for a wrong, Giuliano Gemma makes things lively and interesting, with his bag of tricks. It should also be mentioned that Nieves Navarro plays a very intriguing and mysterious character, and you are never quite sure whose side she is on. There is enough originality to distinguish "Days of Vengeance" from the average "Spaghetti Western", and thus this should be considered one of the above average non Leone Westerns. The Wild East DVD also has a very entertaining and informative interview with Nieves Navarro, where she talks about many actors she has worked with, including Lee Van Cleef. MERK

It´s a rarely seen, unknown Spaghetti Western Classic, you might want to check out, if you are not only interested in the classics by Sergio Leone or Sergio Corbucci. This one has extraordinary camerawork and good acting by Giuliano Gemma, who is playing a character seeking for revenge in typical italian style. It´s very dark and has kind of a gothic horror atmosphere, which makes it a little bit different from other Spaghetti Westerns. So, do check it out!!

I first have to say I that I saw the Italian uncut (123 min.) version which is really not bad. This movie initially should have been directed by Duccio Tessari, director of the 2 Ringo movies, both with Gemma but he had'n the time to do it, so the producers took "Stan Vance". The plot is quite interesting even if it is a simple revenge story: you get little by little to know why the main character searches revenge and it's never obvious what is going to happen next. The photography and the make up of the movie are not so good, but it has nice desert landscapes and a good music score. So, for all the spaghetti Western fans this is highly recommended, but possibly in a uncut version: I even have a German version of this movie running just 100 min but it's not the same thing when something is missing, even if it's not strictly necessary.

This movie has some minor faults, but overall it is a very entertaining flick.

When it comes to spaghetti westerns, it seems you can't go wrong with a Giuliano Gemma movie. I have seen most of Gemma's westerns and they have all been very good. This one is no exception.

The music score is superb. It's good enough to want to buy the soundtrack (if you can find it). The credits listed on my copy say the music is by Armando Trovaioli. IMDb's listing also credits Ennio Morricone. It's no surprise that Morricone had something to do with this score, because it is definitely that good.

The action is a bit slow during the first 70 minutes of the movie, but the story keeps you interested, and when the action heats up it gets even better. The acting is pretty decent overall. The dialogue is a bit confusing in a couple of places, probably due to a poor translation of the original Italian into English, but it's pretty minor, and doesn't interfere at all with ones ability to understand what's going on.

IMDb lists the US version as being 90 minutes long. My copy runs for 103 minutes. Perhaps it is the UK release.

Another reviewer states that this movie has a Gothic horror atmosphere. I don't really see that in this film. If it is there, it is not nearly to the extent that one sees in "Stranger's Gundown" (Django the Bastard) or "And God Said to Cain."

I recommend this movie to all spaghetti western fans.

Spaghetti with Chorizo Western starred by habitual actors, such as Giuliano Gemma, Conrado San Martin and Nieves Navarro. After three years of heavy physical labor in an infernal jail, the former Sheriff Ted Barnett -Giuliano Gemma- breaks out from the doomed prison. Barnett was accused by three men and wrongly convicted to thirty years hard labor for the killing of his father. So Ted sets out in pursuit the true murderers. He looks for those that had framed him, seeking a relentless vendetta. Ted (Giuliano Gemma who recently died by car accident) freeing the town from a powerful owner (Conrado San Martin, a great friend of Sergio Leone, he played a lot of films for him , usually as secondary actor) and a corrupt Sheriff Douglas (Francisco Rabal , Luis Buñuel's customary's player) married to Ted's old girlfriend (Nieves Navarro or Susan Scott), using both, gunning down and shrewdness .

This Tortilla/Spaghetti Western is filled with action, thrills, horse riding, brawls and crossfire. Another Spaghetti that worked very well at the box office and that bases its plot on the eternal theme of revenge. This is the only foray into the genre of Florestano Vancini with the pseudonym Stan Vance, who for the occasion wanted to make a free adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel :El Conce de Monte Cristo¨.

This is a decent Spaghetti starred by Giuliano Gemma, a hero who after years of hard labor in a hellish prison in the desert, escapes from jail to seek revenge on the three men who framed him. Giuliano steals the show as a merciless revenger, executing thespian skills, bounds and leaps, twists and shooting and throughly enjoys himself. Recently deceased Giuliano Gemma is very fine in his ordinary role as a gunfighter who seeks vengeance against his eternal enemies, Conrado San Martin, Francisco Rabal and their hoodlums. Giuliano Gemma , along with Anthony Steffen and Gianni Garco, resulted to be the three greatest stars of the Spaghetti genre. Gemma in his beginning worked as a stunt-man, practiced many sports in his life, boxing, gymnastics, such as is well proved at the movie. Then the director, Duccio Tessari, gave him the first role as protagonist in the film " The Titani" and the first spaghetti western films where he often worked under the name of Montgomery Wood, playing Westerns as ¨A pistol for Ringo¨,¨The return of Ringo¨ and others as ¨Adios Gringo¨, ¨Arizona Colt, ¨The price of power¨, ¨Day of anger¨ and later ¨California¨. However, his first big opportunity came with the important Italian director, Luchino Visconti in ¨El Gatopardo¨ this was followed by important roles in "Angelica" , ¨Tenebre¨,¨Young Lions¨ and ¨The master touch¨. Then he played his most significant roles in ¨Il Deserto Dei Tartari¨ and ¨Il Prefetto Di Ferro¨. While Conrado San Martin played in ¨Winchester Bill¨, ¨In a colt's shadow¨ and various Westerns directed by his friend Sergio Leone ; furthermore , he starred several Peplum and thrillers. They're accompanied by a classic of the Spanish scene, a Francisco Rabal who was already known on the international scene, thanks to the Bronze Lion he received in Venice for ¨La Guerra De Dios¨.

In the movie appears usual Western support actors as Spanish people : Nieves Navarro, Milo Quesada, Manuel Muñiz ¨Pajarito¨ ; as Italian players as Riccardo Pizzuti, Ivan Scratuglia. It's a co-production Spanish-Italian and shot on location in Zaragoza, Barcelona , Alfonso Balcazar studios and, of course , Almeria: Desierto de Tabernas, Almería, Finca El Romeral, San José, Almería, Andalucia, Spain. There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction , excellent production design , and atmospheric cinematography by Francisco Marin , he creates a magnificent scenario on the little town and barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun. The music original by Armando Trovajoli composes an agreeable Spaghetti soundtrack in Morricone style , being well conducted and splendid leitmotif ; it's full of enjoyable sounds and emotive score .

This Western was inspired by the known classic novel titled ¨The count of Montecristo¨ written by Alexandre Dumas . Other Spaghetti loosely based on famous novels and plays are the following ones: ¨The Fury of Johnny Kid¨ based on Shakespeare , being directed by Gianni Puccini with Peter Lee Lawrence and Cristina Galbo from ¨Romeo and Giuletta¨. Furthermore : ¨Johnny Hamlet¨(1968) by Enzo G Castellari ; ¨The return of Ringo¨ by Duccio Tessari also with Giuliano Gemma and inspired on the ¨Odyssey¨, ¨John Il Bastardo¨(1967) with John Richardson, based on books from Zorrilla and Moliere ; ¨Anche Nel West Céra Una Volta Dio ¨ (1968) by Marino Girolami based on ¨Island of treasure¨ written by Robert Stevenson and ¨Apocalypse Joe¨ with Anthony Steffen based on Macbeth and Hamlet.

The flick also titled ¨Days of Vengeance" or "Long Days of Vengeance" or "The Deadliest Gunfight" or "Vendetta" was professionally directed by Stan Vance or Florestano Vancini. This Italian writer/filmmaker so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . His best films dealt with political events such as ¨The case Matteotti¨, ¨The long night in 43¨ and ¨Sicilian Jaque Mate ¨. He usually worked with Giulianno Gemma, his fetish actor , such as : ¨La Baraonda¨ , ¨Violenza Al sole¨and this ¨Long days of vengeance¨. Rating: 6.5/10. Good Spaghetti Western , it will appeal to Giuliano Gemma fans .