Sela de Prata

An interesting film that shows Gemma at his best. Neat photography and some pleasant incidental music but an annoying main theme that repeats throughout! The kid is good and typical storyline, but gunfights are effective with realistic blood squid effects. One for Gemma fans for sure!

While Italian movie director Lucio Fulci is best known for his bloody horror movies, he actually did dabble in other genres in his career. He even made a few spaghetti westerns, "Silver Saddle" being one of them. Made when the spaghetti western genre was breathing its last breath, it's been all but forgotten today. To a degree I can understand this. It does have more than its share of dull spots, and Giuliano Gemma is only adequate in the lead role. But the movie all the same has enough interest to satisfy spaghetti western fans. Fulci throws in some interesting direction at times, such as with some particular camera movements as well as how he composes what's in front of the camera. Though there isn't enough action, what action there is in the movie does catch your attention, particularly with some very bloody squibs thrown in. Gemma's somewhat underwhelming performance is made up for by the presence of American actor Geoffrey Lewis, who is amusing without being overbearing. And the music is great; you'll be humming the title song for days after watching the movie. It's no classic, but it's a respectable final effort for a genre that was breathing its last.

The third and last of Fulci's Spaghetti Westerns (coming at the tail-end of the genre) - not up to the vintage MASSACRE TIME (1966) but preferable to the disappointing and unpleasant THE FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE (1975) - with a distinct kiddie interest, since the violence isn't particularly graphic. In fact, even if star Giuliano Gemma (perhaps best known for two "Ringo" Westerns) is given the possibility of a couple of romances, the central relationship involves him and the young nephew of his sworn enemy!

As such, it emerges as unremarkable but surprisingly engaging, with a pleasant soundtrack and able support from Geoffrey Lewis (as Gemma's sidekick, a more likable version of the slimy bounty-hunters played by Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones in Sam Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH [1969]), Ettore Manni (as the chief villain) and Aldo Sambrell as a Mexican bandit-leader.

A light and strightforward Lucio Fulci western with neither much violence , nor sex but a plain story of a bounty hunter who protects a little boy , though there are shootouts enough . At the beginning a young boy sees how his dad is shot . Years later , once grown-up Roy Blood : Giuliano Gemma becomes a bounty hunter . When a kid is kidnapped , Roy along with the robber Snake : Geoffrey Lewis free the little boy and early Blood befriends him , developing an intimate relationship . When Roy is accused for killing and kidnap , he is wanted dead or alive , reward for 1000 dollars .Along the way Blood discovers dark secrets of the boy's family .

Thrilling Western with noisy action , fights , go riding , pursuits, shot'em up , and an enjoyable relationship beween a kid and a gunfighter . It is an acceptable Spaghetti unusual to Fulci career domineed by violent Westerns , bloody thrillers and especially gory horror movies . Here he makes an agreeable Pasta Western with brief intrigue , a kidnapping and a twist final . Stars regular stalwart Spaghetti Western : Giuliano Gemma who starred a lot of Italian oaters often under pseudonym Montgomery Wood , such as : A pistol for Ringo, The return of Ringo, Adiós Gringo , Arizona Colt , The price of power , Day of anger , California .Although also made other genres as Peplum , Thriller, Dramas , Wartime , and Terror in films as : The Titans, Il Gatopardo , Angélica, Tenebre , The master touch, Young Lions , Tenebre , among others . In the movie appears some familiar faces from Westerns and dramas as the American Geoffrey Lewis, Lucio Fulci made 4 Westerns all of them stattred by the Spaghett's greatest stars as "Massacre time" with George Hilton, Franco Nero , "Four of the Apocalypse" with Thomas Milian , Fabio Testi and "A bullet for Sandoval" co-directed by Julio Buchs with George Hilton , Ernest Borgnine , and all extremely violent and really bloody . However, this "Silver Saddle" or "Sella d'argento" is more a frienship story with a child than the ordinary crude and tough Western . Furthermore, being considered to be one of the last important Spaghetti Western in a long period that started with the films shot in Almería by Joaquín Romero Marchent , and bursting with Sergio Leone's Trilogy of the Dollars , following hundreds and hundred Pasta or Paella Westens from 1963 to 1978 approx.

The motion picture was well directed by Lucio Fulci who was a prolific writer and filmmaker . Directing all kinds of genres with penchant for terror as The Black Cat , Zombie 3 , Un gatto nel cervello, , Demonia , Manhattan Baby , New York Ripper , The house by the cemetery , City of the living dead , Aenigma, Murderock , The Wax Mask , and several others . This Western has a rating 6.5/10 , being acceptable and passable to see . Well worth watching . The flick will like to Lucio Fulci aficionados and Spaghetti Westerns fans .

Fulci's third and final Western may have a straightforward plot, but the whole thing is so well made I couldn't help but like it anyway. In HD, parts of it look like an oil painting.

Guiliano Gemma plays Silver Saddle, a guy who required his saddle by killing the guy who killed his father at the age of ten. Since then, Gemma has wandered the land and hating on the family who hired the guy who killed his dad. Or something like that.

While out one day, Gemma bumps into Two Strike Snake (Geoffrey Lewis, who I did not expect to see turn up in an Italian film), Snake likes to loot dead bodies and knows Gemma because he's famous for leaving bodies everywhere. Eventually, Lewis manages to talk Gemma into taking an assassination job - that of one of the hated family. Gemma's all up for that...until he discovers that the target is a child, and even though Gemma hates that family, he does not kill kids. But who wants him dead?

I've not watched Massacre Time, but compared to Four of The Apocalypse this film is a lot less violent. It's still violent mind you (head shots etc) but no one eats anyone else's arse like in Apocalypse. No Tomas Milian types writhing about in filth screaming either. It's tale of the good guys versus the bad guys, with all the usual ingredients thrown in, like Mexican bandits, greedy landowners and corrupt sheriffs, but seeing as how it's made by Fulci with his best crew, I have no complaints whatsoever.

And that includes the soundtrack. I though it added a slight melancholy atmosphere to the film. Is this really known as the last ever Spaghetti Western?