User reviews

This is a really cool film. It is directed by Italian horror director Antonio Margheriti, and the Euro-horror influence really shows. Margheriti really creates some atmosphere with this one.

This is a very dark tale of revenge. There's nothing even remotely resembling comedy in this film. It's the tale of a man named Gary Hamilton, who was betrayed and framed for a crime he didn't commit. It's time for him to wreak havoc on those that wronged him. The bulk of the story is told with great style on a dark night with the wind howling. Hamilton has his enemies so terrified that just the mention of his name seems to make windows fly open, or birds start screeching. He stalks and outwits his enemies under cover of darkness and dust, using their own fear against them. It's a very intense, uncomplicated story.

Klaus Kinski is excellent in this film. He is well-suited for the role of Hamilton. He has a look that can be sympathetic and frightening at the same time. I would have liked to see what this movie would be like if Kinski had dubbed his own voice. If they were worried about his accent, they could have just given his character a German name. I think it would have made the role even better.

Carlo Savina comes through with a very good score for this movie. The opening theme is one of the most memorable of all the spaghetti western songs with vocals. The use of organ music adds to the Gothic atmosphere, and there is a great recurring trumpet melody that stays in your mind long after the movie is over.

This Euro-western is one that should not be overlooked. It deserves more recognition than it gets, and it's a must-see for spaghetti western fans.

After 10 years in prison, Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) swears revenge to those who betrayed him. The Showdown actually begins after only 30 minutes. After the introduction of the characters, the whole film plays during the stormy night of revenge. The most remarkable thing about this film is Margheriti's unusual visual interpretation. It lets this Western look like a horror film, with typical small effects like windows suddenly opening, curtains blowing, or birds screaming when the name Hamilton is called. Kinski's appearances have got a kind of supernatural touch, he seems to appear or disappear like a ghost. Nevertheless a natural explanation (darkness, caves, a sandstorm) is always provided. The darkest Western ever made takes place at night for two thirds of its running time. And as a stark contrast, it ends in a bright mirror room. Kinski usually played one of the bounty hunters in his spaghetti westerns. In this case, he was cast as the hero (well, anti-hero) which turned out to be a clever move. Extraordinary for the genre!

If you read the synopsis for And God Said to Cain you would be forgiven for assuming it was another archetypal Spaghetti Western. The story starts with a man called Gary Hamilton, being released by Presidential pardon from a hard labour prison sentence. And from here he immediately sets about seeking out those who betrayed him leaving him imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Making matters worse is the fact that the chief villain, Acombar, has subsequently profited from his crime, making him a very wealthy land-baron and, to rub even more salt into Hamilton's wounds, has taken his wife as his own. It's a pretty straightforward and generic revenge narrative reminiscent of many an Italian western. But what sets this one out from the crowd a bit and gives it its interest factor is the way in which it goes about presenting this story.

Probably the single most significant element is quite a simple one. Virtually the whole story happens during one stormy night. This might not sound like much but I was raking my brains to think of another western whose main body of action all takes place during the night-time. The western genre, be it American or Italian, has a convention for action taking place mostly under the unforgivably hot, bright sun. It's a fairly ingrained part of the iconography, so much so that when a film deviates from it, it's pretty noticeable. This movie builds up the basic set-up typically enough but by the half hour mark we enter the final act and we never leave the darkness. The fact that the showdown itself last a full hour is pretty unusual too it has to be said. In this part Hamilton has to contend with Acombar's thirty henchmen and he does so via a variety of methods.

Director Antonio Margheriti was a solid, if unspectacular director who worked in a number of genres and made films such as the giallo Naked You Die. It's very possible that this could be his best effort though. He really cranks up the atmosphere in this one. The night setting sort of automatically creates a dark ambiance in truth but there are several details that really accentuate things nevertheless, such as the moody soundtrack from Carlo Savina that very much underscores the ominous tone that the director is going for. While there are some nice ideas that add an extra layer to the feel as well, such as the tolling bell that prefigures the villains doom. Even the ending is going for something interesting with a finale in a room full of mirrors.

The action is maybe a bit samey in the middle section, however, with faceless villain after faceless villain being dispatched by the hero. And the constant darkness didn't always ensure the action was always too clear which was unfortunate, although admittedly, this could be due to a poor print and not the film itself. But on the whole, this is a western that stands out a bit tone-wise and this is a good thing. And, how could I end without mentioning Klaus Kinski? He normally played the villains in the westerns he appeared in. In this one, along with Black Killer from 1971 he was in an atypical good guy role and this film, like the others he starred in, benefits from his charismatic presence.

Pardoned and freed after serving ten years hard labor for a crime he did not commit, Klaus Kinski returns to his hometown for some well-deserved payback against the bigwig who framed him.

Overly talky at first, things pick up about a third of the way in, when Kinski blows into town ahead of a violent windstorm to wreak near biblical vengeance.

And God Said To Cain... is full of neat Gothic touches such as the howling wind, the dark secluded mansion, a ringing church bell, and the silent priest playing pipe organ. All the while, there's something akin to superstitious dread on the part of Kinski's nemesis and his hired guns as the silent Klaus hides and seeks his prey.

Director Antonio Margheretti made films in all genres of Italian exploitation films (horror, peplum, giallo, etc.) with mixed success. Not bad, this one lies somewhere in the middle.

This has a great opening theme song and a satisfying fiery climax.

This is a story of Gary Hamilton (Kinski) set up for a crime he did not commit. After 10 years he is freed on behalf of a Presidential pardon. What is nice this is a full performance on behalf of Kinski which is quit uncommon. Kinski does a fabulous job in this one. It shows how greed took over a rancher who decided to steal the goldmine that Gary Hamilton had in order to make a better life for himself and for his family by ruining the life of another. Antonio Margheriti does a great job on this one. He has been slandered for years on how bad the night scenes are on this film. Well if guys like Weisser and other reviewers used common sense maybe they could have figured the film video which they viewed came from bad stock. I have seen the DVD version which all the night scenes were cleaned up and what do you know it is clear as day!!!

The movie overall had great performances on behalf of Kinski and Peter Carsten(Ackbar) Well Mr. Weisser check out on ebay and get the cleaned up copy of this movie and it will not be frustrating anymore. Maybe then people will give the film a descent review.

After spending 10 years in prison an inmate called Gary Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) is pardoned for a robbery of a valuable transport carrying Confederate gold that took place in the final days of the Civil War . He is a convict who was betrayed by his ex-sweetheart (Marcella Michelangeli) and framed-up by his ex-colleague called Acombar (Peter Carsten) who in an effort to incriminate Gary abandoned him water-flask at the crime scenario . Nowadays , Acombar turns out to be a wealthy owner employing a private army full of henchmen and bodyguards . Released from prison, Gary goes back the small town , there he appears as a vengeful angel and roaming here and there, despite the fact that his former partner is provided and surrounded by a small army of henchmen , resulting in fateful consequences by confronting the terrible enemies .

Above average Italian Western with chills , thrills , surprises , atmospheric sets and scary happenings . Nice Pasta western with terror elements , revolving around a merciless vendetta during a terrible wind storm and when day comes at dusk with plenty of eerie appearances , creepy murders and ghastly events. The plot is plain and simple, the ordinary revenge , Spaghetti's regular plot , as our starring plans to exact a relentless vengeance. Set at a ghastly village where happens scabrous and horrifying events in which our protagonist Kinski takes advantage of the secret network of underground tunnels that are part of an ancient Indian burial site and running under the town . In spite of a few escenarios and its medium-short budget the picture is pretty well, thanks to the adequate filmmaking , enjoyable soundtrack by Carlo Savina with catching songs at the beginning and the end , stunning cinematography by Riccardo Pallottini , Margheritti's usual cameraman , while taking great use of lights and shades as well as camera positioning to complement appropriate sinister set pieces . Of course , Antonio Margheritti delivers a nice work , in fact he was a good craftsman expert on horror and exploitation films. It packs a moving and exciting final duel between two starring Kinski and Carsten . Stars the great Klaus Kinski giving a fine acting in his usual style as the former Confederate officer who has served 10 years and subsequently takes his vengence on the family responsible for his wrongful sentence of hard labor . Pretty good Peter Carsten as the bad boy Acombar who betrayed Gary and ended up with the loot and the girl , today become a wealthy and influential land baron instructing his hoodlums to wait in ambush and kill Hamilton . Gorgeous Marcella Michelangeli plays the traitor Maria who married villian Acombar , resulting Gary's main alibi , she lied by being corrupted by Acombar's promises of money, and said that she was alone that day. While Antonio Cantafora , who used to use psedonym ¨Michael Coby¨, performs the naive and good son . Furthermore , some familar faces from Spaghetti , such as Guido Lollobrigida or Lee Burton , Gina Lollobrida's brother , Lucio De Santis, Raffaelli , Joaquin Blanco , and the regular Luciano Pigozzi as Alan Collins nicknamed the Italian Peter Lorre , among others .

This is a decent and better than average Pasta Western displaying a thrilling and frightening musical score by Carlo Savina . It contains a dark and sinister cinematography by Riccardo Pallotini . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Antonio Margheriti or Anthony M. Dawson . This Italian writer-director of horror and exploitation films, he was a former university engineering student who began in films in 1956. He was also an expert in special optical effects and model-making. Often used the pseudonym 'Anthony M. Dawson'. Antonio directed with skill and aplomb from 1956 to his death in 2002. He made all kinds of genres , some of them splendidly directed and others mediocre or failures. As he realized wartime movies, such as : ¨The Last Hunter , Tornado, Codename Wild Geese , Der Commander , Command Leopard¨. Sci-Fi : ¨War of Planets , Planet of the Prowl , Criminal of the Galaxy , Yor the Hunter from the future , Treasure Planet¨ . Spaghetti Western : Joko, Dynamite Joe , The Stranger and the Gunfighter , Take a Hard Ride , Ghosts go West , Joe implacable , God Said to Cain¨. And Terror : ¨Virgin of Nuremberg , Cannibal Apocalypse , Alien From Deep , Flesh for Dracula, Flesh for Frankenstein¨, among others . Rating 7/10. Above average . The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western and Italian Gothic aficionados.

Antonio Margheriti's "E Dio Disse A Caino" aka. "And God Said To Cain" is a very dark and excellent Spaghetti Western with a great leading performance by Klaus Kinski in an untypical role. Kinski, who was usually typecast as a crazy and/or extremely cold-blooded villain plays the (anti)hero in this, an innocent victim, who becomes a merciless avenger.

Innocently imprisoned, Gary Hamilton (Kinski) is pardoned after 10 years of heavy labor in a stone pit in the desert. After loosing ten years of his life for a crime he did not commit, Gary only has one thought on his mind - to take bloody, pitiless revenge on those responsible for the crime he was charged for and who blamed him for a crime they committed.

Klaus Kinski (once again) delivers an excellent performance in the lead, and although the role of Gary Hamilton is unusual for Kinski, I could hardly imagine anybody else to fit in this role as perfectly as he does. Peter Carsten also does a very good job as the villainous Acombar, and the supporting cast contains Gino Lollobrigida, who fits into his role as one of Acombar's sidekicks very well, and beautiful Marcella Michelangeli, who is lovely to look at and who also plays her role well (allthough it did not require a lot of acting). The movie has a lot of horror influences and the atmosphere in "And God Said To Cain" is a very dark one, and resembles the atmosphere of a Horror flick at times (unsurprisingly, since director Margheriti is best-known for his horror movies). The score by Carlo Savino is very good, it mixes the Spaghetti Western sound with a sound that resembles the soundtrack of Thrillers and Horror movies. Furthermore, the score contains a stylish, chanted gospel-style song in the beginning. I usually prefer soundtracks without singing in Spaghetti Westerns, but I have to say that this one fits very well in the opening scene in the desert prison. The cinematography is also very good and quite original, as it underlines the dark atmosphere and intensifies the suspense.

"And God Said To Cain" is an excellent, dark and very suspenseful Spaghetti Western that I highly recommend. Spaghetti Western and/or Kinski fans can't afford to miss this.

This is a very unusual Western Film which has more scenes in the dark with a great deal of difficulty in seeing just what is going on. However, there is a tornado which is expected and you do hear all kinds of high winds. This story is concerned about a Gary Hamilton, (Klaus Kinski) who is seeking revenge against Acombar (Peter Corsten) for framing him with a crime he never committed and eventually causing Gary Hamilton to serve ten years in prison. Gary Hamilton has been released and is riding on a stagecoach along with Dick Acombar (Antonio Cantafora) who is the son of the man Gary Hamilton wants to kill. Once Gary Hamilton realizes Dick Acombar is riding with him, he tells Dick to tell his father he is going to meet with him very shortly. It is from this point in the film when it becomes quite interesting and you could call this Western a Horror Film. Enjoy.

Gary Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) seeks revenge against his former friend Acombar (Peter Carsten) who framed him many years ago, is now rich and established and also took his beloved Maria. Acombar and his many mean and evil helpers will now die one by one with little surprise. If Hamilton doesn't do it the baddies will support him killing each other. There isn't any twist or any new idea, the revenge story unfolds steadily over more than one night at one and the same location. The script avoids difficult situations like e.g. Hamilton killing Maria. Leading Kinski is shining while the rest of the cast forms the shadow. Camera and sets are average, the score is in my humble opinion rather bad than good.

5 / 10.

"And God Said to Cain..." (1969), a Saghetti Western directed by Antonio Margheriti, stars Klaus Kinski, Peter Carsten and Marcella Michelangeli and is the recipient of a startling, innovative script by Antonio Margheriti and Giovanni Addessi that has a hero who prefigures Clint Eastwood in "High Plains Drifter" by being a ghost (or is he?). Even in the transcending, transgressive, aggressive genre splicing of the world of Spagheetti Westerns, this is surprising stuff.

The plot has all the hallmarks of tightly-knit Greek tragedy: it takes place in a twenty-four hour time frame as Guy Hamilton (Kinski) mysteriously seeks revenge against the rich, powerful Acombar family.

Crows shriek out whenever Hamilton's name is spoken and an ominous storms broods over the landscape; this is not so much a Western as a Horror Western. The explanation, the motivation for Hamilton's insane night of bloodletting is cursory, almost as if the filmmakers felt obliged to try to explain the unexplainable. For the film to succeed then, it has to rest on the strength of Kinski's performance, which is marvelous, a million miles away from his phone-in cameo role in the previous year "If You Meet Sartana, Pray for Your Death". The rest of the cast are admirable and the cinematography by Luciano Trasatti and Riccardo Pallottini and direction are both superb.

A Gothic Horror Western that is utterly unexpected, this is diamond that should be displayed much more than it is.

And God said to Cain (E Dio Disse a Caino) is directed by Antonio Margheriti, who also co-writes the screenplay with Giovanni Addessi. It stars Klaus Kinski, Peter Carsten, Marcella Michelangeli, Guido Lollobrigida and Antonio Cantafora. Music is by Carlo Savina and cinematography by Riccardo Pallottini and Luciano Trasatti.

When Gary Hamilton (Kinski) receives a pardon from his sentence at a prison work camp, he has only one thing on his mind; revenge on those responsible for his unfair incarceration.

A ghost returns and he'll have, he'll have only one desire in his heart, only one thirst: Revenge.

How wonderful, a Spaghetti Western/horror hybrid with scary Kinski as an avenging angel good guy! For the first 30 minutes the film looks to be building up a head of steam for a standardised Spaghetti Western, but things shift once Hamilton approaches town and night begins to fall. From here the film plays out as a Gothic horror involving Western characters, resplendent with big creepy mansion set in a shifty looking town that is cloaked in murky moonlight.

The whole town teeters on the edge of panic as they know who is coming to visit on this dark night. Atmosphere is tightly coiled as things move in the shadows, windows blow open, strange sounds emanate on the impending storm, and the stench of death is everywhere. A bell tolls ominously, birds flee the vicinity, all while Hamilton moves about the town with deadly silence, even using a network of catacombs under the town that were left over from an aged Indian cemetery.

The production value isn't high, but Margheriti maximises what is at his disposal to great ends. The sound effects work is simply terrific, with the shrill of the birds and the dripping water in the caverns playing a tune being particularly striking. There's inventive deaths, sublime scenes (love that rider less horse sequence and the Orson Welles mirror homage) and Kinski being ace as a ghoulish phantom taking a string from the bow of the Count of Monte Cristo.

It's also great to find that Margheriti and Addessi give strength to the picture by way of psychological smarts within the characterisations. This is not merely a spooky revenge story, a chance to pile the bodies up, there is substance to the main players, their motives and means, their frailties and family fractures brutally laid bare. The dialogue is sometimes naff, the cliché's of Spaghetti Westerns rife, and of course not all the visual effects work like they should, but this is one moody and memorable movie that is well worth seeking out if you can see a decent enough print of it. 8/10

After enduring ten years of hard labor for a crime he did not commit, Gary Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) is given a a presidential pardon (preposterous, but who cares?) and is let out of prison. After ten years of shoveling and smashing rocks in the hot sun there is only one thing on his mind, revenge. Revenge on Acombar, the man who framed him. Gary soon finds out that this same man is now the wealthiest land baron in the territory and is also sleeping with his wife. Gary purchases a rifle and (with what seems to be a never ending supply of bullets) sets out to extract his revenge on Acombar. But before Gary can get to him he must face 30 of Acombar's bodyguards during a conveniently well timed tornado at night.

Antonio Margheriti (better known as Anthony Dawson or Anthony S. Dawson) returns to his horror roots to direct this suspenseful revenge story. The movie has some fabulous atmosphere. The character of Gary Hamilton is treated as a supernatural by the villains. Wind picks up whenever he appears, animals make strange noises when his name is uttered and his arrival is signified by a threatening Tornando. This all adds to the horror element of the movie (also the fact that a large portion of the film takes place at night).

It's a good little western with a few atypical twists. However it doesn't all go off without a hitch. There is a very nasty pacing problem during the 45 minute storm segment where Hamilton hunts down each and every one of the villain's gunmen. Hamilton does this by firing from windows then ducking before the return fire reaches him and by firing his rifle from holes on the ground when down in a tunnel system under the town's buildings. This goes on for quite awhile. I'm sure you can agree with me when I say there is nothing more dull than some prick hiding behind a barrel and randomly picking off people every now and again. I Hate to see that in westerns. It's alright if it's used once or twice but when several action scenes are devoted to it for long periods of time something is certainly wrong.

In it's defense there are some really creative death scenes, an interesting use of a church bell as a weapon is of particular mention, however there is a severe lack of them overall. Too bad. I also thought that the virtually non-existent tornado should have played a larger role in the film as opposed to making a few cameo appearances as a gust of wind every now and again (they had a nice dust devil effect in "Matalo!". Why not here?). Perhaps the twister could have taken out a few baddies? mmm? Just a thought.

The cast is a good one. Kinski stars as the anti-hero Hamilton. It's almost a sick joke casting Klaus Kinski as a hero. The famous actor played mostly villains throughout his entire career and I have yet to see him playing a good guy in a spaghetti western. I suppose he liked the role because he would usually snag a part where he was on set for as little time as possible for as much money as possible.

Peter Carsten as the greedy Acombar does his job as a slimy no good and the pretty Marcella Michelangeli is unforgivable as Hamilton's cheating wife.

Composer Carlo Savina makes a good soundtrack here. I really like the title theme.

Despite it's faults And God Said To Cain is a welcome addition to any spaghetti western library and worth picking up.

This was the first movie I'd seen with Kinski in a starring role, and unfortunately I had to see a bootleg copy as that was the only option available to me. And I don't know if it was the quality of the bootleg or maybe a lazy director of photography, but three fourths of this movie are as dark as a poorly-edited, moonless night!

Besides Kinski's charisma (that you can't even see in this movie anyway) and the cool way he's filmed in the beginning, with the camera roving and encircling and following him like he's a God himself, And God Said to Cain has nothing going for it. Story wise it plays all its cards right away, with the big confrontation/reveal being just about as quaint as anything you could imagine. Immediately our hero, "Gary", knows who his foe is and what he wants to do to him, and the entire movie is his monotonous advance toward doing it. There are some bad guys who stand around in the dark (at least I think they were guys; I'm not kidding about it being dark) who Gary shoots every once in a while, but mostly the movie consists of Gary taking half an hour to walk through a cave, and a priest being shot, then getting up and pounding on the organ, then getting shot, then getting up and pounding on the organ, then getting shot... at this point in the movie I was finding my fingernails pretty interesting (and well lit).

The atrocious lighting and boring story are the fundamental flaws, but there are pet peeves I have with it, too. "Gary" isn't exactly a mythical, awe-inspiring name. One of the big sub-plots is an impending tornado that everyone seems able to predict. "How long do you think we have before it gets here," Gary says to an old man who obnoxiously slurps every bite of his food LOUDLY, and for what seems like HOURS. Here, the director decided that pointing the camera directly at the sun might make a good contrast to the rest of the movie being filmed in the coat closet, but to me it didn't make any sense. "Say, where are you going with that mattress?" "Why, I'm taking it to the saloon, to cover the whiskey so it won't be destroyed by the tornado that's coming tonight!" Yep, an uncanny meteorological sense, even among the drunks.

I wanted to see it because it seemed obscure, I like what I've seen of Klaus Kinski, and "And God Said to Cain" is a really cool-sounding title. What it was, however, was a movie not only mundane and plodding, but frustrating in that you can't see what's happening. Oh, and there was also the slurping.

This spaghetti western has one thing going for it and it is Klaus Kinski. Do not expect to hear the usual Kinski snarling voice however, as the dubbing is nothing more than generic cowboy. The effort to make " And God Said to Cain" into a horror western is far from successful. The great majority of run time is shot in the dark which leaves the audience totally in the dark as to what is happening on screen. Character development is nil, so the night gun battles are forgettable. My suggestion if you want to watch this is to fast forward every time the screen goes dark. The ending is the most compelling reason to even watch at all. For Kinski fans only. MERK.

And God Said to Cain (1970)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Spaghetti Western has Gary Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) being released from a prison after serving ten years for a crime he didn't commit. The Civil War vet gets released and that same day he goes to the town of the man who put him behind bars to seek revenge. He gets to the town at the same time as a tornado, which just adds more to the revenge plot. This is a pretty interesting film for a few reasons but it's not totally successful in the end. What really hurts the film is the middle section, which features Kinski's character taking out all the gunmen hired by the man he is after. This leads to some pretty boring action as most of the fighting is being done off camera or having Kinski fire his gun through a window. The film has other pacing problems, which means the film could have lost ten minutes and it probably would have been better. The violence itself is pretty PG-rated and overall there's really nothing too offensive for even the most sensitive viewers. What does work is having the film set during a tornado, which adds a lot of atmosphere to the film. The more Spaghetti Westerns I watch I begin to notice that each of them tries to have something fresh and this one here adds the tornado, which does the film good. Kinski is very good in his role and makes for a wonderful good guy so to speak. He's certainly easy to watch even though the guy dubbing him doesn't do that good of a job. Peter Carsten plays the man Kinski is after and does a good job as well. The low budget nature of the film probably hurts more than it helps but in the end this is a mildly entertaining film if you're a fan of the genre.

It's thirty-seven minutes before a shot is fired in this film! That must be some sort of record for a non-comedic Spaghetti Western. Additionally, Klaus Kinski is the good guy! What is this, some kind of topsy turvy Spaghetti Western world where horses ride men and chickens eat Fernando Sancho?

No, it's not. It's a deadly serious revenge film that takes place almost in real time, most of it at night, which means it's a good idea to seek out a decent version of this film or else you'll see next to nothing.

Kinski is Gary Hamilton, a man we first see busting rocks in prison before being pardoned due to some loophole I didn't quite understand. Gary's slightly miffed because he was wrongly imprisoned and spent ten years in the pokey due to some guy called Acombar, so he lets bygones be bygones by getting out a jail, buying a rifle, and heading for town to kill Acombar and every single other person Acombar has hired to protect himself. Luckily, Gary bumps into Acombar's innocent, oblivious son on the way there and gets him to pass on the message, which leads to all kind of ominous staring. Even more luckily there's a scheduling conflict which means Gary will be arriving in town at exactly the same time as a tornado.

That's the plot, more or less. It's kind of like Django the Bastard in the way that Kinski slinks about the place wasting loads of bad guys in a creepy fashion, except this one plays up the horror angle even more (or Gothic horror angle I guess), with the continuous ringing of the church bell driving the hired goons mad, the relentless darkness and Kinski's big weird face. Acombar's main chamber is made of mirrored walls, which reminded me of the giallo Libido (which also has Luciano Pigozzi in it).

Speaking of Pigozzi, he suffers from one of the most unique and violent deaths in a Spaghetti Western, surpassed only by two incredibly horrible deaths in the film Django Kill…if you live, shoot! Ear-splitting song at the start too which might put some people off, but stick with it – this is one of Antonio Margeherriti's best films.

Has anybody seen Gary Hamilton (Kinski) the screenplay asks repetitively as Peter Carsten's besieged character pleads to know the whereabouts of his long locked-up former partner who he very ungraciously sold up the river ten years earlier. Gary is understandably upset at the betrayal and seeking a unique brand of maximum vengeance that only a character played by Klaus Kinski can inflict.

Carsten is predictably anxious by the haunting return of his former friend, a day he long expected, whilst Kinski plays his part of the cold-blooded avenger with control, lurking mostly in the shadows stalking his victims with relentless and bloody efficiency. Antonio Cantafora plays Carsten's son who discovers the unpleasant truth about his father's dealings with Hamilton, and veterans Alan Collins' (aka Luciano Pigozzi) and 'Lee Burton' (Gina Lollobrigida's brother Guido) appear amongst Carsten's gang.

As is customary in the genre, there's plenty of dining scenes which will either spontaneously cause you hunger, or simply bloating you if you are already full, and whilst Margheriti's film is atmospheric and technically well photographed, it doesn't overcome the fact that unlike its well-fed cast, the plot is thoroughly emaciated. Unfortunately not even a calm, calculated killing machine like Kinski (nor a soaring pop lyric by US crooner Don Powell) can save this picture from the gallows.

"And God Said to Cain" is the ultimate and irrefutable proof that Antonio Margheriti was the most underrated director of the Italian cult cinema era between 1960 and 1980. People almost solely refer to Mario Bava when listing the greatest Italian Gothic horror movies and to Sergio Leone for the Spaghetti Westerns, but Margheriti made multiple remarkable films in both fields as well. Moreover, with "And God Said to Cain", he made a near perfect amalgamation of the two genres and that is something that – at least to my knowledge – none of the other contemporary directors ever accomplished. I can't but wholeheartedly concur with my fellow reviewers who stated that this is probably the darkest Spaghetti Western ever made. The basic plot is simple and concise, but Margheriti upholds the mysterious truth until the very last moment and reverts to multiple Gothic horror tricks to generate an atmosphere of suspense and morbidity, like chiming church bells, terrible weather conditions and mirrors. Add to this a fairly silent but seemingly ghostly protagonist (dazzling role for the charismatic Klaus Kinski) who appears and disappears all over town through a network of caves and secret passageways, and you've got yourself the most horrific western fable ever told.

"And God Said to Cain" is intense throughout and remains compelling from start to finish, and that certainly isn't an easy thing to achieve when the basic concept is so mundane and derivative. It already begins with the introduction of Kinski's character Gary Hamilton. He's a clearly tormented and nihilistic man with only one purpose left in life: vengeance. Hamilton is released from prison after serving a ten year sentence for a crime he didn't commit. He promptly heads out to avenge himself against the guy who framed him; the rich and influential Sir Acombar. Conveniently, Hamilton's arrival in town coincides with a harsh tornado which allows him to play a virulent cat and mouse game with Acombar's henchmen. Everything about this great spaghetti western just feels exactly right: the gloomy musical score, Klaus Kinski's embittered facial expressions, the continuous menace coming from the tornado, the fear on the faces of the henchmen and the drama linked to Hamilton's persona. It takes an incredibly long time before we finally find out why he spent ten innocent years in jail, but the reason is actually inferior to how Gary Hamilton is obsessed with his vendetta. The (fantastic) title refers to a Biblical text in which God disapproves such acts, but Hamilton is so entitled to his revenge that he for once even ignores God. "And God Said to Cain" features numerous brilliant sequences (like the ghostly entrance of Hamilton's horse in town) and a couple of inventive horror-like killings (the church bell!). The finale is even more nail-bitingly tense as the rest of the film, like it should be of course, and only when the movie is finished you'll be able to breath normally again! That's a great film! Kinski, in one of his best Spaghetti Western roles (and he starred in a lot of them) also receives excellent support from Peter Carsten as the relentless villain and Margheriti regular Luciano Pigozzi (nicknamed the Italian Peter Lorre for obvious reasons) as one of the petrified henchmen.

Quite a lot of people around here complain about the picture & sound quality of available DVD-versions, but if you leave in Europe and speak a little bit of German and/or Italian: the German release, entitled "Satan Der Räche" is impeccable.

Quite wonderful, doom laden, totally focused, Gothic horror, spaghetti western, extraordinaire. The revenge story is as simple as could be and indeed is more or less told to us in seconds three quarters the way through the film, but the manner of the telling with the oncoming storm and the tolling bells, and the matter of the lead actor. Sometimes Klaus Kinski disappoints because you expect so much from him and it is sad when for one reason or another, bad dubbing, bad direction or simply lazy Kinski, things don't quite come together. Well, they do here and my only hesitation in recommending this wholeheartedly to everyone is that not everyone enjoys spaghetti westerns and for those that do, this is certainly not a typical example. Still, if you fancy a real treat this is engaging from the very beginning, with all the bleakness of the chain gang and their rock breaking, to the sensational finale complete with a great Lady of Shanghai multiple mirror effect and general conflagration. Immaculate, but do find a decent print!