Les Longs Jours de la vengeance

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!!

The memorable main theme of composer Armando Trovaioli's sole Western score, a slow and stately trumpet soaring over acoustic guitar and rolling percussion, kicks off 1966's Long Days Of Vengeance.

As 2 prisoners carry out a daring escape from a harsh, brutal military prison....we get our first look at Ted Barnett......, who, as we discover later, is serving his 3rd year of a sentence of 30 at hard labor...framed for the murder of an Army Colonel...as part of an elaborate plan involving & including the murder of his father....slave labor..gun running.. & the ownership & control of a railroad.

The story quotes quite clearly from it's inspiration .... "The Count of Monte Cristo". Guiliano Gemma, as Barnett..looking very much like the imprisoned Edmond Dantes....plots revenge against those who betrayed him. After making his escape, ...and a NOT your typical day at the barber shop...he manages to find some helpers for his plan to exact revenge...from a traveling medicine show..who are VERY aware of the $10,000 bounty now on his head.

The only Western directed by Florestano Vancini ........he makes use of a good plot...with definite noirish elements-- fall guy out for revenge.. the shady former lover , here played by Nieves Navarro , as the femme fatale, who may have access to evidence implicating the conspirators............greed, redemption and payback. It's a good story...one could see it used in an 40's B&W potboiler...as well as a lean, mean 50s American Western..but here it gets the Spaghetti treatment. ...there's even a bit of ninja fare thrown in..to good effect, I might add..as it plays into the final showdown..from which some will walk away unbowed, but none will walk away unbloodied.

Of course no Gemma film would be complete without the former stuntman's trademark athleticism.....he shows off his gymnast roots...but this is a slightly darker Gemma...the smile & the humor are there.....but also the grit of an avenger as one by one the conspirators are confronted......as evidenced by the lengths to which he'll go as he attempts to set the sides up for a fall...and by what he sets himself up for to carry out his plan.

A good supporting cast....which, atypically for most Italian Westerns, features 2 strong female supporting characters...the fetching Navarro....and a nice turn by Gabriella Giorgelli as the aptly named, sweet but feisty Dulcie...who proves equally adept w/ a guitar or rifle.

The catchy & varied score contains a variety of themes & influences...ranging from Morricone to Toots Thielman's harmonica soundtracks. The stunning main theme appeared in Tarantino's "Kill Bill", during the "Origin of O-Ren Ishii" anime sequence.

An interesting story..well told.. badly dubbed... nicely filmed....a nice fit somewhere in the middle of anyone's Spaghetti Western collection.

Recommended.

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.

My personal favorite among the many westerns Giuliano Gemma appeared in! Gemma portrays a prisoner with a ridiculously long beard (obviously inspired by the Count of Monte Christo here) who escapes after 3 years. Nonetheless, he quickly begins to hunt the 3 villains who got him sentenced although he was innocent: the killer Gomez (who is forced with a gun to shave off Gemma's beard first!), the corrupt sheriff Douglas (who has married the prisoner's girlfriend in the meantime) and the boss of the gang, Cobb, an honorable citizen it seems... It's a straight revenge story with a great cast of supporting actors: the 4 Mexican killers sent by Gomez, the doctor (Pajarito), the funny hangman, the two beautiful ladies (Nieves Navarro and Gabriella Giorgelli)... everybody is just perfect for the part they play! The terrific musical score by Armando Trovaioli with its trumpet theme sticks to the memory, too.