Ciel de plomb

A coach full of innocent people is attacked and everyone murdered. A psychotic gunman is hunting for a man called Billy. When leaves the area, a stranger arrives and gently brushes dirt off the face of a dead girl. Silently, he begins to bury them. Another stranger turns up and together the bury the corpses to the haunting, melancholic tune of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. What follows is a...comedy?

This is the most bi-polar Western I've ever seen. Morricone's soundtrack is heart wrenching and beautiful. The gunfights are violent. Women are beaten and tortured, and yet, in between all this, there's slapstick and one liners. Mood swings?

One stranger is Giuliano Gemma and he's the guy on the run from the psycho. The other guy is Mario Adorf and he's a miner with a bit of gold but not a lot of brains. Gemma is at first out to con Adorf which does over and over again, but then Adorf is so kind and big hearted the two of them just bond. However, there's still that crazy guy and is family to worry about.

It's kind of a road movie as the two characters head for Adorf's ranch and encounter various characters, like the fake Mermaid lady or the bank robbers. None of it should work but it all kind of does anyway as the man behind the camera is the guy who made Death Rides A Horse. Kind of weird to take though as people are still gunned down brutally ala a Spaghetti Western from 1968, but has huge bar fights and punch ups like a 1972 Spaghetti Western.

I was curious to watch it as I'd never seen Mario Adorf in a Spaghetti Western before. He does well as the slow miner guy. Gemma is the usual goofy charmer and a ladies man.

The most interesting thing about this odd spaghetti western is that you can see that it probably was an influence on the wildly successful comic spaghetti western "They Call Me Trinity" that came out two years later. Among other things, the two leads here have some of the trademarks Terence Hill and Bud Spencer sported in the later movie. However, Hill and Spencer's comedies didn't sport some scenes of harsh violence as this film does, which doesn't fit at all with the otherwise lighthearted spirit. Also, the comedy in this movie really isn't all that funny, being mostly simple-minded slapstick and silliness you will have seen in other comedies before. The script also suffers from the fact that there is hardly any plot - for the most part it's just a series of vignettes that have little to no consequence to what comes afterwards. And under the direction of Giulio Petroni, the movie unfolds at a really slow pace. There is some merit to be found here and there, particularly a fine musical score by the ever reliable Ennio Morricone, but as a whole the movie is a really tired and uninspired effort.

Ah, such beautiful music!

This film opens with a classic sequence. A stagecoach is attacked by a gang, with all the passengers brutally massacred. Cue Morricone's haunting soundtrack as the camera focuses on the dead, and in particular the face of a blonde girl. A hand brushes the dust from her face,and the camera pans up to show the sorrowful face of Billy (Giuliano Gemma). A truly moving scene, but made particularly so because of Morricone's music.

In a way, this opening sequence is quite out of place with the remainder of the movie. The rest is a light-hearted affair, based around the partnership of Billy and Larry (Mario Adorf). Billy is a smart, world-wise man, whilst Larry is not gifted with the greatest amount of intelligence. This is a perfect foil for Billy, who is a convincing conman and successful in getting the better out of his gullible partner throughout the film (including robbing him of his entire life savings).

The action really hots up when the character of Roger Pratt (Federico Boido) is introduced properly (until this stage, he is purely the face of the gang leader from the opening ambush). He is a brutal man, tracking down Billy on behalf of his father Samual Pratt (Anthony Dawson). The second half of the movie concentrates on this pursuit, with Samual also arriving on the scene and proving to be as barbaric as his short-fused offspring.

Director Giulio Petroni (of "Death Rides a Horse" fame) adopts a similar style to the one used in his later Milian cast "Life is Tough, Right Providence?". It shares its episodic structure, and "clever man/thick man" partnership. Anyone that has read my other reviews will probably have noticed that I do not generally like the more light-hearted westerns. However, I did very much enjoy most of this particular film (the same could not be said of "Providence" incidentally).

Gemma does not look as comfortable with the more comedic role as he does to that of an angel-faced gunman. But he still looks and acts the part - as likable in this film as ever. Adorf meanwhile is suitably oafish (in a role that would have been perfect for Bud Spencer), as Boido and Dawson are villainous.

A particular highlight of the film is a superb scene as Billy cons his way into the house of a beautiful Widow (played by the frankly gorgeous Magda Konopka). Another very beautiful Spaghetti Western actress, part sorrowful and part sexually teasing.

As my review closes, I must dwell further on that opening sequence. The background to this massacre is never fully explained - perhaps those killed have been unfortunate acquaintances of Billy, and suitably punished by the Pratt gang. I don't know. And, in its serious nature, it perhaps feels like a scene that doesn't really belong in this film. But... if you watch it for no other reason, then watch it for this powerful prologue (even close your eyes just to hear Morricone's score). I am also quite confident as you sit through the whole film that you will find other scenes that you will enjoy.

This Pasta Western displays noisy action , thrills , stirring adventures , shoot'em up , brawls , and results to be pretty bemusing . It stars Giuliano Gemma and Mario Adorf , both of whom are top-notch as likable freewheeling rogues , meanwhile taking on two ominous villains , the ruthless father pistolero : Anthony Dawson and and his son , the really villainous Rick Boyd . This is an acceptable S.W. full of action , shootouts , fist-play and some touches of humor in charge of Giuliano Gemma as Billy Boy aka Tim Hawkins and Mario Adorf as Harry . Outlaw Roger Pratt (Federico Boido) pursues drifter Tim (Giuliano Gemma) , that's why he thinks of being responsable the death of his children . Later on , the stagecoach is attacked by the gang led by Pratt , with all the passengers (Chris Huerta) cruelly massacred. There arrive two hobos , a swindler drifter named Tom (Gemma) and a burly innocent vagrant called Harry (Mario Adorf who is still playing) and soon become travelling companions . But one of them, Tim , is being chased by a crazed killer and his group of gunmen to settle an old score . At the beginning Tim swindles Harry , but a bit later on , both of whom befriend themselves .While they are fighting and hating each other , eventually , the two manage to live together for a time . Then they undertake several adventures, heists , risks and dangers. They are chased through the west , encountering scrape after scrape until the murderers catch up and the score is settled for good. The roguish friends have their hands in everything , but especially on a beautiful widow called Dorothy McDonald (Magda Konopka) and a wonderful girl (Julie Menard) who works at a show as a mermaid or sirene . Later on , the duo being relentlessly pursued , but they attempt to carry out a hold-up , assault Wells Fargo , and , finally face off their ruthless enemy , Pratt , and his cruel father (Anthony Dawson who acted in Death rides a horse) who at the end he arrives by train at the station.



This entertaining engaging movie is crammed with crossfire , fist-fights, kicks , punches , overwhelming stunt work and lots of humor . Gemma and Adorf are pretty good as two army men robbing and taking on a bunch of bandits and both of whom make their own stunts , as usual . At the ending takes place the violent confrontation, a thrilling duel in Spaghetti style and under splendid musical score background .This Ravioli Western has Western action , shootouts, fights and brawls in Terence Hill/Bud Spencer style . It is an entertaining and amusing Pasta Western with the attractive actors , the Italian Giuliano Gemma and the German Mario Adorf forming an odd as well as funny couple. Lightingly paced and with a really disconcerting storyline that results to be absurd at times, but frenetic fights and gunplay sequences make up for it . This release has some cool and hilarious moments ; however, the Terence Hill and Bud Spencer movies are much better. The picture displays lots of laughters , tongue-in-cheek , jokes , as well as violence and cold killings , too . This is an acceptable S.W. full of action , shootouts , fist-play , some touches of humor in charge of Giuliano Gemma/Mario Adorf characters and enjoyable musical score by the great maestro composer Ennio Morricone . Protagonists are very fine , they ravage the screen , they jump , bounds , hit and run ; plus , lots of jokes , laughs , they are a complete show , delivering a nice chemical . Starred by Giuliano Gemma , in the beginning, he worked as stunt-man, and in small roles in big productions such as "Ben Hur" where his role was uncredited. The director, Duccio Tessari, gave him the first role as protagonist in the film "Arrivano i Titani". Luchino Visconti cast him the role of a general in "Il gattopardo", but his scenes were mostly cut. This was followed by important roles in "Angelica", by the French director Bernard Borderie, where Gemma has a leading role; and the first spaghetti western films where he was credited as Montgomery Wood. He played several films of all kinds of genres as ¨Master touch¨ with Kirk Douglas , ¨Stay away¨ with Amidou , as well as ¨Africa Express¨ and ¨Safari Express¨co-starred by Ursula Andress and with similar artist and technician team , but especially Westerns such as ¨Una pistola per Ringo", "Il ritorno di Ringo" and "Un dollaro bucato" are among his greatest successes . As well as ¨Arizona Colt¨ with Fernando Sancho and Nello Pazzafini and ¨California ¨ with William Berger and Romano Puppo . Then he played his most important roles in "Il deserto dei Tartari" by Valerio Zurlini and "Il prefetto di ferro" by Pasquale Squitieri. In the last years Gemma worked mostly for Italian television until his death by car accident . This Italian/French coproduction release titled E per tetto un cielo di stelle (Italy) , or A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof (United States) or Ciel de plomb (France) has some cool moments and a great number of hilarious scenes , adding a thrilling finale . The film isn't always good , sometimes is fresh and diverting and on a couple of memorable occasions , it's frankly delicious . In this very mild entertainment picture appears usual secondaries seen in several Spaghetti/Tortilla Westerns , many of them uncredited in brief appearances , such as Spanish players : Chris Huerta , Victor Israel, as Italian people such as : John Bartha ,Riccardo Pizzuti as Poker player in saloon , Benito Stefanelli, Ivan Scratuglia .

Nice cinematography filmed on location in Spain : Poblado Tabernas, Almeria, Andalucia, Spain. Very good musical score by Ennio Morricone style and full of catching sounds and haunting environment . Morricone displays a sensitive musical leitmotif and he composed lots of Spaghetti Western scores . There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as the professional cameraman Carlo Carlini who makes an atmospheric photography , including barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun , being shot , of course , on location in Almeria , Spain . However , being necessary and perfect remastering because of the original copy is worn-out .

The motion picture was regularly directed by Giulio Petroni . 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 . He wrote some Westerns and filmed a classic Italian Western as ¨Death rides a horse¨ with Lee Van Cleef and John Philip Law , though also shot other inferior but acceptable Spaghettis such as ¨Night of serpent¨ and this ¨A sky full of stars for a roof¨ in which he takes a similar style to the one used in his later Thomas Milian cast "Life is Tough, Right Providence?¨. Director Giulio Petroni (of "Death Rides a Horse" fame) made is a passable entertaining juvenile that will appeal to Italian comedy western buffs . Rating : 5.5/10 . Average , only for Giuliano Gemma and worthwhile seeing for Spaghetti Western fans.

This is a spaghetti western that is genuinely funny, but it also has its share of serious action which keeps it from being just another run-of-the-mill light-weight comedy.

Adorf and Gemma are great as the protagonists of this film, and I find them much more believable than Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. Federico Boido and Anthony Dawson are even better as the over-the-top father-and-son villains who are hunting for Gemma. They are very entertaining to watch. Boido's character is especially funny, and both are marvelously ruthless. The showdown at the end of the film is classic.

The music score by Ennio Morricone is great, as always, even though its far from being one of his best.

This is definitely a movie worth watching, especially for Euro-western fans.