Le Grand Silence

Original title: Il grande silenzio

1968
12
1h 45m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Jean-Louis Trintignant and Vonetta McGee in Le Grand Silence (1968)

A mute gunfighter defends a young widow and a group of outlaws against a gang of bounty killers in the winter of 1898, and a grim, tense struggle unfolds.A mute gunfighter defends a young widow and a group of outlaws against a gang of bounty killers in the winter of 1898, and a grim, tense struggle unfolds.A mute gunfighter defends a young widow and a group of outlaws against a gang of bounty killers in the winter of 1898, and a grim, tense struggle unfolds.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

19K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos232

+ 225

Top cast42

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Jean-Louis Trintignant

Gordon
(as Jean Louis Trintignant)
…

Klaus Kinski

Tigrero…

Frank Wolff

Sheriff Gideon Burnett

Vonetta McGee

Pauline Middleton
(as Vonetta Mc Gee)

Luigi Pistilli

Henry Pollicut

Mario Brega

Martin

Carlo D'Angelo

Governor of Utah
(as Carlo D' Angelo)

Marisa Merlini

Regina

Maria Mizar

Blonde Saloon Girl

Marisa Sally

Black-Haired Saloon Girl

Raf Baldassarre

Sanchez

Spartaco Conversi

Walter

Remo De Angelis

Fake Sheriff in Flashback

Mirella Pamphili

Red-Haired Saloon Girl in Flashback

Fortunato Arena

Outlaw
(uncredited)

Giulio Baraghini

Man in Saloon
(uncredited)

Gino Barbacane

Poker Player
(uncredited)

Lino Coletta

Hunter
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
According to Sergio Corbucci, Marcello Mastroianni gave him the idea of a mute gunfighter when the actor told him that he had always wanted to do a Western, but unfortunately didn't speak English. When Corbucci first met Jean-Louis Trintignant, he learned that he didn't speak English either. Because he had a fascination with characters with a crippling weakness, Corbucci decided that this was the moment to turn the taciturn Spaghetti Western hero into a mute.

Goofs
Various spelling mistakes in the title cards.

Quotes
Ending title card: The massacres of 1898, year of the Great Blizzard, finally brought forth fierce public condemnation of the bounty killers, who, under the guise of false legality, made violent murder a profitable way of life. For many years there was a clapboard sign at Snow Hill which carried this legend: MEN'S BOOTS CAN KICK UP THE DUST OF THIS PLACE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, BUT NOTHING MAN CAN EVER DO WILL WIPE OUT THE BLOOD STAINS OF THE POOR FOLK WHO FELL HERE.

Alternate versions
Two alternative endings were created for this film:
A "happy" ending, in which Sheriff Burnett (having somehow survived being trapped under a frozen lake) rides into town and shoots Loco before he can kill Silence, allowing him to kill the remaining bounty killers. This ending was once believed to be shot for the North African and Japanese markets, but has since been revealed to have been created as an alternative solution for the producers, who wanted the film to have a "seasonal" (ie. Christmas) appeal.
A lesser-known, "ambiguous" re-cut of the original ending with additional footage, in which Silence is wounded, but Loco gestures to his gang members to leave the saloon before they can kill anyone.

Connections
Featured in Western, Italian Style (1968)

User reviews133

Featured review

8/10

"That western in the snow"

"That western in the snow" - was my brother's response when he heard that I'd finally tracked down a copy of THE GREAT SILENCE, a.k.a. THE BIG SILENCE (I first saw it 10 years ago on BBC2's 'Moviedrome').

If you like Sergio Leone's films (such as THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY and A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) then you'll probably enjoy this film by Sergio Corbucci. Violence, shooting, cussing, strange costumes, haunting music, trademark camera angles and the Italian style go to make up one of the best (lost)westerns I've ever seen.

These films aren't to everyone's taste, but THE GREAT SILENCE is worth watching just to hear the main theme tune which is a fantastic work of latterday composition - it sounds daft but I nearly cry when I hear it sometimes. By turns the score is dream-like, stylish, menacing, bizarre and even ridiculous (twanging sitar-like sounds). This is my favourite piece of Ennio Morricone's music.

As I said before the main reference points for this film are those of Sergio Leone, except for the snow-laden setting and the distinct lack of humour( THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY still makes me laugh, despite countless watching). Having said that this film has a distinctly original atmosphere of it's own, brought out in the brilliant and shocking ending. the director went to great lengths to preserve his radical finale (particularly unpopular with the producer) - there is a version of the film with a cop-out ending.

In short then, this is a great movie despite all the shortcomings of the particular genre( I'm not saying anything)- I once read that the term "Spaghetti Western" was a derisory one used by American film critics - but I can't think of any American westerns as enjoyable as some of these Italian films.