Demande pardon à Dieu, pas à moi...

Right off the bat, the title of "God May Forgive, But I Won't" sets a deliciously dramatic tone that promises gunslinging and grudges, and it doesn't disappoint. The film, a lesser-known Spaghetti Western from 1968, delivers on its name with a delightful use of its own title in a pivotal moment-an absolute treat for any cinephile.

George Ardisson stars as the stoic Cjamango McDonald, bringing a performance that, unfortunately, lacks the depth and versatility one might hope for. Comparatively, he makes Anthony Steffen seem like a master of subtlety, which is saying something. Despite Ardisson's wooden delivery, the film manages to hold the viewer's interest thanks to a more convincingly portrayed Mexican antagonist played by Ignazio Spalla and the reliable Gidra, who adds a touch of quality to whatever scene he graces.

The storyline itself is a bit of a hodgepodge, typical of revenge-themed narratives but with enough twists to keep it engaging. I never once felt the urge to switch off; the pacing and energy somehow keep you hooked, curious to see how the tangled paths of vengeance will unravel.

Visually, the film doesn't reach the artistic heights of the genre's best, but the cinematography is more than competent.

In summary, while "God May Forgive, But I Won't" might not be a masterpiece, it's a watchable entry into the Spaghetti Western canon. If you can get past some stiff performances, you might just find yourself enjoying this rough-around-the-edges tale of retribution.

Old MacDonald had a farm... and a son called Cjamango (Django in some dubbed versions). When MacDonald is killed, Cjamango (George Ardisson) hunts down the murderers in a typical revenge story. Jack Smart (Peter Martell) drinks too much, doesn't live up to his name and is killed quickly. His older brother Dick (Anthony Ghidra) gets a lot of men together now and chases Cjamango. Barrica (Pedro Sanchez) knows that there is a price on the heads of most pursuers, so in exchange for the bounty money, he helps Cjamango. After the courteous exchange of various brutalities between Cjamango and the smarter Smart brother, Cjamango remembers a friend of his father owns a machine gun from the civil war. Guess what? The first 30 minutes are not very encouraging to watch the rest, especially since the camera work is a bit static, but as soon as Cjamango meets the main villains, the action becomes a bit more lively (or rather, deadly), and in the end you get a typical, violent genre movie, not more than average but not less either. Some locations are familiar from "For A Few Dollars More", by the way.

It becomes pretty clear a few times in this spaghetti western that it was trying to ape the original "Django" movie, not just for the fact the hero in this movie has a name similar to "Django". That didn't concern me that much, especially since for the most part the movie seems to be trying to do its own thing. The movie does have some interest here and there - a good musical score, a story that goes in a few unexpected areas, and a decent action climax. But the movie has some significant problems. One of the main problems is that the motivations of some key characters remains vague or simply not explained at all. Another problem is that the movie unfolds at a somewhat slower pace than you usually get for a revenge western. Fans of spaghetti westerns will probably get enough enjoyment out of it, though it isn't one that should be actively sought out.

Standard violent revenge story. Ardisson was always good as an action man in the 60s and early 70s and who doesn't love Sanchez in his usual jovial roles? The use of music from Goldfinger unfortunately took me out of the story when it appeared. There's less female pulchritude than usual for a Euro western. Cristina Iosani's exotic and busty sex appeal, on display in Robert Woods' My Name Is Pecos, is covered up in long dresses here as she plays Ardisson's love interest. The Gatling gun sequence is loud but bloodless, like it is in most westerns and US TV shows with the exception of The Wild Bunch.

(1968) May God Forgive You...I Won't/ Chiedi perdono a Dio... non a me DUBBED SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Produced, written and directed by Glenn Vincent Davis. It opens with Cjamango McDonald (George Ardisson) seeing his dad, sister and brother off, while he was heading into town to finish paying off for a piece of paper. That piece of paper we find out later is to the deed of the MacDonald's property. And although both Cjamango and Virginia Stuart (Cristina Iosani) are attracted to one another, both of their families would not approve of of their relationship. After stopping by at the bank he was just heading toward to see Virginia's father for the final payment to obtain the deed. While this was happening, six gunmen entered into the property, shooting and killing Cjamango's dad, sister and brother. And as soon as the gun men leave the MacDonald's property, they are seen from a distance with a guy looking through a telescope. By the time Cjamango comes back and finds them dead, he goes to obtain that deed from Virginia's father, Stuart (Luigi Pavese), before he takes off again. It was at this point, the guy who witnessed the killing chases after Cjamango, and introduces himself as Garcia Ramirez (Ignazio Spalla) or for short Barrica. And Barrica wants to help him, as we find out later that his motive was for money since the men who who did it were wanted men, and appear to have bounty on their heads. The first three were easy kills, as he succeeds in drawing first killing two in a saloon and another one in another Mexican village. However, before Cjamango kills the third person, he gives him two names he never expected to hear about- the names of "Smart" and "Stuart". It is only when he crosses paths with Dick Smart (Anthony Ghidra) is when his plans of revenge become complicated. When Cjamango succeeds in shooting Dick's brother, Jack Smart (Peter Martell) first before he does in a fair gun fight. Since Jack Smart is supposed to be quick on the draw with a $5,000 bounty on his head. Dick finds out about this, he and his 50 or so gunmen then head back to Stuart's ranch for the purpose of demanding for more money. Only to force him by the hand and his gun men to kill Stuart and take whatever money he could find. At the same time go after the person who gunned his brother down.

For a movie that is about a hour and a half, it is still quite watchable despite a common theme.