Mannaja - A Man Called Blade

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Spaghetti Western 'Revue' of 1977
Review: A very late entry into Italian western genre from Sergio Martino, better known as director of the "cannibal" exploit movies. Amazon's review recaps the plot very well so just a couple of tidbits: Martino has captured the essence of earlier 60's spaghetti westerns with their grim sets and grimier characters, almost to the point of parody. The theme of betrayal is very well done and even packs a surprise or two, while the motivation of greed pervades the film in better-than-average spaghetti tradition. Incidentally Martino seems to borrow the idea of a traveling dance troupe from Colizzi's "Boot Hill" with it's weird circus, and he seems to borrow plenty from Colizzi in general throughout the movie. Some others have complained about the music in this movie -- just wish I could find a separate soundtrack of this on CD! IMHO the music is great! This is one spaghetti fanatic who really enjoyed this movie although a few of the scenes could have been cropped for a faster pace -- but then again this was 1977 and not 2003! All told five stars from me and one of the best especially in light of the excellent technical rendition to DVD and restoration. A beauty! If only Martino made more like this one!

Rating:
Summary: A sad farewell to a very exciting movie genre
Review: It's commonly said - and with good reason - that the movie 'The Man Called Blade' is the last entry in the interesting genre named 'western spaghetti' that dominated the Italian movies in the sixties and seventies. But, unfortunately, this movie is a very sad farewell to an otherwise exciting genre. This movie has a simple plot - like almost all the other movies of the same kind - but so full of flaws and absurd situations that the viewer - even an addict of spaghetti westerns - will be tired and boring before the middle of the story. In fact, 'A man Called Blade' is quite a rip off of 'Keoma', a huge sucess with Franco Nero, directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Maurizio Merli was picked up by director Sergio Martino to live Blade because of his resemblance with Nero, at these times completely out of westerns movies. A routine and poor imagined story of vengeance and hate, the movie goes on and on until an old fashioned 'finale'. Good performance by John Steiner, as the villain.

Rating:
Summary: Should have gotten Morricone... PLUS EASTER EGG below
Review: The music was a real letdown for me. I think that music in a movie can become something like a supporting cast member, but this music (by Guido e Maurizio De Angelis) just didn't fit in most places. Especially when the soloist began singing. Yuck. I mean, double yuck, out of luck, upchuck. I hope they weren't trying to save money by scrimping on the score. Sometimes the very thing that can save a movie is the soundtrack, and this one just didn't cut the mustard. It didn't have any semblance of being a thoughtful composition. If it had been pressed into an album, I wonder how many people would have purchased it? I'm sorry to ramble on, but the music just pinned my emotions down on this one. Just as I would gain some interest, the music shoots it all down. Guido's score (sorry, sir) didn't need a hatchet to kill "A Man Called Blade."

Maybe it was the music, but it definitely didn't help get me into the mood of this movie, which technically is another fine transfer from an original film stock and presented by Blue Underground. Honestly? I'd rather watch the opening FBI warning (a really cool animated revolving red light instead of the plain blue page) than sit through the musical score with the lyrics being sung.

I wish Blue Underground could have given the viewer an option to turn the music off. Maybe that's why I couldn't relate to the characters. Yes it's violent and somewhat surreal, but ask me whether I cared who died? The music made me wish it would hurry and end (with no lyrics, of course). If I had a hatchet in hand while watching this, the lyrics would probably have driven me to throw at the speakers. I wished that I could have gotten past the music, but it just permeated everything.

Tech Specs and at least one Easter Egg: Region free, NTSC DVD @ 96 minutes color from an original print in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (no full frame option) and enhanced for 16X9; English mono, Italian mono; optional English subtitles; trailer; featurette called "A Man Called Sergio (interview with director Sergio Martino); poster and production stills gallery; linear notes; a two- page pamphlet with deeper information about the movie. I found only one Easter Egg (2 previous Blue Underground discs had 3 of them that I found in each). This one is located on the Extras page. Highlight A Man Called Sergio and push RIGHT to reveal a hatchet to access.

PS- The score of two stars is for the overall DVD. If it hadn't been presented so well by Blue Underground, I would have given it only one star.