Western

The Mercenary

- He sells death to the highest bidder! Buy or die!

While a Mexican revolutionary lies low as a U.S. rodeo clown, the cynical Polish mercenary who tutored the idealistic peasant tells how he and a dedicated female radical fought for the soul of the guerrilla general Paco, as Mexicans threw off repressive government and all-powerful landowners in the 1910s. Tracked by the vengeful Curly, Paco liberates villages, but is tempted by social banditry's treasures, which Kowalski revels in.

Release Date : 1968-12-20

Language :Italian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Produzioni Associate DelphosProfilms 21PEA

Production Country : ItalySpain

Alternative Titles : A Professional GunRevenge Of A Gunfighter

Cast

Character Name : Sergei Kowalski, The Polish

Original Name : Franco Nero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paco Roman

Original Name : Tony Musante

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ricciolo ("Curly")

Original Name : Jack Palance

Gender : Male

Character Name : Columba

Original Name : Giovanna Ralli

Gender : Female

Character Name : Pepote

Original Name : Franco Giacobini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alfonso García

Original Name : Eduardo Fajardo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Studs

Original Name : Franco Ressel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ramon

Original Name : Álvaro de Luna

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mateo

Original Name : Raf Baldassarre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sebastian

Original Name : Joe Kamel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer

Original Name : Lorenzo Robledo

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Ugo Adinolfi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ramirez

Original Name : José María Aguinaco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Simón

Original Name : Simón Arriaga

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lerkin

Original Name : José Canalejas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor

Original Name : Juan Cazalilla

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hudo

Original Name : Remo De Angelis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juan

Original Name : Alejandro de Enciso

Gender : Male

Character Name : Garcia's Cousin (uncredited)

Original Name : Tito García

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : A. Jiménez Castellanos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Guillermo Méndez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Notary (uncredited)

Original Name : Enrique Navarro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Antonio (uncredited)

Original Name : Francisco Nieto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mexican #3 (uncredited)

Original Name : Ángel Ortiz

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Julio Peña

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marco (uncredited)

Original Name : Milo Quesada

Gender : Male

Character Name : Curly's 2nd Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Reynoso

Gender : Male

Character Name : Garcia's Brother (uncredited)

Original Name : José Riesgo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Lorenzo Robledo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elias Garcia (uncredited)

Original Name : Vicente Roca

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Fernando Villena

Gender : Male

Character Name : Innkeeper (uncredited)

Original Name : José Luis Lizalde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Notary (uncredited)

Original Name : Ángel Álvarez

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

You play by the rules you lose! Il mercenario (The Mercenary) is directed by Sergio Corbucci and Corbucci co-writes the screenplay with Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Spina and Adriano Bolzoni. It stars Franco Nero, Tony Musante, Jacl Palance and Giovanna Ralli. Music is by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai, with cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa. It's the Mexican Revolution and Sergei "Polack" Kowalski (Nero) is a gun for hire. Hired by revolutionary Paco Roman (Musante), Kowalski muses on all the scrapes they got into before bringing the story to a present day resolution... A Technicolor/Techniscope production, Corbucci's Zapata Western is a barnstormer full of political bents, wry humour and searing action. With beautiful Spanish vistas prominent and a musical score that's like a spicy jumping bean, story holds court from beginning to end. Essentially at it's heart it's a buddy buddy piece, though these buddies are hardly what you would call rock solid. Into the mix comes the gorgeous Ralli to add the sauce, whilst as Paco and Kowalski take on the Government and its Army, they also have to contend with Curly (Palance), a camp sadistic dandy with revenge on his mind. Corbucci has a great eye for action, there's reams of gun fire, with machine guns, artillery and even a plane laying waste to bone and buildings, and usually the cruelty and carnage on show is done with a glint in the eye (milk and dice drink/grenade in mouth), and splendidly so. It's so deft that often a scene is being played out and on the side there is an execution going on, casually unfurled as matter of fact. There's also religious fervour cheekily in place, with Paco's army the Apostles and Polack their Jesus, so it's no surprise that religious imagery is placed within. Corbucci also likes to let his camera talk. Standard Pasta Western traits operate, such as close ups of the eyes, roving tracking shots, angled up tilts and glides. He also gets lucky with the weather for one shot, capturing a natural rainbow amid some more furious character action. Cast are doing sterling work. Nero is cool supreme, with awesome face fuzz and casually striking matches on various things, Nero proves to be a fine action hero and it's so easy to buy into his character. Musante is also excellent, giving Paco an earnestness that's beguiling, he's a lovable rogue, at times bumbling but utterly heroic within the revolutionary arc. While Palance, though not in it as much as you would think, is giving Curly a most intriguing persona, confusing sexuality and religious alibi. From a bullring circus opening featuring midget clowns, to a glorious clifftop turkey shoot finale, there is nary a dull moment in the pic. Top dollar Pasta Oater. 8.5/10