Face to Face [Faccia a Faccia] **** (1967, Gian Maria Volontè, Tomas Milian, William Berger) – Classic Movie Review 10,895

Director Sergio Sollima’s 1967 Italian film Face to Face [Faccia a Faccia] stars Gian Maria Volontè, Tomas Milian and William Berger. The BBC’s Moviedrome show rescued this extremely interesting Sixties widescreen spaghetti Western from its undeserved obscurity in 1993.

In a weird but intelligent plot, TB-afflicted history Professor Brad Fletcher (Volontè) decides to employ his brain power to assist outlaw Solomon ‘Beauregard’ Bennet (Milian), and of course, this being a moral yarn, the violence corrupts and Volontè becomes more evil than the outlaw.

The fascist-parable theme dominates but doesn’t topple the movie into over-pretentiousness, and it is really quite exciting and well done on the essential basic spaghetti Western action level, and boosted by yet another fine Ennio Morricone score.

It is written by Sergio Sollima (story and screenplay) and Sergio Donati (screenplay).

It is shot in Almería, Andalucía, Spain and Elios Studios, Rome.

Carlo Simi is given a credit for sets and costumes on Italian prints but English prints credit him as the art director.

It runs 112 minutes, but when it was brought to the BBFC by Butcher’s Film Service, it was cut from 112 minutes to 93 minutes to receive an A rating. The 93-minute English dub with Tomas Milian and William Berger re-voicing their roles was for long the most widely available version.

Also in the cast are Jolanda Modio, Carole André, Gianni Rizzo, Ángel del Pozo, Aldo Sambrell, Nello Pazzafini, José Torres, Federico Boido, Frank Baña, Ivan Scratuglia and Lidia Alfonsi.

It is shot in Technicolor by Rafael Pacheco and Emilio Foriscot.

Milian believed he did not have as much material to work with as Volontè.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,895

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