Faccia a faccia
Encyclopedia
Faccia a faccia is a 1967
Italian
spaghetti western
film
written and directed by Sergio Sollima
. The film stars Gian Maria Volonté
and Tomas Milian
, and features a musical score by Ennio Morricone
.
Faccia a faccia is the second of Sollima's three westerns, following La resa dei conti ("The Big Gundown") and predating Corri, uomo, corri ("Run, Man, Run!"), a sequel to La resa dei conti. Milian stars in a lead role in all three films.
, leaves his job and travels to Texas
due to his ill health. After arriving in the west, he ends up taken hostage by a wounded outlaw, Solomon "Beauregard" Bennet (Milian). Fletcher helps Bennet regain his health and manages to convince Bennet that he is more valuable to him alive than dead. Through their uneasy friendship, Fletcher takes an interest in the outlaw way of life. Instead of returning home, he decides to join the "Bennet's Raiders".
Fletcher's influence on Bennet soon causes the formerly cold-blooded killer to rethink his violent behaviour, whereas Fletcher's transformation from a peaceful professor to a confident and greedy criminal makes him break his own moral codes. Due to his intellect and ambition, Fletcher becomes a key member of the gang and soon challenges Bennet for the leader's position. After proving his worth in a duel, Fletcher plans and executes his first bank robbery
. After one of the gang members turns out to be Charlie Siringo
(William Berger), a Pinkerton
detective, Fletcher and Bennet find out there is a vigilante group after them.
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written and directed by Sergio Sollima
Sergio Sollima
Sergio Sollima is an Italian former film director and script writer.Like many Italian cult directors, Sollima started his career by directing mostly sword and sandal movies that were very popular in the early 1960s. After the genre's popularity quickly died out, Sollima was among the first ones to...
. The film stars Gian Maria Volonté
Gian Maria Volontè
Gian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
and Tomas Milian
Tomas Milian
Tomás Milián is a Cuban-American actor best known for having worked extensively in Italian films from the late 1950s to the 1980s.-Career in Italy:...
, and features a musical score by Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
.
Faccia a faccia is the second of Sollima's three westerns, following La resa dei conti ("The Big Gundown") and predating Corri, uomo, corri ("Run, Man, Run!"), a sequel to La resa dei conti. Milian stars in a lead role in all three films.
Plot
Professor Brad Fletcher (Volontè), a teacher from New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, leaves his job and travels to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
due to his ill health. After arriving in the west, he ends up taken hostage by a wounded outlaw, Solomon "Beauregard" Bennet (Milian). Fletcher helps Bennet regain his health and manages to convince Bennet that he is more valuable to him alive than dead. Through their uneasy friendship, Fletcher takes an interest in the outlaw way of life. Instead of returning home, he decides to join the "Bennet's Raiders".
Fletcher's influence on Bennet soon causes the formerly cold-blooded killer to rethink his violent behaviour, whereas Fletcher's transformation from a peaceful professor to a confident and greedy criminal makes him break his own moral codes. Due to his intellect and ambition, Fletcher becomes a key member of the gang and soon challenges Bennet for the leader's position. After proving his worth in a duel, Fletcher plans and executes his first bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
. After one of the gang members turns out to be Charlie Siringo
Charlie Siringo
Charles Angelo Siringo , was an American lawman, detective, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th century and early 20th century.-Early life:...
(William Berger), a Pinkerton
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
detective, Fletcher and Bennet find out there is a vigilante group after them.
Cast
- Tomas MilianTomas MilianTomás Milián is a Cuban-American actor best known for having worked extensively in Italian films from the late 1950s to the 1980s.-Career in Italy:...
- Solomon 'Beauregard' Bennett - Gian Maria VolontéGian Maria VolontèGian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
- Professor Brad Fletcher - William BergerWilliam BergerWilliam Berger was a European actor, mostly associated with Euro or spaghetti Westerns and travel documentaries.-Career:A former roommate of Keith Richards, his earliest work was in Broadway...
- Charlie SiringoCharlie SiringoCharles Angelo Siringo , was an American lawman, detective, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th century and early 20th century.-Early life:... - Jolanda Modio - Maria
- Gianni Rizzo - Williams
- Carole AndréCarole AndréCarole André is a French film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1967 and 1991, including two films screened at the Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* Face to Face * Oh, Grandmother's Dead...
- Cattle Annie - Ángel del Pozo - Maximilian de Winton
- Aldo SambrellAldo SambrellAlfredo Sanchez Brell , known as Aldo Sambrell, was a Spanish film actor, director and producer who made over 150 appearances in film between 1961 and 1996....
- Zachary Chase - Nello PazzafiniNello PazzafiniNello Pazzafini was an Italian actor who appeared in a very large number of gladiator movies and Spaghetti Westerns. He was an ex-bodyguard and often played a "tough guy" character.-Partial filmography:*Wanted...
- Vance - José TorresJosé TorresJosé Torres , was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the junior middleweight at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he defeated Willie Pastrano to win the WBC and WBA light heavyweight championships...
- Aaron Chase - Federico BoidoFederico BoidoFederico Boido , is an Italian film actor who has appeared in many horror films, spaghetti westerns, and sword and sandal movies. He also acted in the Sadistik photo novels and related his experiences in the film The Diabolikal Super-Kriminal.He made his film debut at the age of 26...
- Sheriff of Purgatory City