- Spaghetti Westerns -
the Merciless 'Italo' Effect

The Master Of Spaghetti Westerns..Sergio Leone

Spaghetti Westerns have a special place in the town of western movies. Although they were seen as foreign western films of inferior quality initially, slowly they made a mark on western cinema with time and western audience's broadened taste. And no wonder western Spaghetti era have given us the films which are counted as The Best western films.

No ? What do you say about The Good The Bad and The Ugly ? Remember Once Upon A Time In The West ?..Yeah, now you got it!

Let's revise a little before we jump into the list of best Western Spaghetti films. What is a Spaghetti Western movie?

Now pay attention..!

Spaghetti Western is a nickname for a sub-genre of western films that emerged in the mid-1960s. What it had to do with Spaghetti? ..Well most of these Spaghetti Westerns were produced by Italian studios and were shot in Tabernas Desert of Almeria, Andalucia region of Spain which resembles American Southwest. So the term Spaghetti western film was coined.

The advantages of making Spaghetti films in those countries were significant. Like ..

Low cost of production
Similar Western backdrop
Easy availability of Italian and Spanish bandits (actors to amuse your blood seeking taste)

..for the moment.

Those Brutal Expressions Are
The Trade Mark Of A Spaghetti Flick

western Spaghetti cinema products were easily distinguishable from traditional western movies because of their high violence. But that violence was first of its own kind. More stress was laid on stylizing this brutal violence. Audience developed a taste for this violence of Spaghetti western films slowly but surely.

Most of protagonists of Western Spaghetti films are don't-mess-with-me kind of guys. They were portrayed as highly self esteemed and revenge seeking living objects. That was quite a difference from mostly drama oriented traditional western films. A period from mid 1960s to mid 1970s was the golden period for Spaghetti films. During this period their influence on western movie genre can't be denied.

I love Spaghetti genre because of these root reasons. They take me back to my childhood days when I liked boys-don't-cry kinda movies. Action, fight, chase, guns and dark sarcastic dialogues.. And above all..A style of those grey shaded characters!

Most-Wanted-Western-Movies.com presents a list of the best Spaghetti Western movies of all time. This list is prepared after rigorous searches on the genre and is based on their popularity among masses and their ratings given by people/ film critics over the internet.

Let's start from bottom to top of our The Best Spaghetti Films list!

Here We Go...!

20. The Mercenary - (1968) by Sergio Corbucci

The story starts with Kowalski supporting his don't-mess-with-me image by catching a dice cheat, making the cheat gambler eat the dice and saying, "When you get them back, I suggest you don't use them again." Wow..What a typically wicked start of a classic among Spaghetti genre..read more

19. Face To Face - (1967) by Sergio Sollima

Spaghetti films often glorify the dark side of human nature. in Face To Face, same happens to History Professor Brad Fletcher ( Gian Maria Volonte) from England, who is suffering from Tuberculosis. With a hope to have some fresh air he heads west for his health only to find the biggest twist in his life...read more

18. Ace High - (1968) by Giuseppe Colizzi

The name of this Spaghetti flick itself suggests that it has something to do with gambling. But more than that, this is a revenge story with lots of chasing around.

The story revolves around six characters mainly. Cacopoulos (Eli Wallach), Cat (Terence Hill) , Hutch (Bud Spencer), Drake (Kevin McCarthy), Paco Rosa (Livio Lorenzon) and Thomas (Brock Peters). Ace High picks up where Colizzi's God Forgives..But I Don't (1967) wrapped up with the explosive death of bandit Bill San Antonio...read more

17. A Bullet For The General - (1966) by Damiano Damiani

Mexican revolution is the favorite backdrop of many western films. Not only this backdrop gives these movies a historical touch, but also employs a lot of extra actors (as rebels, soldiers and Mexican people). Jokes apart, Mexican revolution's influence on western cinema is rooted deeper than any other backdrop...

16. The Big Gundown - (1966) by Sergio Sollima

If cars would have been invented back then in the Old West, Spaghetti Western film production would have caused the major fuel consumption. Why? Every second Spaghetti western movie is enriched with chase-n-hunt sequences. Well, being a fan of those deadly hunts and a environment friendly western films lover, I am glad they used horses which are very eco friendly.

I know you have got it. Yeah, this Spaghetti western film is about a man hunt. But a very inquisitive I must say. The story is of a bounty hunter Jonathan Corbett, who is a terror for all the bandits of Texas. For his lawful services to the state, he is offered with the candidacy to Senate of the United States...

15. Sabata - (1969) by Gianfranco Parolini

Spaghetti films portrayed the growth of old west, rail road construction, bounty hunters in a much stylish and brutal way than traditional western films. This style and brutality could never be achieved without Spaghetti stars like Lee Van Cleef. Lee in this movie is as great as ever, tight lipped but loaded with wicked comments and weapons of assassination...

14. Death Rides A Horse - (1967) by Giulio Petroni

Spaghetti films no doubt are deadly stylish flicks western cinema ever witnessed. They do everything in style to capture your cow-boy nerve. And man, they are good at this. Death Rides A Horse, what else can be more stylish than that? The title of this Spaghetti Western Movie is itself capable of keeping you on the edge of your comfy couch. But this classic movie doesn't thrive on its title only; it has more to offer your blood-seeking western taste... read more

13. Keoma - (1976) by Enzo G. Castellari

A half-breed Keoma (Frank Nero) returns to his town after American Civil War just to find it in ruins by plague and terror of landlord Caldwell (Donald O'Brian). With beautiful experiments with sound and camera angles, Keoma captures you by heart and tells a story which is brutally violent but far more imaginative than usual Spaghetti flicks.

12. Red Sun - (1971) by Terence Young

In western movies here comes the glorious East too. In this East-meets-West western film, a train carrying a Japanese diplomat to the United States is ambushed and robbed by two outlaws Gauche (Alain Delon) and Link (Charles Bronson). They steal a priceless golden sword along with money... read more

11. Trinity Is Still My Name - (1971) by Enzo Barboni

No kidding.. some of the popular Spaghetti films have funny bones too. This Spaghetti western movie ranks high due to its popularity rather than that famous Spaghetti violent touch. This sequel to Trinity Is My Name (which was a success on European box-office), carries the same torch nicely. Trinity (Terence Hill) and Bambino (Bud Spencer)are together again...

10. Django - (1966) by Sergio Corbucci

A strange man enters the town dragging a mysterious coffin behind him. This Spaghetti western film became an inspiration for many other western movies later on and was imitated several times on silver screen. Character of Django played by Frank Nero remains a legend in the crowd of gunslingers from Spaghetti movies...

9. They Call Me Trinity - (1970) by Enzo Barboni

They Call Me Trinity is a fun packed Spaghetti Western movie which is very unusual in aggressive and violent natured Spaghetti movies. Trinity (Terence Hill) and Bambino (Bud Spencer) are brothers of unmatched qualities

Trinity is an all time relaxed but the fastest gun around...

8. My Name Is Nobody - (1973) by Tonino Valerii

My Name Is Nobody is a mix of Sergio Leone style western and Trinity style. It has both the flavors to offer you; deadly sting of Spaghetti films and laughter of Trinity series. While Henry Fonda comes in traditional western film package and Trance Hill will remind you of silent era of comedy...

7. Campaneros - (1970) by Sergio Corbucci

Rejoice folks! You have got many reasons to do that with this Spaghetti western movie. Campaneros offers you more than you expect. Firstly, a dream cast of Frank Nero, Thomas Milian, Jack Palance and Fernando Rey. Secondly, a compelling music score by Ennio Morricone (My God! I am praising him again). Thirdly, Sergio Corbucci on director's chair. Now tell me, how often you do get this kind of master-blaster packages? ...

6. The Great Silence - (1968) by Sergio Corbucci

Sergio Corbucci's masterpiece "Il Grande Silenzio" aka "The Great Silence" is more than just one of the great Spaghetti movies of all-time. It's different from Corbucci's earlier masterpiece "Django" (1966), which was a violent Spaghetti Western, but The Great Silence is also full of dark humor. Corbucci's new treatment of making the thin line between Good and Bad more blurry is outstanding. For the first time we see the outlaws as victims and bounty hunters as villains. A brutal saga of misery, greed and selfishness has never been told in such a 'mute' way...

5. A Fistful of Dynamite - (1971) by Sergio Leone

John Malloy is an Irish IRA explosives expert, on the run from British authorities in Mexico. Juan Miranda is a Mexican bandit with a dream of hitting the large bank his father once failed to rob. When the two meet, Juan sees John's explosives experience as the ticket to rob the bank, but John is hard to persuade until Juan uses his 'special' persuasion talent...

4. A Fistful Of Dollars - (1964) by Sergio Leone

A mysterious and deadly drifter rides into a town which torn by war between two gangs, the Baxters and the Rojo's. Instead of fleeing as everyone expects him to, this merciless man schemes to play from both the sides whoever pays him better until no one lives to pay him.

3. For A Few Dollars More - (1965) by Sergio Leone

Two bounty hunters, one a young man with lot of courage and one an old veteran with lot of experience join hands to capture a prison-escaped bandit. The bandit is planning to rob a major bank in El Paso. Now that's the only chance the duo has got to catch the bandit. They devise a plan to accomplish this mission and in the end, one of the bounty hunter reveals his real motive behind this hunt.

2. Once Upon A Time In The West - (1968) by Sergio Leone

Whoa! We are almost at the top of our list of The Best Spaghetti movies from West. And writing about Once Upon a Time in the West gives me same sheer pleasure which I feel while watching it every time. All the magic cultivated by Sergio Leone is in the WAY this movie is made and the lively and fresh treatment of the story...read more

And the Numero Uno..I mean Number One award goes to....

1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - (1966) by Sergio Leone

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly stands out in every aspect of a movie. Be it direction, acting, characters, background music, dialogues or camera-work, no other spaghetti western comes even close to this movie. It's entertaining, it's violent, it's hilarious..it has everything a classic western movie should have. Don't tell me you haven't seen it yet!...read more

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Other Mentionable Spaghetti Western Movies

Day Of Anger - (1967) by Tonino Valerii

Run, Man, Run - (1968) by Sergio Sollima

Cemetery Without Crosses - (1969) by Robert Hossein

Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! - (1967) by Giulio Questi

Four of the Apocalypse - (1975) by Lucio Fulci

Storm Rider/The Grand Duel - (1972) by Giancarlo Santi

China 9, Liberty 37 - (1978) by Monte Hellman and Tony Brandt

Hellbenders - (1967) by Sergio Corbucci

The Return Of Ringo- (1965) by Duccio Tessari

Boot Hill - (1969) by Giuseppe Colizzi

So wasn't that fun going through the list of 20 Classic Spaghetti films? I feel the same way.

20 The Best Spaghetti Western movies list can work as your movie rental guide (if you love to rent dvd movies, most of these famous movies are available on dvd) to save you from dilemma .I have watched them again and again, and yet I can't get enough of them! That is the magic of Spaghetti western classics I guess.

You have seen a great Spaghetti western movie and you didn't find it on the list ? Not to hesitate! Just send your movie review with rating and fair chances are you will see it listed here. If you have nominations for the Spaghetti Westerns list or any other Comment or Question about the Spaghetti Westerns list, Contact us!

Happy Watching The Best Spaghetti Western films!

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- Spaghetti Westerns - the Merciless 'Italo' Effect

Other Mentionable Spaghetti Western Movies

- Spaghetti Westerns -
the Merciless 'Italo' Effect