God Forgives... I Don't! (1967)

Very Cool!!!

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Saturday morning and time for a western - a spaghetti western with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, who have appeared together a couple of dozen times.Hill can be found in some of the most popular movies today, like Wanted and Get Smart. He has been in many films under the name Mario Girotti; this is only the second film where he used his present name. It is the first film where Bud Spencer, previously Carlo Pedersoli, appears under that name.Lots of shoot-em-up action. Really not bad for a PG-1 western. Would have expected more from something that came from Italy.

This is only my second viewing of a Terrence Hill/Bud Spencer collaboration, the other being 1972's "La Collina Degli Stivali" or "Boot Hill", the title I saw it under. I've yet to see a Trinity film, so maybe my opinion will change, but I don't see a whole lot to be enthused about regarding their output. "God Forgives... I Don't!" was better than "Boot Hill", an almost unintelligible affair made more complicated by a dark and muddy appearance that contributed to it's being hard to follow. This one for the most part took place during the light of day, and even though the story had a decent continuity, I didn't find it all that special or intriguing. What's more, I don't recall either Hill or Spencer mentioned by their credited characters' names, that of Cat Stevens and Hutch Bessey. Maybe they were, but the story didn't make it clear enough for me, and mentally I had to keep referencing them as Pretty Face and the 'fat guy'. On the other hand, outlaw Bill San Antonio (Frank Wolff) stood out nicely villainous in contrast. He might be the best reason for tuning in.The other troubling issue with the film version I saw today on the Encore Western Channel had to do with some clumsy editing. The best example I can think of was right at the finale when San Antonio was about to face a showdown with Pretty Face and Bessey. Somehow Bill took down the fat man (?), whereupon the Face caps him in the knees forcing him to a crawl. With time running out, Bill attempts to disarm the explosive with his teeth, there's a clumsy cutaway and then all of a sudden an explosion and it's all over. Not too suspenseful and definitely not too satisfying.I don't know, maybe back in the heyday of spaghetti Westerns, this might have been something new and different, but there are still enough better ones around, particularly Eastwood's trilogy. In fact, now that I think about it, that's kind of how Terence Hill's character strikes me, sort of a poor man's Clint Eastwood, who's own take as the Stranger leaves just a little something to be desired.

Very good quality spaghetti western!Without exploration in genre but strong professional work on all levels.Not bad scenario (rude variation on THE GOOOD THE BAD THE UGLY scheme).Without inventions in plot and dialog but successful inside fighting and especially torture (rope,water(pit),fire) scenes.Red hair Bill San Antonio not demonic power character but sly fox.Terence Hill as Cat Stevens is equal parts of Franko Nero's (Django) and Clint Eastwood's (in "dollars trilogy") "good" guys performances.Bud Spencer's Hutch Bessy is pretty with limit (relatively for latest Spencer's characters) physical power. Generally: for all spaghetti western fans!

I'm not sure why American-International chose to theatrically release in the U.S. this particular spaghetti western over dozens of others. Although this does the job for spaghetti western addicts (like myself), and it's never boring, it is not spectacular in any department - scenery, story, action, violence, etc.The main attraction this movie has today is the early pairing up (before the TRINITY films) of Hill and Spencer. Spencer acts like his usual ornery self, though we do get the chance to see hill play a determined, more brutal western hero. The movie is also interesting that we see the duo in a more serious story for once. However, there are a few (mild) comic moments where you can see the rumblings of the comic characters the two were to later play. Did the TRINITY people see these scenes? I wouldn't be surprised!