The Ruthless Four (1968)

Truly Dreadful Film

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

After killing his treacherous partner and having his horses stolen, Van Heflin contacts his adoptive son George Hilton, asking him to come to the desert and help mine a rich gold-strike.However, things are complicated when Heflin realizes that Hilton's sinister partner (Klaus Kinski, dressed like a priest!) has followed him from Denver and is inserting himself in the mix, forcing Heflin to enlist the help of old "pal" (and former Cisco Kid) Gilbert Roland as a way of protecting his interests. The result of this uneasy alliance provides mucho suspense and excitement.Speaking of Hilton and Kinski's partnership, there's definitely something weird going on between these two that I can't quite put my finger on. (gay?) Even after demonstrating what a detestable person he is, Kinski still seems to have a very strange hold on him!One particularly enjoyable scene occurs at the burned down mission where a tense Roland (who's great in this) does a short flamenco dance, anticipating a heated gun battle.I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during the making of this movie to witness the interaction between the raving madman Klaus Kinski and old Hollywood guys Heflin and Roland!

Ruthless Four, The (1968) *** (out of 4) Spaghetti Western take on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre has Van Heffin playing an elderly gold digger who finally hits it big but is betrayed by his partner who he has to kill. After being robbed by some bandits, Heffin must leave his gold behind and head back to the city where he asks his stepson (George Hilton) to go back and get the gold with him. The stepson agrees to go but is forced into taking an ex partner (Klaus Kinski) and even Heffen is forced to bring along a man (Gilbert Roland) and soon all four are looking over their shoulders. This is far from a great film but it has a terrific cast and a very good story, which makes this a worthy addition to the good titles that this genre has given us. The music score really hurts the film as it sounds out of place but outside of this everything else works just fine. What works the best are the terrific performances with Heffen leading the way. Just take a look at the early scene when his character is dragging himself out of the desert and nearing death from lack of water. I'm not sure what Heffen did to "look" the part but it's rather amazing to watch him. Kinski, playing that mysterious silent man, is terrific as well and makes for a great villain. Roland also delivers a fine performance as the calmer bandit and Hilton is good, although can't really touch the other three men. There are a couple classic shoot outs in the film with an excellent one coming half way through the film. The direction is also nice throughout and there's some wonderful scenery as well.

I had been looking for a copy of this film for a long time and finally found one. I wasn't disappointed as it is a well-written and directed film.Van Heflin stars as a down and out prospector who finally strikes it rich. After surviving a double-cross attempt by a partner, he decides to look up an old friend to help him retrieve the remainder of his fortune. Through various situations the group expands to four - Heflin, George Hilton (his old friend), Klaus Kinski (who has a strange hold over Hilton) and Gilbert Roland (hired by Heflin as insurance against future double crosses), and the four then begin the trek to retrieve the gold. What happens along the way will hold your interest as there are some unusual plot twists.As for the performances, Heflin and Kinski are remarkable. Heflin looks like he sat in the hot desert sun for weeks to prepare for this role, and his craggy voice and features are perfectly suited for his character. As for Kinski, dressed mostly in black, he is evil incarnate, with his cold stare, flashing eyes and creepy voice. Roland is also excellent, as an old army buddy of Heflin's who suffers from malaria. Hilton is good, too, although his performance pales in comparison to the others.The direction is some areas is inventive, with good use of scenery, and the music score is impressively spare with only acoustic guitars for much of it.If you enjoy realistic Westerns that don't romanticize the Old West, this comes highly recommended.

So many of these Spaghetti westerns were made I wonder how many lost gems there might be that will never be seen again. This one is out of print but there are a few VHS still floating around.This one has the benefit of a really tight script and excellent cast. Two old time hollywood veterans Van Heflin and Gilbert Roland. And two spaghetti stars Klaus Kinski and George Hilton. All are on top form but its Heflins movie and he turns in a good performance. Direction is assured and inventive. Exceptionally good shoot out in the middle at the mission. Kinski is also effective as a sunglass wearing killer dressed as a preacher, who may have a homosexual relationship with Hilton. It seems hinted at. Watch and decide for Yourself!