A Man Called Blade
"Sharp shoots, gun and axe with great accuracy!"
Maurizio Merli stars as a hatchet-wielding bounty hunter with a dark past and an even more desperate future. But when he disrupts the balance of power in a corrupt mining town, he unleashes a firestorm of brutality, betrayal and cold-blooded murder. Now, one man stalks a savage land where justice walks a razor and no bullets slice deeper than vengeance. He is A MAN CALLED BLADE.
Curator's Take
“A late-era entry that tries to add a slasher-movie vibe to the genre. The hero throws axes instead of shooting bullets. It’s foggy, muddy, and feels like a bridge between the western and the horror films of the 70s.”
Why This Movie Is Important
A late-stage entry that tries to keep the genre alive with pure gimmickry. The protagonist is essentially a superhero with a throwing axe. It represents the 'comic book' phase of the Spaghetti Western, where realism was completely abandoned for stylized action and novelty weapons.
Production Details
A Man Called Blade is a 1977 western film directed by Sergio Martino. Originally released in Italy under the title "Mannaja", the film was produced during the golden era of European westerns. Maurizio De Angelis composed the film's score. Cinematography was handled by Federico Zanni. The screenplay was written by Sauro Scavolini. The film stars Maurizio Merli as Mannaja, John Steiner as Valler, and Philippe Leroy as McGowan. Running 1 hour and 36 minutes, it is a well-paced entry in the genre.
Did You Know?
The 'axe-throwing' gimmick was added because the director felt there were 'too many gun movies'. The sound effect for the axe flying was created by swinging a microphone cable.
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