The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
"For three men the Civil War wasn't hell. It was practice."
While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.
Curator's Take
“The pop-culture titan. It perfected the three-way duel. It gave us the most recognizable theme song in history. It is the gold standard of cool, balancing history, humor, and violence perfectly.”
Why This Movie Is Important
The definitive peak of the Spaghetti Western genre and arguably the greatest Western ever made. It perfected the 'triple duel' format and featured Ennio Morricone's most iconic score.
Production Details
Filmed in the Spanish desert of Tabernas. The 'Sad Hill' cemetery was built by Spanish army soldiers specifically for the film.
Featured In
Quentin Tarantino's Top 20 Spaghetti Westerns
Top Rated Masterpieces
The Ennio Morricone Collection
Best of Lee Van Cleef
The Man With No Name
The Essential Sergio Leone
The 10 Deadliest Spaghetti Westerns
Did You Know?
Eli Wallach was almost poisoned during filming when he accidentally drank from a bottle of acid that was placed next to his soda.
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Deep Analysis
Go deeper into the history and themes of the Italian West.
Tonino Valerii: Leone's Protégé and the Twilight of the Italian West
How the director of "Day of Anger" and "My Name is Nobody" bridged operatic mythmaking and elegiac satire.
The Sergio Sollima Westerns: Politics, Power, and Cuchillo
How the third Sergio used the genre to create the most politically charged action cinema of the 1960s.
