Seine Kugeln pfeifen das Todeslied (1969)

Seine Kugeln pfeifen das Todeslied: Directed by Ferdinando Baldi. With Leonard Mann, Luciana Paluzzi, Peter Martell, Alberto de Mendoza. Mann is a gunman informed by a childhood friend that his father was murdered years earlier by his mother and her lover. To make matters worse, Mann’s sister, who is in love with his friend, is held under the thumb of his murderous mom. The two gunmen ride off to have a reckoning with her.

“As soon as the Forgotten Pistolero starts, the theme tune is instantly familiar – with the whistled score probably surpassed only by Morriconeu0026#39;s Dollars trilogy soundtracks, or maybe the Magnificent Seven, when it comes to being used as the backdrop to western sketches everywhere. It is made all the more beautiful by the mountainous Almeria backdrop.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film itself is equally impressive. Directed by the prolific Ferdinando Baldi, it begins with Rafael (Pietro Martellanza) being pursued by a gang of Mexicans. Surviving the ambush (to the sound of that glorious theme), he finds himself finally locating child-hood friend Sebastian (Leonard Mann).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSebastian is informed that the woman he believed to be his mother, and who had raised him since a child, had in fact rescued him as an infant from the brutal attack and mass murder that had cost his father his life. Rafael tells him that this attack had been arranged by his real mother (Paluzzi) and her lover.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSebastianu0026#39;s sister, who had witnessed the massacre all those years ago, had since fallen in love with Rafael (for which he had been severely punished and hounded). The extent of this punishment becomes clear later in the movie when, whilst captive, he is forced to lie next to a beautiful lady, and taunted that he now only has his muscles to prove his manhood.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis revenge story follows a different path to the majority of Euro-westerns, with emphasis on the tale rather than action (that said, there are some great action scenes). It is a highly captivating and atmospheric movie, gripping from start to finish. Well worth the watch but – warning – youu0026#39;ll be whistling the music for days!”