The Strangers Gundown (1974)

With its horror-movie styling and ultra-violent nature, this perfect example of an Euro gothic western garnered an "X" rating on its initial Italian release. During the Civil War, three Confederate officers, leaders of a Confederate regiment, sell out to the Yankees, kill the sentries and allow the enemy troops to slaughter their whole company. One of their men, however, does not die... Left for dead, the Stranger (Anthony Steffen, Italy's answer to Clint Eastwood!) lies unconscious on the ground, severely wounded. Several years go by and, as though coming back from hell, the Stranger begins hunting down his enemies - the men that left him for dead. Is he a ghost, or just a man - hell-bent on revenge! Bonus Features: Widescreen Transfer Enhanced for 16x9 monitors| Spaghetti Western Trailers| Scene Selection. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Stereo; 99 minutes; Color; 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - PG; Year - 1974; SRP - $14.99.

Could have been better

Not to bad, but it strayed away from the violence too much. Steffen is great and so is the supporting cast, but the action never lived up to my expectations. Would I recommend it? Yeah
R.I.P Anthony Steffen March 5, 2008

Stately and stylish European Western

Sergio Garrone - a name Anglicised to Willy S Regan -directed this interesting little curio that massively influenced High Plains drifter ,the movies have almost identical plots.Anthony Steffan ,who wrote the script under his real name of Antonio de Teffe-stars as Django who along with others of his men was betrayed to the Union Army in the US Civil War.The culprits were his officers -Murdock,Rose and Hawkins .15 years after the event Django returns and kills Hawkins and Rose before going after Murdock ,now a man of wealth and power able to surround himself with gunmen and other hirelings .He lives with his demented brother and his sister in law in a large house .Django systematically goes about eliminating the forces at Murdock's disposal ,including a large Mexican contingent specifically engaged to protect Murdock from Django,who is able to appear and reappear seemingly at will .It becomes clear he is a revenant -a spirit back from the dead to exact retribution.The death Django is most intent on revenging is his own .

Well directed and with a nicely understated Steffan performance this is a well mounted ,violent and influential movie that reapays watching.and not simply for its influence on Eastwood either January 11, 2008

Not even close to a Eastwood performance

Thought the movie and the performance by Anthony Steffen could have been better. Probably could have enjoyed the film if the anoying back ground noice durning the last 30 minutes of the film wasn't their. Eastwood doesn't have to worry about Steffen making his day. December 12, 2005

Django il Bastardo

In response to the earlier reviewer, this is Sergio Garrone's Django il Bastardo, not the other film the reviewer mentioned. Django il Bastardo is a small gem among Spaghetti Westerns, a low budget B movie in which a ghost (Django) avenges his own death (a topic later adapted by Clint Eastwood for his "High Plains Drifter"). Hence, Steffen's "wooden" acting is totally appropriate for the role. A little jewel with nice gothic atmosphere, innovative camera tricks and good supporting actors (a standout is Luciano Rossi as the main baddie's insane brother). October 21, 2003

Excellent Spaghetti Western for 'Django' Fans

'Strangers Gundown' of 1968 does not appear in director Sergio Garrone's film bio, however 'Tre croci per non morire' or 'No Graves on Boot Hill' does and may have been the original title. Garrone is better known for his Italian murder films in the Giallo tradition. It is easy to call 'Strangers Gundown' a successful film since it succeeds very well as one of the better films in this genre. Some of the technical ideas in the movie seem to have been borrowed by Leone himself for the making of 'Once Upon a Time in the West'. Anyway the plot is quite simple: a former confederate soldier named Django tracks down three CSA officers who conspired with Yankees to murder his company during a civil war battle, and he guns them down one-by-one [in gothic horror fashion btw] after tracking them to a desert town many years later. One traitor-officer happens to have a psychotic homicidal brother and this character is included to brilliant effect and the role is played very well. This film benefits from typical spaghetti gritty realism teamed with stylish gothic horror filmmaking which [amazingly] works well. Only complaint is with Garrone's direction of Anthony Steffen - Steffen plays the Stranger role in such a wooden manner it seems as though he could catch on fire at any moment. But Garrone accidentally saves the day with this idea of a stilted stranger when the character is compared to the earlier ebullient confederate soldier prior to the battle tragedy. Whether Garrone intended to or not he makes menaingful statements on how extreme violence can deeply effect personality. The movie is a little slow in places but spaghetti fans of european westerns will probably love this film in spite of it's faults -- for example why did it take Django 15 years to seek revenge and in the first Django film he was a Yankee, NOT a Confederate -- but traditional American western fans will probably hate it. Ponitora August 1, 2003

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