Beyond the Law (1975)

Here's an example of the spaghetti western genre at its finest, with a complex and twisting plot, multiple characters, good action, and some of the finest actors that the genre has to offer. The combined result makes for watchable and entertaining viewing with a movie that always has something interesting going on. Things start off predictably enough as we are introduced to the eminently likable Lee Van Cleef, as a cheeky thief who steals the payroll belonging to a mining corporation which is brought to town by a very young-looking Antonio Sabato. Van Cleef finds himself on the right side of the law for a change as he befriends Sabato and helps fight off a gang of ruthless bandits who are also after the money. He even finds himself made the town sheriff. However, when the bandits turn up, led by the ruthless Gordon Mitchell, and kidnap the town's womanfolk, Van Cleef finds himself leading a full-scale battle against the enemy.The biggest fault is probably with director Giorgio Stegani, who is at the opposite end of the talent spectrum from master director Sergio Leone. His film totally lacks style or charm so it lies on the actors to make things entertaining. Thankfully, Fernando Di Leo's script is fairly complex with some degree of characterisation and there are lots of interesting people in the tale who interact with each other in different ways. The plot is fast-paced and while there are no really impressive or memorable shoot-outs or gun-downs, a wealth of action-orientated scenes keep things moving and the full-scale battle at the film's close is both well-shot and exciting.The cast is what makes this film really good. First of all we have genre icon Lee Van Cleef in the likable leading part of a character who begins the film as a ruthless bad guy and undergoes a complete transformation into becoming a good-natured heroic sheriff! Van Cleef is excellent in the part and really sympathetic, especially in his doomed relationship with the exceptionally pretty Graziella Granata. Secondly we have Antonio Sabato as the fresh-faced European stranger who comes to take care of the town's mining operation; you can't help but like his character and he does well with what is a rather underwritten and one-dimensional part. There's solid comic support from Lionel Stander and Herbert Fux as a pair of greedy robbers who figure in the film's surprise twist ending and the aforementioned Graziella Granata is fine as the female romantic interest. However, stealing the show is one Gordon Mitchell who has a really impressive and sinister entrance as the scary chief villain, Burton. It's surprising how much he resembles Peter Cushing in TWINS OF EVIL in his part and he relishes the opportunity to kill innocent folk and snarl orders at his men - a really nasty role. The casting and the story combine to make this a must-see for spagwest fans.

Contrary to popular belief, the American west wasn't some lawless prairie/desert where only the strong like John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn and Clint Eastwood's man with no name could survive. While the likes of Jesse James and Butch Cassidy made the headlines, the average day in the life of an American westerner was pretty dull. The majority of people who lived west of the Mississippi lived in urban areas, not out in the boonies. Gun violence was actually less common in the western territories than back east and the majority of those who went out west were first generation immigrants, not idealistic white folk provoked by called for manifest destiny. Beyond the Law (1967) is a movie that may not dispel the myths of the wild, wild west, but like many Spaghetti Westerns it does put a new spin on things.Lee Van Cleef stars as Billy Joe Cudlip, a craven thief who steals the payroll of a mining community from a naïve Czechoslovakian payroll clerk named Ben (Antonio Sabato). He is of course helped by his gang of thieves and conmen, Preacher (Lionel Stander), who dresses like his name to get rubes to trust him and James (Bud Spencer) a black man with a friendly face. Things go according to plan until Billy befriends Ben and is shoved into helping the locals recover the money. Preacher and James see this as an opportunity to steal more loot but things get further complicated when a rival gang of thieves led by Burton (Gordon Mitchell) comes into town.Now Beyond the Law is far from a perfect movie. The acting ranges of the supporting characters range from okay to terrible and the cinematography is simplistic. Directed by Italian director Giorgio Stegani, Beyond the Law or The Good Die First brings to mind less severe Spaghetti Westerns. Rather than go the path of A Fistful of Dollars (1964), Stegani and his international crew made a movie closer to My Name is Nobody (1973) and My Name is Trinity (1970). It has the tendency to be funny and even unintentionally goofy at some points with Lee Van Cleef showing he can make the best out of a paycheck that bills him with non-English speakers.If you're a western buff who's easy to please then Beyond the Law may be a perfect little surprise for you. It's a movie that is comfortable in its own banality. The story itself is strong, partially written by prolific Italians writers Mino Roli and Fernando Di Leo and the feel of the film is small but unique. The film was made only a year after Van Cleef's appearance in The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and helped make Bud Spencer a star in his own right. It should at the very least be considered a decent B-movie.If you're interested, try finding the 105 minute version through Diamond Entertainment and look to avoid imitators with bad digital transfers. There is a colorless butchered version that you can likely find at a bargain bin somewhere and there's a decent letterbox version you can find online. Go check it out before the ghost of Red Ryder comes back to re-mystify the west.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com

The basic story was very interesting, and parts of it were well executed. Especially the GREAT ending, which gives Van Cleef a chance to do some excellent acting without having to say a word.The problem with the movie is that (uncut) it's too long, and way too drawn out. It could have been edited down by twenty minutes or so. Also, the movie does not explore Van Cleef's character's transformation enough, with is a serious mistake.The more you like spaghetti westerns, the more chance there is you'll like it. You also get to see Bud Spencer without his beard!

This movie was ok.....i thought it would be good since lee van cleef was in it and so was lionel stander......mainly i bought it because Bud Spencer was in it......i thought he was a main character but he was only in the movie for about 10 minutes.....the story wasn't bad....it was about a guy who came from europe to the states to deliver money to some miners but its stolen....he has to get it back and he asks lee van cleef for help...but lee was the person who robbed him! i would give this movie a 5/10