The Hellbenders [Blu-ray]

Overview

In this spaghetti Western, Joseph Cotten stars as Jonas, an ex-Confederate soldier who robs a Union freight train in order to re-ignite the Civil War.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/07/2020
UPC:	0738329241049
Original Release:	1967
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00
Sales rank:	27,536

Special Features

Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Joseph Cotten	Jonas
Norma Bengell	Claire
Julián Mateos	Ben
Gino Pernice	Jeff
Maria Martin	Kitty
Al Mulock	The Beggar
Aldo Sambrell	Pedro
Enio Girolami	Commander of Fort Brent,Commander of Fort Brent
Jose Nieto	Sheriff
Claudio Gora	Reverend Pierce
Julio Pena	Sgt. Tolt
Benito Stefanelli	Slim
Claudio Scarchilli	Indian Chief
Álvaro de Luna	Actor
Rafael Vaquero	Actor
Ivan Scratuglia	Actor
Simon Arriaga	Actor
José Canalejas	Actor
Ángel Aranda	Nat
Ennio Morricone	Composer

Technical Credits

Albert Band

Louis Garfinkle

José Gutiérrez Maesso

Ugo Liberatore

Albert Band	Producer,Screenwriter
Sergio Corbucci	Director
Louis Garfinkle	Screenwriter
José Gutiérrez Maesso	Screenwriter
Ugo Liberatore	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The best spaghetti westerns take the familiar elements of the American western and put a unique spin on them by incorporating modern attitudes and elements from other genres. The Hellbenders is a prime example of these tactics: the settings and the gunplay give it a western veneer but this story is really more like a film noir transplanted to the old West. The script enhances the power of its genre twist by giving the proceedings an air of ambiguous morality: the story's nominal protagonists are actually murderous bandits and the money (hidden oh-so-symbolically in a casket) becomes a symbol for the way greed can ruin the lives of all it touches. Director Sergio Corbucci makes these themes felt but never overplays his hand, keeping those themes aligned with the story events and waiting until the finale to lay them on thickly for a memorably operatic effect. More importantly, he gives the film a handsome, classic Western look and maintains a solid pace throughout. In terms of acting, Aldo Sambrell is the most sympathetic of the bandits but it's Joseph Cotton who steals the show as the family's brutal patriarch, a man who preaches God and country but won't hesitate to murder an innocent if they interfere with his plans. All in all, The Hellbenders is a classic spaghetti western whose dark tone lingers in the memory long after the sounds of gunfire have faded.