European Tribune - Comments - With the Red Dirt in My Ear

With the Red Dirt in My Ear | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

I was always of the impression that spaghetti Western country was some of the drier portions of southern Italy, where there are rain shadows. The buildings in the old Clint Eastwood movies never looked quite right. Am I deceived?

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Sep 6th, 2008 at 08:03:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (4.00 / 2)

Spaghetti westerns - including the "Clint Eastwood" which were directed by Sergio Leone - were as a rule shot in Spain. Italy lacks sufficient flat deserts.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Sep 6th, 2008 at 09:30:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (4.00 / 2)

All true. But it's Italy and Spain standing in for the desert Southwest, and it does a good job because they look rather similar.

by Zwackus on Sat Sep 6th, 2008 at 09:39:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 1)

And Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and West Texas are the palette of John Ford westerns.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Sep 6th, 2008 at 10:44:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 1)

Specifically, Monument Valley.

by ATinNM on Sat Sep 6th, 2008 at 11:14:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (4.00 / 2)

(Which, depending on the movie, is supposed to be set in Utah, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico...)

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 07:05:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

Later spaghetti Westerns (Leone BTW hated the term, and composer Morricone hates it to this day - he would interrupt interviews if the interviewee is stupid enough to use it for Leone's films) were also (at least partially) filmed in the USA, e.g. Once Upon A Time in The West.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 02:59:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

What I remember most from the Eastwood westerns is the artful use of flies. There is simply no substitute/stand-in for a good house or horse fly.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 12:23:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

Methinks the artful use of a fly was part of the all-time best opening scene in a Sergio Leone western without Clint Eastwood: Once Upon A Time in The West (starring instead Charles Bronson as Harmonica and Henry Fonda as the evil guy).

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 04:02:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 04:03:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

Love it! Don't recall seeing that one. Guess Sergio had a good stable of flies for "bit parts." Wonder if there was a guild for them. LEP might know.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sun Sep 7th, 2008 at 11:00:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

The first fly I recall was on James Stewart's face in the 1962 How the West Was Won. It was a fixed front face shot of Stewart looking into the distance as the fly walked all over his face.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Tue Sep 9th, 2008 at 07:50:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Brass Spitton (none / 0)

Another fly had a bit part in Red Sun with Charles Bronson, Alain Delon and Toshiro Mifune as the usual samurai. At one point Mifune dispatches the fly to better pastures with his sword.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Thu Sep 11th, 2008 at 07:22:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

With the Red Dirt in My Ear | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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