Twilight Spaghetti/Chorizo Western with dark scenarios , atmospheric cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa , good musical score in usual Spaghetti style and being professionally directed by Michele Lupo . This entertaining , engaging as well as violent movie is crammed of pursuits , fist-fights , punches , kicks , killings , overwhelming stunt-work and lots of shots . After the Civil War , Michael "California" Random (Giuliano Gemma) , is released from Union prison along with a young Confederate soldier (Miguel Bose) . Both of whom , California and his partner William , go to Missouri . Along the way , they suffer ambushes , assaults and betrayals throughout puny towns and aridity outdoors . And being attacked by a nasty group of bounty hunters (Romano Puppo , Robert Hundar as Eric Plummer , and several others) led by Rope Whittaker (Raimund Harmstorf) . After that , it happens a hanging and Michael California decides to return the belongings to his family : father Mr Preston (William Berger) , mother Mrs Preston (Dana Ghia), daughter and help them against outlaws . Meantime , Michael falls in love for a beautiful woman , Helen Preston (Paola Bose) . But she is captured and later on , California sets out in pursuit the kidnappers and seeks vendetta against the cutthroats .
Charming Chorizo-Spaghetti Western co-produced by Spain , Italy and follows the American models regarding the twilight Western , as well as Sergio Leone style . This Western is a superior outing because it displays violence , thrills , emotion , shoot'em up , brawls , intrigue , riding pursuits and many other things . There is plenty of action and violent events in the movie , guaranteeing some shots or stunts every few minutes . This sinister picture is a tale of justice and revenge , as a soldier carries out a hard mission to execute a merciless vengeance when his friend is hanged and his girlfriend is kidnapped . The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times , but frenetic fight/action sequences make up for it . The starring called Michael California is stunningly played by Giuliano Gemma . Giuliano is very fine , he ravages the screen , he jumps , bounds and leaps , hit and run . Gemma as a brave and two-fisted Confederate military is terrific . Gemma , along with Anthony Steffen and Gianni Garco , results to be one of the greatest stars of the Spaghetti genre . Gemma in his beginning worked as stunt-man , practiced many sports in his life, boxing , gymnastics, such as is well proved at the movie . Then the director , Duccio Tessari, gave him the first role as protagonist in the film " The Titani" and the first spaghetti western films where he often worked under the name of Montgomery Wood , playing Western as ¨A pistol for Ringo¨, subsequently the would play similar role in other Spaghettis , as ¨The return of Ringo¨ and others as ¨Adios Gringo¨, ¨Arizona Colt¨, ¨The price of power¨ , ¨Day of anger¨ and later ¨California¨. However, his first big opportunity came with the important Italian director, Luchino Visconti in ¨El Gatopardo¨ this was followed by important roles in "Angelica" , ¨Tenebre¨ , ¨Young Lions¨ and ¨The master touch¨. Then he played his most significant roles in ¨Il Deserto Dei Tartari¨ and ¨Il Prefetto Di Ferro¨ . In the movie appears habitual support actors as Spanish people : Miguel Bose , Paola Bose , Diana Lorys , as Italian secondaries : Chris Avram , Enzo Fiermonte , Franco Fantasia , Alfio Catabiano , Alberto Dell'Acqua , Ottaviano Dell'Acqua , Roberto Dell'Acqua , Tom Felleghy , and , of course , the ordinary Robert Hundar . They are a lot of secondaries from B Italian series seen in several genres as Spaghetti Western and Peplum . It's a co-production Spanish-Italian and shot on location in Almeria , Spain , and Lazio , Rome . There are many fine technicians , as nice assistant direction , excellent production design by Carlo Simi , Sergio Leone's regular , and atmospheric cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa , he creates a magnificent scenario on the interior ranch and barren outdoors , scrawny villages as well as dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun . Adequate and sad music original by Gianni Ferrio in Spaghetti style . The musician composes a nice Spaghetti soundtrack and well conducted and including splendid leitmotif ; it's full of enjoyable sounds and emotive score .
This is one of the last and best Spaghettis and was compellingly directed by Michele Lupo who made all kinds of genres . Lupo directed various Bud Spencer vehicles as ¨Bulldozer¨ , ¨The Supersheriff¨, ¨Buddy go west¨, and ¨E.T. and the Supersheriff¨ . Lupo directed Giuliano Gemma , his fetish actor , in several films as ¨Master touch¨ with Kirk Douglas , ¨Stay away¨ with Amidou , ¨Arizona Colt¨ with Fernando Sancho and Nello Pazzafini and ¨California ¨ with William Berger and Romano Puppo. This is an acceptable entertaining juvenile that will appeal to Western buffs . Rating : essential and fundamental watching for for Giuliano Gemma fans. Rating : Above average Pasta Western . Well worth seeing .
