Duck You Sucker
One of my favorite films was released on DVD recently. I have been waiting a long time for this.
Duck You Sucker is a 1972 feature directed by Sergio Leone, famous for the Clint Eastwood “Dollars” films. It’s less well know, but is a more sophisticated piece of work than his earlier movies. This was his second to last film and his first to delve into the world of politics. This new DVD is fully restored with remastered audio. It’s restored to the original length which was never shown in the American theaters. Many of the scenes added back in change the context of the film in a big way, especially the final flashback. It’s pretty amazing and I like this version much more than the one I am used to.
Here’s a capsule review:
A different sort of Sergio Leone Western, this one takes place during the Mexican Revolution, with more politics than usual. But there’s still plenty of action, with Rod Steiger as a cigar-chomping peasant who robs banks to liberate political prisoners, and James Coburn as an Irish terrorist trying to flee from his bitter past. They team up to thwart a sadistic officer and help the cause; redemption for the more subdued Coburn provides added depth. This contains the longer uncut version (released in Italy) known as Duck, You Sucker, featuring more flashbacks, more politics, and a more unsavory Steiger. But it’s terrific fun, with Ennio Morricone’s moody score and Coburn’s most underrated performance. --Bill Desowitz
I love Leone’s films. He is my favorite director. And his work is gaining more appreciation as time goes by. This is really a masterpiece. More importantly, with the added footage we see the political statement he was trying to make. It is a critique of the “revolution” talk people were making in the early 70s. Leone’s heroes are basically anarchists. His father was a Socialist, but this film criticizes leftism by showing the end result of revolutions. It’s not pretty.
The film is rather dark, though it has a sense of humor. It’s also a visual masterpiece.
I got it in a new boxed set which also has the Dollars films. Each disc has a remastered movie with a second disc of bonus features. You can really get a new appreciation of Leone’s work once you watch the featurettes and learn about the thought and effort he put into each one. Leone only made six films, but each one is excellent. If you haven’t seen these films or seen them in a long time, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
I love Sergio Leone movies, my all time faves are The Good The Bad & The Ugly, and Once Upon A Time in the West.
I haven’t been able to see “Duck You Sucker” yet, and the lack of a decent video version’s always bugged me. Hallelujah that it’s out now!
Posted by Remulak MoxArgon on 06/22 at 06:19 AMI can’t believe it! Someone else has seen this movie and now it’s on DVD!. This is one of those great movies that not many people have seen. One that when you try to tell people about it, they look at you as if you’ve made the whole thing up.
Coburn was fabulous in it.
Posted by joy on 06/22 at 06:28 AMSaw this once on late night TV and enjoyed it a lot, though I don’t remember much of it (’twas a while ago). Definitely picking this up.
I’m a fan of Leone, but I didn’t love Once Upon A Time In America. Didn’t hate it either.
Posted by Edshugeo The GodMoor on 06/22 at 08:56 AMIs Coburn playing the same character as in “Fistful of Dynamite?”
Posted by on 06/23 at 10:57 AMIt’s the same movie. Fistful of Dynamite is what they called it in the states. But the version we’ve seen up to now was radically chopped to cut by censors. This is a restored version which has 20 minutes added back in.
It’s teh best version I have seen, but apparently there are three scenes lost to history according to the documentary on disc 2, which would have been cool.
Posted by James Hudnall on 06/23 at 02:36 PMI really want to get the Sergio Leone box set—mainly for the Eastwood films—but I think $90 MSRP is onerous for a boxset of 4 films that have been mostly released ALREADY on DVD… even if they are restored and in two-disc versions.
$50 or less would have been a better pricepoint for this set.
I guess I’m going to have to wait for another 30% or better off coupon sale at Borders in the future. I sure wouldn’t pay over $60 for this set!
BTW, anybody else hear the rumors this set is being re-released next year in hi-def? It looks like the hi-def race might finally be settling down with several recent announcements.
A) Blockbuster, for what it’s worth, is exclusively supporting new Blu-Ray releases;
B) we’re finally going to see sub-$500 Blu-Ray players by the end of this year/beginning of next;
and C) Disney is finally going to start releasing its classic animated features—starting with Sleeping Beauty—onto Blu-Ray next year.2008 I think will be the death-knell of HD-DVD.
Posted by on 06/23 at 04:22 PMI got it at Costco for $54
Posted by James Hudnall on 06/23 at 06:48 PMBTW: I’m rooting for Blu-Ray. One of the cool things about it is they can put a whole season of a TV show on one disc (or two if its a long season)
Posted by on 06/23 at 07:07 PMHud,
The home video companies will NEVER put a season of a TV show on one disc.
It just won’t happen.
Hollywood has a thing against doing something sensibly. They’d rather spread the difference among multiple discs.
Also, are we talking standard def or hi-def because only a standard def video season could fit on a Blu-Ray disc I think.
Hi-Def video just eats up space. Standard def is relatively conservative by comparison.
I could see a season of Star Trek in standard def fitting on a Blu-Ray disc, but not Star Trek in HD-resolution.
Posted by on 06/24 at 07:19 AM$54 at Costco, you say? Hmmmmm…
I DO have a new membership card for Costco… And there IS one not more than 10 minutes away from me!
I guess I’m going to get something after my next paycheck comes in!
Posted by on 06/24 at 07:21 AMYes, I was referring to standard def. And I guess that will be moot soon when HD takes over.
Posted by James Hudnall on 06/24 at 10:01 AM
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