Western Wednesdays: Day of Anger (International Version)

     Day of Anger was released on December 19th, 1967. It is directed by Tonino Valerii and stars Giuliano Gemma and Lee Van Cleef. In it Scott Mary  (Gemma), a street sweeper in Clifton, Arizona, becomes the pupil of aged gunfighter Frank Talby (Van Cleef). Talby's efforts to take over Clifton set him at odds with the sheriff (Giorgio Gargiullo) and Scott's old friend Murph Allan Short (Walter Rilla).

     Day of Anger feels more in tune with American Westerns then most of its Italian counterparts. It makes explicit references to Doc Holiday and the gunfight at the OK Coral, a frequent reference point in the American western but not so much in the Spaghetti western. The story is also more psychologically driven than most Spaghettis, with Scott searching for a father figure throughout the film. At the beginning Murph, himself a former gunfighter, serves as a sort of father figure for him. Scott is tormented by the people of Clifton, who treat him as an inferior and Murph is the only person who shows him kindness or offers him support. He taught Scott how to use a gun but he discourages him from pursuing a life as a gunfighter, which alienates the angry young man. When Talby rides into town Scott finds someone who is not afraid to assert himself and to use violence to get what he wants. He is seduced by this and basically "adopts" Talby as his new father figure, supporting his bid to take over Clifton and putting himself in a position of power over the people who formally ridiculed him. When Murph decides to stand against Talby, Scott is forced to choose between the two men.

     Tonnino Valerii directs this film with much gusto. He creates a contrast between the colorful and affluent town of Clifton and the more desolate desert landscape and run down towns outside of it. The action is filled with energy, particularly the duel on horseback in the middle of the film and the climax. The jazz-infused score, by Academy Award winner Riz Ortolani, gives the movie a really unique feel. The performances are also strong. Lee Van Cleef mixes the sense of charm and style that he showed in For a Few Dollars More (1965) with the more sadistic tendencies of Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in his role as Frank Talby. We can understand why Scott finds his way of life attractive but, at the same time, we are put off by his moral apathy. Giuliano Gemma, who had made his mark two year earlier in A Pistol for Ringo, brings his usual sense of boyish charm to the role of Scott Mary. He really sells the characters inner conflict and desire to assert himself.

     Two different versions of this film exist, the original Italian cut, which is 114 minutes, and the international cut, which is 95 minutes. Amazon video had the international cut so, unfortunately, that's the version I watched. I say unfortunate because, while I really liked this movie, it was poorly edited at times and I would imagine that the original cut alleviates this problem to some extent.

     Day of Anger is one of the stronger spaghetti westerns I've seen. It features strong performances, stylish direction and a really cool score. I'd highly recommend it, though you should probably track down the original Italian cut.

Score: 8.5/10