This 1964 Western film has been hailed by fans as “revolutionising” the genre and it is available to watch on Amazon Prime. A Fistful of Dollars tells the story of an unnamed stranger who arrives in a town where two families are known to be in a huge rivalry.
The film’s synopsis reads: “Wandering gunfighter Joe arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter and the three Rojo brothers. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, Joe is hired by Esteban to join the gang, but he plays one side against the other.” A Fistful of Dollars was directed by Sergio Leone, who also directed many other masterpieces, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
It starred Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Mario Brega and Wolfgang Lukschy, among others.
The film has achieved an impressive 98% from Rotten Tomatoes critics.
The critics’ consensus reads: “With Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo as his template, Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars helped define a new era for the Western and usher in its most iconic star, Clint Eastwood.”
One audience reviewer described the film as “solid music and revolutionised westerns,” while another added “awesome movie. Still holds up with age”.
“Every genre-loving moviegoer should see at least once projected on a theatre screen,” said a top critic.
Another said: “The Italian western that launched a genre.”
An IMDb reviewer said: “Despite being made on a much tighter budget and being less ambitious than the sequels to follow, it’s still one of the greatest westerns ever made.”
Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian awarded the film five out of five in his review.
He said: “The film that made Clint Eastwood a star and legend has a cult, comic-book intensity and is the punk rock of Westerns.”
A Fistful of Dollars is available to stream on Amazon Prime.