Death Rides a Horse


Death Rides a Horse is a 1967 Italian spaghetti Western directed by Giulio Petroni, written by Luciano Vincenzoni and starring Lee Van Cleef and John Phillip Law.

Plot

Bill, a boy whose father was killed and mother and sister were gang-raped and murdered in front of him by five robbers, sets out 15 years later to exact revenge, having used the time to become an expert marksman. Each of the outlaws bears a characteristic which Bill memorized while watching his family be slaughtered and his house set on fire: The first has a tattoo of four aces on his chest, the second a scar, the third one a distinctive earring. The fourth man's face is unveiled during the event, and Bill remembers it distinctly. After the house is set on fire, Bill is rescued by a man wearing a skull necklace, whose face he does not see. Hiding under a wagon as the men ride off, Bill finds a spur.
As Bill begins his journey, a gunfighter named Ryan is released from a prison after serving 15 years there. He was framed for an armed robbery by the very same men who murdered Bill's family. Ryan is tracked by two men as he leaves prison; he later kills them, revealing to himself and Bill that they were hired by one of the men who killed Bill's family. Bill goes after Ryan, who he believes is involved with the men somehow. Ryan gets the better of Bill, but spares him, and tries to dissuade him from his revenge. In the next town, Ryan asks for a man named Cavanaugh, the owner of a large saloon. Ryan threatens Cavanaugh, asking him for 15,000 dollars: 1,000 for each year in prison. It is revealed that Cavanaugh is the one who hired the two men to kill Ryan. Bill is then hired to kill Ryan after winning a gunfight at Cavanaugh's saloon, but Ryan gets the better of Bill yet again, and again spares him. Bill manages to kill Cavanaugh in a duel after recognizing him as the man with the four aces, and Ryan saves him after his gun goes dry. Chastising Bill for not counting his shots, Ryan yet again insists on going after the other outlaws alone. They cross paths again in Lyndon City, where Ryan meets with a rich banker named Walcott and demands 30,000 dollars: 15,000 for the 15 years in prison, plus the money Cavanaugh owed him. Walcott captures Ryan, then stages a robbery on his own bank and frames him. When the tables are turned later, Bill reciprocates, helping Ryan escape from jail. Bill then sets off on his own, leaving Ryan without a horse.
Bill reaches a Mexican town, where he recognizes the man with the big earring and guns him down. He is captured by the outlaws that run the town, beaten and buried alive from the neck down. Walcott and the outlaws leave after Bill lies about Ryan's location. Left to die in the hot sun, he is rescued by Ryan, who shoots several men standing guard. He and Bill enlist the townspeople in setting up defenses to hold off the gang. They manage to kill a few bandits, including the second man, but the men of the town are slaughtered. Afterwards, the gang leaves for the night. Next morning, while preparing for the gang's return, Bill notices that Ryan is wearing a necklace with a skull. Ryan admits he was present during the murders, but arrived late and did not participate; he also rescued Bill from the fire. He gives his word that once the outlaws have been dealt with, he will remain to face whatever justice Bill seeks.
In the final shootout, which takes place during a dust storm, Bill and Ryan cleverly whittle down the gang members until it seems like Walcott is the last man standing. Walcott had Bill dead to rights, only to be killed by Ryan's thrown knife. Bill nonetheless insists on revenge. Ryan's gun is empty, but Bill has three bullets. He throws one to Ryan, and one to the ground, leaving him with a single round in the chamber. Ryan turns his back and walks away, as Bill yells for him to turn around and defend himself. Bill fires, but it is only to kill a surviving outlaw. Ryan then reveals that he had had not loaded the bullet, and offers it to Bill. He refuses. A grateful Ryan watches as Bill mounts his horse and rides away.

Cast

Uncredited

Production

The screenplay and story of Death Rides a Horse was written by Luciano Vincenzoni. Vincenzoni went to work with director Giulio Petroni after having a falling out with Sergio Leone while the latter was making The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

Releases

Death Rides a Horse was released in Italy in August 1967. The film was released uncut in the United Kingdom and United States in 1969.

Reception

A contemporary review, the Monthly Film Bulletin declared the film to be a "display piece" for John Phillip Law and Lee Van Cleef, noting that Van Cleef was "in excellent form." The review declared the film to be "less gimmicky than most Italian Westerns, and all the better for it." The review noted that the recurring flashbacks were "tiresome" but had relevance to the narrative. "Robe" of Variety said that the film wouldn't reach the popularity of earlier Clint Eastwood westerns, noting that the script borrows from other Italian Westerns and that "good color photography and an interesting score by Ennio Morricone are the pic's strong points. Otherwise, all technical elements are routine."

Analysis

In his investigation of narrative structures in spaghetti Western films, writer Bert Fridlund ranges Death Rides a Horse, together with Day of Anger as prime examples of a "tutorship variation" that further develops the play on age/experience between the protagonists in For a Few Dollars More, with Lee Van Cleef playing the older partner in all three films. In the "Tutorship" films, a younger protagonist seeks the more or less reluctant partnership of an older one, but differences of motivation eventually bring them into conflict.