Today Is the Perfect Day To Watch Clint Eastwood’s ‘For a Few Dollars More’

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Sergio Leone’s 1964 film, A Fistful of Dollars, didn’t initially receive much attention or praise. However, despite being a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, it performed well in theaters and led to a follow-up film. That sequel, aptly titled For a Few Dollars More, was just as impressive as the first.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the release of For a Few Dollars More, a standout Western from early in Clint Eastwood’s career. When people talk about The Man With No Name Trilogy, the conversation usually focuses on the first and last films, especially The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. This middle installment often gets overlooked. While it didn’t start the series, or have the epic scope of the final film, For a Few Dollars More is still a fantastic movie. It’s a dark and gripping story, notable for its complex plot and the strong performances from Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef.

‘For a Few Dollars More’ Is the Underrated and Overlooked Middle Chapter in the Trilogy


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When life was considered worthless, death sometimes became a commodity. This is how bounty hunters came into being.

This quote appears on the opening title card of the film and perfectly sets the stage for what follows. While A Fistful of Dollars showed Clint Eastwood’s character cleverly playing two criminal families against each other, For a Few Dollars More takes a closer look at the dangerous world of bounty hunting in the Old West. Like many Spaghetti Westerns of the era, the movie explores themes of revenge and justice, especially through its villain. Gian Maria Volonté portrays El Indio, the leader of a brutal gang of bank robbers haunted by a troubled past.

Unlike the other films in the series, For a Few Dollars More stands out due to its complex villain, hunted by Eastwood’s character, Manco, and Van Cleef’s Colonel Mortimer. This film foreshadows director Leone’s later skill with character interactions, seen in movies like Once Upon a Time in the West. Here, Manco and Mortimer engage in a risky cat-and-mouse game with the villain, Indio, constantly shifting alliances and trying to gain the upper hand to finally defeat him.

The movie largely focuses on Indio’s plan to rob The Bank of El Paso, and how Mortimer assists Manco in going undercover to gain Indio’s confidence. Throughout the story, flashbacks and a repeating melody from Indio’s music box reveal a troubled past. This installment is particularly grim, showing Indio using drugs to cope with a terrible act he committed against a woman years before. This secret connects Indio to Mortimer, while Manco is simply trying to collect the reward money, caught between them.

With ‘For a Few Dollars More,’ Sergio Leone Hones His Unique Visual Style


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Clint Eastwood’s For a Few Dollars More is arguably his finest Western, largely due to its exceptional chemistry between Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Unlike most of Eastwood’s films where he’s the clear focus, this one gives him a truly remarkable co-star. Their interplay, starting with a funny initial standoff where they shoot at each other’s hats—a scene that highlights their contrasting styles and the film’s core ideas—and continuing through their scheming, creates a compelling dynamic that strengthens the overall story and its themes.

Leone’s filmmaking in this movie builds on the style of A Fistful of Dollars, but with more impact. He uses dramatic close-ups, stretches out moments of quiet before sudden violence, and captures the vastness of the Western landscape. Crucially, Ennio Morricone’s music isn’t just a backdrop here – it’s deeply woven into the story and the connection between the characters Indio and Mortimer.

A key element of the film is the music box carried by Indio, which represents a tragic event – his role in a woman’s suicide. The filmmakers cleverly blend the music box’s sound with the film’s score, sometimes making it seem like it’s part of the scene and other times adding it as a separate musical layer. This woman was the sister of Mortimer, fueling a powerful story of revenge. The music box becomes central to the final showdown, and Ennio Morricone’s music essentially acts as another character. The duel is visually stunning, captured in a remarkable shot where we see both duelists and Eastwood’s Manco all in the same frame.

‘For a Few Dollars More’ Has All the Great Hallmarks of a Classic Western Movie

Now is a great time to watch For a Few Dollars More (streaming on MGM+), especially as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. The film also offers a valuable lesson for modern sequels. While many movies today are designed to launch massive cinematic universes and increasingly grand continuations, For a Few Dollars More takes a different approach. It’s a sequel that doesn’t try to be bigger or more expansive—instead, it focuses on telling a new, more gripping story.

For a Few Dollars More is a thrilling Western with a complex villain and two fascinating main characters who aren’t simply good or evil. The movie delivers a wildly entertaining story filled with bounty hunters, bank robberies, and betrayals—all classic Western elements. It was a successful sequel, becoming Italy’s highest-grossing film by 1967, despite initially receiving mixed reviews. Over time, it’s become a beloved classic, and many consider it to be Clint Eastwood’s finest Western. You can watch For a Few Dollars More on MGM+.

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2025-11-19 02:50