Mannaja/Opinions

This is a very late Spaghetti Western (1977) and this was the first time I saw this - what I consider now an underrated, overlooked and quite excellent - film. Merli does a great job as the badass anti-hero with the axe, and most of the other actors are great too. The American dubbing is surprisingly high-quality and adds to the realism of the film. What I like about Mannaja, and that's what I like in general, is the sinister athmosphere, the good photography, the apocalyptic music (reminds me of Keoma) and the tough action. None of the semi-serious, half-funny, "we don't take ourselves serious anymore because the Spaghetti Western is going down the shit." This is a gritty one, and to me that's a B+ --Sebastian 22:55, 11 August 2006 (CEST)

Despite coming along fairly late in the cycle, this spaghetti western is one of the genre's best. Maurizio Merli plays Blade, a bounty hunter who captures outlaw Burt Craven (Donald O'Brien) by throwing his hatchet and chopping off Craven's hand. In the nearby town of Suttonstead, Blade wins a poker game against Waller (Caligula's John Steiner), and -- because he can't get a reward for Craven -- frees his captive. Later, Waller ambushes Blade in the wilderness, burying him up to his neck and sewing his eyelids open so his eyes will be burnt out by the sun. Craven discovers Blade and repays his freedom by saving the now-blinded gunman, who learns to shoot by sound rather than sight. Director Sergio Martino is best known for stylish thrillers and uses his considerable visual style to give this violent, grandiose film an almost mythical resonance. Fans of gritty realism in spaghetti westerns may not relate to Martino's flamboyant style, but most Euro-devotees will find it immensely appealing. Martine Brochard, Rik Battaglia, and Philippe Leroy co-star. (Author TBC)