Jed (Tomas Milian) is an unlikely hero in this Italian western. As thoroughly unlikeable a robber as ever walked the West, he nonetheless robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Not only is he a murderous, ill-tempered sort, he is bad-mannered, too. When Sonny (Susan George) decides he should be her man and teach her how to be a proper outlaw, sparks fly.
Tomas Milian Susan George Telly Savalas Eduardo Fajardo Rosanna Yanni Franco Giacobini Herbert Fux Werner Pochath Gene Collins Álvaro de Luna Pilar Climent Luis Aller Laura Betti Rafael Albaicín Francesco Arcuri Miguel Armario Simón Arriaga José Canalejas Juan Cazalilla Fabián Conde Gonzalo de Esquiroz Jaime Doria Ruggero Fedozzi Carmen Guardón Víctor Israel Ricardo G. Lilló David Nero José Riesgo Lorenzo Robledo Show All…
Far West Story, Bandera Bandits, Die rote Sonne der Rache, Los hijos del día y de la noche, 雌雄轰天贼, Vestens skøreste banditter
Italy
Germany18
Spain
USAR
Denmark15
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Germany
Italy
Spain
USA
Action! - Spaghetti alla Sergio: Il West violentemente divertente di Corbucci
Corbucci sticks with his tried-and-true approach of bringing together polar opposites in perilous situations, this time when both protagonists face the rage of the law. There are many examples of such pairings, but this one stands out because, unlike in any of Corbucci's other films, it features a male and female lead. A love/hate dynamic between two people leads to a variety of comedic situation.
The film's levity stems in large part from the odd chemistry and mismatch between Milian and George, with Milian, a seasoned actor in Westerns, falling back on his trademark quirkiness and Susan revealing her comedic chops. Some of the action is quite exciting, but…
That's one way you can tell the difference between a man and a woman. A man can spit, and a woman can't!
I have been meaning to watch this since Tarantino waxed lyrical about it in Django & Django and since it's one of the films being featured on this week's episode of The Video Archive podcast thought it was the perfect time to finally pull the trigger. As QT talks about in the documentary I can imagine a lot of people not being able to get past the truly awful treatment of Sonny by Jed in this film. He is truly a piece of shit that it's almost impossible to like yet at times you do before he just does…
Catching up with another one of the few Sergio Corbucci westerns I didn't see before - in this case because I was never terribly interested. Even as a fan of Corbucci and lead actors Tomas Milian and Susan George, 'Sonny and Jed' always seemed like it would probably not be my cup of tea. Most of the more comedic spaghetti westerns outside of Bud Spencer & Terence Hill don't work that well for me, and that's what I expected here.
But I'm really glad I finally watched this one, especially after hearing Quentin Tarantino's take on it in the 'Django & Django' documentary. He basically says that a lot of people would be turned off by Milian's Jed character and the way…
letterboxd.com/mondocinema/list/a-plate-of-spaghettimondo-cinemas-italian/
Sonny and Jed (La banda J&S Cronaca Criminale del far West)
"If you see it once you'll see it again."
The westerns of Sergio Corbucci are some of the best made by Italian or American filmmakers.
His films are often mired in mud and misery. They take place in almost "post-apocalyptic" towns filled with people in ragged clothes and are often on the wrong side of starvation.
His westerns are filled with cruelty, savage actions, and sadism.
Even the heroes of a Corbucci western aren't white knights on horseback, at their best they are less of a bastard than their advisories.
Often what makes the protagonist of the story one step above being an animal is a code they…
'I love you, you motherfucker!'
Milian's final attempt to express his feelings for Sonny are essentially a bellow from an abusive husband after giving his wife one too many beatings.
I agree with Gala Avary's assertion that in the cruel and cold old West women couldn't expect much more than to find a man who wouldn't abuse them and they could actually tolerate.
By the end of the third act we realise that Sonny probably has found that. Just another shit man but better the devil she knows.
🏜️ Wild West Summer 2020 🏜️
17 - Watch a female-led Western.
Did I miss something with Tomas Milian's milk fetish in this film? I mean I love it, he's absolutely fuckin' crazy in this role, but the dude is in a trance. Milk this, milk that... so much milk. I wonder how many takes they took of him suckin' off that cow, or is that a one take and you're done kinda thing? And I'm not even gonna go into his spaghetti love...
If you couldn't tell, this is one strange film. The comparisons to Bonnie & Clyde are obvious, always running from one crime and into another, Telly Savalas' bounty hunters right behind, it's action packed fun. But B&C…
Spoilers ahead.
Even in a genre deeply steeped in misogyny, Sonny and Jed — a Bonnie and Clyde-adjacent "comedy" — stands out for the profoundly abusive treatment of women that it not only depicts, but also cheerfully endorses. It's an unintentionally devastating watch, and one which badly undermines director Sergio Cobucci's otherwise impressive spaghetti western legacy.
Starring Tomas Milian as Jed, a dirtbag, foulmouthed bandit, and Susan George as Sonny, and wannabe bandit who, for reasons utterly beyond comprehension, attaches herself to Jed, the film focuses on their "love story," while also touching upon a man from Jed's past (Franciscus, played by Telly Savalas) who wants revenge.
The relationship between Jed and Sonny literally begins with her rape (He has…
Even when the characters aren’t very likeable you can’t deny the fantastic chemistry between them. Just a wonderful badass pair in corbuccis Bonny and Clyde western version in which morricones score once again shines above everything.
“What else do we need? Oh, a gun belt for my wife.”
“A gun belt for your wife, sir?”
“Yes, we’re going to America, you know. We better be prepared.”
Really delightful spaghetti western take on Bonnie and Clyde with a banging Ennio Morricone theme. Susan George and Telly Savalas are very good, but Tomas Milian really may be the greatest movie dirtbag of all time - he’s so good at this kind of role. And this is almost shockingly upbeat for a Corbucci movie.
Probably my favorite so far of the movies I’ve tracked down specifically because of the Video Archives Podcast.
[Video Archives Podcast pick]
Vulgar outlaw and milk fetishist Tomas Milian reluctantly takes spunky gamine Susan George under his wing and subjects her to a non-stop barrage of verbal, physical and emotional abuse as they terrorize the countryside, staying one step ahead of dogged law man Telly Savalas. It's a comedy!
While the title clearly wants us to draw the connection to Bonnie & Clyde, this is as much a revisionist Western take on La Strada as it is anything else. It's as great-looking and great-sounding as you'd expect from a Sergio Corbucci/Ennio Morricone joint*, and the acting is pretty keen across the board. Milian is in feral lowlife mode here and he sells it like he always does, spitting far more inventive profanities than…
I know this movie is bound to upset people a lot. I’m not here to say how wrong you are or to talk you out of it. Sonny and Jed is infamous for its central romantic relationship being one of basic violation and disrespect from the man towards the woman. Tomas Milian’s Jed is surely one of the most disgusting, unappealing protagonists in film history. My love for this film is not an affirmation that I approve of Jed’s behaviour or the general misogyny of the characters populating it. I guess the point of difference for me is in my interpretation of the intent of the piece. Although I can see why it has been interpreted as celebrating Jed’s shitty…
Wild West Summer 2019: Bonus film #26
Whoever thought of spaghetti was a genius. He must have made a damn fortune.
Sergio Corbucci's version of Bonnie and Clyde is pretty weird. Tomás Milián, Susan George and Telly Savalas all play intensely unlikeable characters, but there is a certain tenderness beneath the surface that makes it work.
