In 1966, Sergio Corbucci pushed violence to its extreme in Django, one of the gems of the Italian western. The film’s dazzling success catapulted Franco Nero to stardom and brought Corbucci into the pantheon of the great spaghetti western directors, the Holy Trinity of the three Sergios: Sergio Leone, Sergio Sollima, and, of course, Sergio Corbucci!

Following this success, a whole slew of Italian productions surfed on the popularity of Django, a typical tradition of Italian B-cinema! Often the resemblance stopped at the title, as was the case with Django, Prepare Your Execution. This fake Django (the main character isn’t even called Django but… Clint Clips) was released in 1968, a mythical year for the Italian western, as it marked the peak of western production in Italy. Directing was Domenico Paolella, a veteran of the peplum genre, best known for his nunsploitation film The Nuns of the Saint Archangel starring Ornella Muti. He went against the grain of the genre by refusing excessive violence and instead focusing on a dramatic story of friendship. Unlike most other westerns, which were mainly shot in Spain, he filmed in the occupied Palestinian territories, using the arid natural landscapes to heighten the tragic dimension of the story.

Django the Bastard is the best western by Sergio Garrone, mainly known for his Nazisploitation films that were banned around the world (SS Experiment Love Camp…). This atmospheric western with a fantastic (even horrific) twist was inspired by John Boorman’s Point Blank and stands apart from the classical western.