The Mercenary
"He sells death to the highest bidder! Buy or die!"
While a Mexican revolutionary lies low as a U.S. rodeo clown, the cynical Polish mercenary who tutored the idealistic peasant tells how he and a dedicated female radical fought for the soul of the guerrilla general Paco, as Mexicans threw off repressive government and all-powerful landowners in the 1910s. Tracked by the vengeful Curly, Paco liberates villages, but is tempted by social banditry's treasures, which Kowalski revels in.
Curator's Take
“A spiritual predecessor to Companeros, but arguably tighter. Jack Palance plays a curling-iron-wielding villain, which is as bizarre and amazing as it sounds. Corbucci balances the action and the comedy perfectly.”
Why This Movie Is Important
A kinetic, explosive revolutionary western. The partnership between the mercenary (Nero) and the peasant (Musante), with Palance as the villain, is pure movie magic. It is iconic for its arena showdown and Morricone’s soaring, whistling score.
Production Details
The Mercenary is a 1968 western film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Originally released in Italy under the title "Il mercenario", the film was produced during the golden era of European westerns. The soundtrack was composed by Ennio Morricone. Cinematography was handled by Alejandro Ulloa. The screenplay was written by Luciano Vincenzoni. The film stars Franco Nero as Sergei Kowalski, The Polish, Tony Musante as Paco Roman, and Jack Palance as Ricciolo ("Curly"). Running 1 hour and 41 minutes, it is a well-paced entry in the genre. With an on-screen body count of 60, it ranks among the most violent films in the genre. It holds a solid average rating of 6.9 from 156 ratings.
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Did You Know?
The famous 'arena duel' scene was improvised. The original script had a standard street shootout, but Corbucci saw the bullring location and rewrote the climax on the spot.
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