Django (1966)

Django (1966)

Dir. Sergio Corbucci

Corbucci's notorious Spaghetti Western is surprisingly less violent than its history of classification in the UK implies, but BBFC decisions being 'partially reactionary' shouldn't really be news to anyone, right?

Franco Nero is the charismatic anti-hero dressed in black coat and hat, dragging a full-sized coffin behind him. The mysterious figure and his deathly cargo arrive in a mostly abandoned town that's under siege from a gang of Mexican bandits and a racist ex-Civil War Confederate Major (Eduardo Fajardo) who kills Mexicans for sport, a situation that was no doubt inspired by Yojimbo (1961).

Django stands up for the abused when it suits him, including coming to the aid of a beautiful prostitute named Maria (Loredana Nusciak).

He's a well-written character and thanks to Nero's cool demeanour and handsome eyes is often more compelling than the film itself.

Nero's an authentic ingredient that was absent from the many unofficial sequels, of which there are over thirty to date. According to Wikipedia, only one official sequel to Django has been made in which Nero once again plays the lead, Django Strikes Again (1987 / Dir. Ted Archer).