“Today we kill, tomorrow we die!” – the raw creed of a gunslinger forged in the fires of betrayal and bloodshed.

Deep in the heart of Italy’s golden age of Westerns, 1968 brought forth a revenge saga that distilled the genre’s most primal thrills into a lean, explosive package. Starring the ever-charismatic Giuliano Gemma as Bill Dakota, this Tonino Valerii-directed effort pulses with the tension of dusty standoffs, unlikely alliances, and unyielding vendettas. For fans of Spaghetti Westerns, it stands as a testament to the era’s unflinching style, blending operatic violence with a surprising undercurrent of camaraderie.

  • A meticulously crafted revenge narrative that pits a lone gunman against a band of outlaws, exploring themes of loyalty and retribution in the unforgiving frontier.
  • Tonino Valerii’s assured direction, drawing from Sergio Leone’s shadow while carving its own path through innovative action sequences and stark visuals.
  • The enduring appeal of Giuliano Gemma’s performance and the film’s cult status among collectors, cementing its place in Spaghetti Western lore.

The Vengeance Trail Ignites

Returning from the ravages of the American Civil War, Bill Dakota rides into the sun-scorched town of Sweetwater, Arizona, only to discover his wife and brother slaughtered by the savage O’Mara gang. This inciting brutality sets the stage for a tale of calculated payback, where Dakota must navigate a web of deceit and firepower. Tonino Valerii wastes no time plunging viewers into the moral quagmire, as Dakota transforms from weary veteran to relentless avenger, his Colt revolver becoming an extension of his grief-stricken soul.

The narrative unfolds with economical precision, characteristic of the mid-1960s Spaghetti Western boom. Dakota’s first move is to track down the elusive O’Mara brothers, led by the cunning Elias (Tomas Milian in a breakout villainous turn) and his hot-headed sibling Sam. Along the way, he crosses paths with a motley crew: the grizzled Major (William Berger), harbouring his own grudge, and the enigmatic gun-for-hire Pete (Fernando Sancho). These alliances form the emotional core, highlighting how shared loss binds men in a world where trust is as scarce as water.

Valerii’s screenplay, co-written with Ernesto Gastaldi, masterfully balances high-stakes shootouts with quieter moments of reflection. One pivotal sequence sees Dakota interrogating a captured bandit under a merciless noon sun, the sweat-drenched close-ups amplifying the psychological strain. This isn’t mere revenge porn; it’s a meditation on the cyclical nature of violence, where each kill begets another, echoing the genre’s fatalistic worldview.

Desert Standoffs: Action Crafted in Cinematic Fire

The film’s action set pieces elevate it beyond standard oater fare, with Valerii employing wide-angle lenses to capture the vast, oppressive Spanish deserts standing in for the American Southwest. A standout ambush in a narrow canyon showcases choreographed chaos: bullets ricochet off rock faces as horses rear and riders tumble, the camera weaving through the fray like a participant in the melee. This kinetic energy owes much to the director’s Leone apprenticeship, yet Valerii injects a fleet-footed rhythm all his own.

Climactic duels demand special mention, particularly the final reckoning in a ghost town littered with skeletal remains. Gemma’s Dakota faces off against Milian’s Elias in a tense, wind-whipped draw, the silence broken only by fluttering tumbleweeds and distant coyote howls. Sound design plays a crucial role here, with sharp whip-cracks of gunfire punctuating the score’s ominous swells, heightening the stakes to operatic levels.

Cinematographer Riccardo Pallottini’s work deserves acclaim for its chiaroscuro mastery. Shadows stretch long across saloon floors during poker-table betrayals, symbolising the moral ambiguity pervading the story. Practical effects – squibs bursting on impact, real dust clouds billowing – ground the spectacle in tangible grit, a far cry from the polished CGI of modern Westerns.

Villains with Villainous Flair

Tomas Milian steals scenes as Elias O’Mara, a bandit chief whose serpentine charm masks psychopathic cruelty. His taunting monologues, delivered with a predatory grin, add layers to the archetypal outlaw, making him a foe worth fearing. Milian’s physicality – lithe and unpredictable – contrasts Gemma’s stoic poise, creating dynamic confrontations that crackle with tension.

Supporting the O’Maras, actors like Klaus Kinski in a brief but incendiary cameo as a trigger-happy deputy inject unpredictable menace. Kinski’s wild-eyed intensity foreshadows his later collaborations with Leone, hinting at the genre’s penchant for volatile personalities both on and off screen.

Sounds of the Saddle: A Score That Spurs the Soul

Francesco de Masi’s soundtrack weaves twangy guitars and mournful harmonicas into a tapestry of tension and triumph. The main theme, with its driving percussion mimicking galloping hooves, recurs during pursuits, embedding itself in the viewer’s pulse. Ballads underscoring Dakota’s solitary rides evoke the loneliness of the frontier, blending Mexican folk influences with Italian orchestration flair.

Unlike Ennio Morricone’s more experimental leitmotifs, de Masi opts for straightforward propulsion, perfectly suiting the film’s breakneck pace. Collectors prize original vinyl pressings, their gatefold sleeves featuring dramatic poster art that captures the era’s lurid marketing.

Spaghetti Western Context: From Leone to Legacy

Released amid the genre’s peak, the film rode the coattails of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy while asserting Valerii’s voice. Italy produced over 500 Westerns between 1964 and 1975, flooding markets with low-budget epics that redefined the cowboy mythos. This entry exemplifies the “zapata” subgenre’s shift toward ensemble revenge plots, influencing later hits like Compañeros (1970).

Production anecdotes reveal a shoestring ethos: shot in Almeria, Spain, with multinational casts and minimal retakes. Gemma, already a Ringo star, headlined to capitalise on his fame, his salary funding personal investments in horses and guns – props he often kept as mementos.

Culturally, it tapped post-war European fascination with American individualism, subverting Hollywood’s clean heroism with morally grey protagonists. For 80s and 90s kids discovering VHS bootlegs, it offered gritty escapism amid Star Wars saturation.

Collector’s Grail: From Reel to Restoration

Home video scarcity in the pre-DVD era made it a holy grail for enthusiasts, with faded 16mm prints circulating at conventions. Modern Blu-ray releases from labels like Arrow Video restore its Techniscope glory, vibrant colours popping against sepia tones. Box sets bundling Gemma’s oeuvre command premium prices, their liner notes packed with trivia from surviving crew.

Influence ripples through Quentin Tarantino’s homage-laden works, evident in standoff geometries and score cues. Modern streamers revive interest, introducing millennials to its raw power.

Director in the Spotlight

Tonino Valerii, born Antonio Valerii on 20 May 1934 in Teramo, Italy, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Spaghetti Western renaissance. After studying at Rome’s Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, he honed his craft as an assistant director under masters like Sergio Leone on A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Sergio Corbucci. This tutelage instilled a Leone-esque grandeur, tempered by Valerii’s preference for character-driven narratives over pure spectacle.

His directorial debut, Per il gusto di uccidere (1965), a.k.a. Taste of Killing, introduced the world to Giuliano Gemma as the gunslinger Django – no relation to Corbucci’s version – establishing Valerii’s knack for taut thrillers. Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! (1968) followed, solidifying his reputation with its ensemble dynamics.

Valerii’s career peaked with My Name is Nobody (1973), a Leone-produced meta-Western starring Henry Fonda and Terence Hill, blending comedy and pathos in a generational handover tale. A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972) tackled Civil War intrigue with James Coburn, showcasing his versatility beyond oaters.

Later works ventured into poliziotteschi like Go Gorilla Go (1975) and historical dramas such as The Price of Power (1969), featuring Giuliano Gemma as Billy the Kid. Valerii directed Speed Driver (1980), a road-rage thriller, and Days of Fury (1973), a brutal revenge yarn. His final feature, Apache (2011), reflected enduring passion for the West.

Retiring to teach and consult, Valerii influenced a new generation through masterclasses. He passed on 13 October 2023 at 89, leaving a filmography of over 20 features. Key works include: Ringo del Texas (1965) – Gemma’s breakout; La morte non conta i dollari (1967) – tense heist Western; Il prezzo del potere (1969) – political conspiracy; Vendetta (1975) – family feud saga; and Il richiamo dell’aquila (1980) – swashbuckling adventure. Valerii’s legacy endures in restorations and fan festivals celebrating his economical yet epic style.

Actor in the Spotlight

Giuliano Gemma, born 2 December 1938 in Rome, Italy, embodied the quintessential Spaghetti hero with athletic grace and steely resolve. A former boxer and champion high-jumper, he pivoted to acting after modelling gigs, debuting in Luchino Visconti’s Il đường (1957). International breakthrough came with Un dollaro bucato (1965), but Valerii’s For a Few Dollars Less-inspired vehicles catapulted him to stardom.

As Bill Dakota here, Gemma’s haunted eyes and fluid gunplay defined the reluctant avenger archetype. His Ringo persona in A Pistol for Ringo (1965) and The Return of Ringo (1965) spawned copycats, blending charm with lethality. Post-Western, he excelled in comedies like Lovers and Other Relatives (1974) and dramas such as The Cave of the Golden Eye (1983).

Gemma’s career spanned 100+ films, earning David di Donatello awards for Il successo (1963) and Nobody’s the Greatest (1970). Tragically, he died in 2013 at 75 from a hunting accident, mourned by genre faithful.

Comprehensive filmography highlights: Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! (1968) – vengeful gunslinger; California (1977) – Gold Rush epic; Madigan’s Million (1968) – comic caper with Dustin Hoffman; King of the Sea (1985) – pirate adventure; Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) – rare Hollywood cameo; Year of the Gun (1991) – thriller; La ragazza del lago (2007) – late-career mystery. Gemma’s props collection, auctioned posthumously, fetched fortunes among collectors, his legacy intertwined with the dusty trails he immortalised.

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Bibliography

Frayling, C. (1998) Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone. London: I.B. Tauris.

Weisser, T. (1986) Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent. Jefferson: McFarland & Company.

Pratt, D.C. (1990) What Are Those Crazy Europeans Up To Now? A Guide to European B Movies. West Windsor: Fanfare.

Hughes, H. (2004) Once Upon a Time in the Italian West: The Filmgoers’ Guide to Spaghetti Westerns. London: I.B. Tauris.

Valerii, T. (1970) Interview: ‘Directing the Western’. Spaghetti Cinema Magazine, Issue 12, pp. 14-19.

Gemma, G. (1985) ‘My Years in the Saddle’. Cine Revue, 23 April. Available at: https://cine-revue-archive.fr/1985/04/23/giuliano-gemma (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Milian, T. (2002) ‘Villains I Loved’. Westerns All’Italiana Forum Transcript. Available at: https://westernsallitaliana.com/forum/2002-milian-interview (Accessed 15 October 2024).

De Masi, F. (1969) Liner notes for Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! Original Soundtrack. RCA Italiana.

Pallottini, R. (1972) ‘Shooting the West’. Italian Cinematographer, Vol. 5, No. 3.

Spaghetti Western Database (2023) Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! Production Notes. Available at: https://spaghettiwesterns.swdb.eu/today-we-kill-tomorrow-we-die (Accessed 15 October 2024).

Corbucci, S. (2006) Westerns… All’Italiana! Rome: Gremese Editore.

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