Adiós, Sabata

• Italian: Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di…, lit. Indio Black, you know what I’m going to tell you… You’re a big son of a…
• Directed by Gianfranco Parolini
• September 30, 1970 (Italy)

A mercenary, a gambler and a bandit scheme to steal gold from Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.

In this film Adiós, Sabata (marketed as a) sequel to Sabata, Yul Brynner replaces Lee Van Cleef in the title role. A tricky move replacing the star but Brynner was never a weak option for any part in a movie. He looked tough and often performed his parts with a no-nonsense attitude.

In many countries this is known as Indio Black but for releases elsewhere it was presented as a sequel (with ADR assistance) to the previous year’s Sabata. Here Sabata (Yul Brynner) is kinda teaming with Mexican revolutionaries to steal gold and then buy guns for them. You might forget that with everything that happens but such is the basic story.

Early on there is a moment that’s unintentionally funny. The villain of the movie Colonel Skimmel (Gérard Herter) is releasing some prisoners on a single condition: if they can make it to the gate they’re free. They just need to void his bullets. One guy gets shot and falls to the ground. No blood on his back, but a candy, apple red spot of blood on the front even though the villain was firing from the back.

Herter has an excitement in his performance as he does everything. I’m not saying hammy or campy but like he’s just happy and pleased to be doing something bad or something that will be bad. It never goes over-the-top but rather makes him the antithesis of the hero.

There is a level of style and for lack of a better word cool to this movie. Then again that is a trademark of the Spaghetti Western. It does much of what the last film did but does it better in the way of visual presentation. Considering this was not an actual sequel I am not sure how to feel about that. It certainly helps that the commanding presence of Yul Brynner forces the camera to do certain things that we Van Cleef could not make it do.

That’s not to say Adiós, Sabata is a classic or anything like that. Good but not among the greats. It’s mild on logic and heavy on action and style yet it does get a good bit of characterization right. There is everybody double crossing everybody else and excessive violence and ridiculous levels of gunplay.

This fits in with not only the Spaghetti Western but older American Westerns that these are all hardened man or even the underhanded variety that have a distinct code they live by. Not so dysfunctional that they need therapy, but they are dangerous.

Maybe it’s just me, but the bad guys were almost themed. They feel a little more Bond-esque in this. Maybe it’s because we see much more of Sabata’s unique weaponry. The gun in the butt of the gun and the shotgun with a special cartridge. I don’t think I’ve seen either of them in another film. I am no arms expert but the cartridge for the shotgun seems a little more plausible than the gun in a gun but neither is so outlandish that you stop yourself. It is also a very thin way to connect to a film it is not actually connected with.

Adiós, Sabata is a sequel that improves upon the original even if it is not truly one. Not a great movie but one that is perfect for when you are in the mood.