Return of Sabata

• Italian: È tornato Sabata … hai chiuso un’altra volta, lit. Sabata is back … you’re finished again
• Directed by Gianfranco Parolini
• September 3, 1971

A sharpshooter working in a Western sideshow takes on the corrupt boss of a Texas town.

Return of Sabata is a true sequel to Sabata unlike Adiós, Sabata. It opens with some early 70s rock style music and a bit of a garish color scheme along with no dialogue. All the while leaning into a distinct strangeness that borders on nightmare fuel.

This film is high on style that turns it into ‘cool’ even if it’s not always great. There is plenty of double dealing as people try to prevent Sabata (a returning Lee Van Cleef) from enacting his plan or just get him for reasons of revenge. The thing is much of this is stretched out as it somewhat recycles the plot of the first yet doesn’t always feel stretched out. Our story amounts to a lot of minor adventures focusing on the character and him being the man in control of the situation.

Not sure if we knew this in the first film but Sabata is revealed to be a former Confederate soldier which was common in Westerns for the hero though none were ever pro-slavery near as I recall. Some even regretted supporting the South, but I am getting sidetracked.

Some of the silliness we get in this movie plays into the climax while adding character to the story. Sabata is currently working at a sideshow, and wouldn’t you know it, those skills come in handy in the end. Sabata is insanely in control of the situation. Things happen that he should be completely unprepared for but nope! He’s got a plan for that. Hannibal Smith from The A-Team would be envious of him!

Lee Van Cleef brings a kind of cool and charm to the role that was unique to his acting style in Spaghetti Westerns. He mixes it with a sly smile and a little bit of weariness here. The swing between dangerous and light in the film is much less than it was in the last one. What should be a jarring change of tones is a natural flow from one to the other never feeling like they didn’t know what they were doing.

Ignazio Spalla makes his third Sabata appearance in his third uniquely named though not unique character. As comedic sidekick Bronco he is supposed to be Mexican. Maybe it is the times but a joke alluding to him playing somebody else in the first film was called for. In a movie that aimed to be a bit more comedic it was a missed opportunity. In the first two he had a Spanish/Mexican accent but now has a bit more of an American sound.

Joe McIntock (Giampiero Albertini) is the baddie of the movie hoarding the money and gold of a small Texas town to line his own pockets. Your traditional local villain that needs to be overthrown by an armed stranger because the townsfolk can’t despite having greater numbers of people and weapons available. Never quite got that in any film.

The movie can get confusing as it careens between circus acrobatics, sideshow schtick, and general randomness while taking a more casual approach to telling its story than most Westerns might. You can easily forget what is going on as it makes its way towards the credits. If it were not for Lee Van Cleef being Lee Van Cleef this movie would have largely fallen to pieces and been forgotten to the point of being maybe available as a crappy VHS transfer on YouTube.

Convenience and contrivance abound to keep things moving. The strangeness of things like acrobats helps cover the poor pacing and rough direction. That and an aversion to distinct seriousness avoids this becoming unwatchable.

Return of Sabata is okay. Not great, but okay largely thanks to the magic of Lee Van Cleef. Casting is everything sometimes.