Editing as the title of this exercise alludes to, is what brings a movie together; it stitches the individual shots within a scene together, as well as the stitching the scenes themselves together to create a coherent narrative.

Here we have three versions of effectively the same film, and when looking at their editing styles are very similar between the two older films, “Yojimbo” and “Fistful of Dollars”. “Last Man Standing” pays homage to the earlier films in the movement between scenes the style in which it was done is very different.

It seems wrong to compare them this way because Yojimbo came before the Spaghetti Western but there is a feeling of a Spaghetti Western in Yojimbo. I think I feel this way because I have come to Yojimbo later in my film-watching life. The mixture of wide to close up shots, how in the open sequences the edits allow the viewer to observe the unfolding scene from the protagonist’s point of view, switching back to medium/close shots of the actor to show reactions and emotions. The fact that the openings of these two films are almost wordless except for background chatter is significant to my enjoyment.

“Last Man Standing” on the other hand does not just use simple cuts between shots to set the scene and drive the narrative; there are fades between shots, overlays and mixes between the scenes – feel I am watching a film inspired more by a music video than Akia Kurosawa. And the ill-advised voice over commentary to tell me what is being thought, without allowing me to interpret from the how the scene is being acted.

In the final duel of Fistful of Dollar, the edits added drama to the use of to extreme close up on the eyes, the close-up detail shots of the loading of guns and switch back from these to longer shots the few has no doubt in what is happening – if slightly melodramatic.

While similar to Fistful the showdown in Yojimbo is less exaggerated. The opponents walk straight towards each other, but this is not shown as a side or wide view, there are switches from one to the other. With each switch, the shot is tightened from wide to long to medium giving the audience the sense how the opponents are getting closer. However, the sword and knife fights, while beautiful choreographed, that leads to does not have the same strength as the gunfight in Fistful.

Finally in “Last Man Standing” the showdown is edited in just a way that moves the viewer’s sight of the action, it flows but in a common way; very much like the overall feeling of the film. It doesn’t add to the drama nor to take away it is just vanilla.

Music maketh the movie?

The score for Fistful of Dollars and its two equals are undoubted some of the of the most iconic music in cinema. They blend perfectly with the movies and drive the action without being overly intrusive to the viewing experience.

From my understanding, Morricone was commissioned the majority of the music for these was composed before the film was shot as the Sergio Leone wanted the must to so integral to the movie – and some scenes length were driven by the music length to ensure the music didn’t end prematurely. This leads to a great score which perhaps lifts what could be probably a mediocre film without it.

Yojimbo, in contrast, the heavy score I felt was intrusive to my viewing experience, and this was echoed by my flatmate who was not watching the film but working in separate room but comment that the music did not appear to fit the Japanese setting of the movie.

This does not say that the score does not complement the action, like Fistful of Dollars, the music builds your anticipation of the action – perhaps a maybe even a little too much. There is very much an overall feeling with Yojimbo of influence by the western genre and to me, that is very prevalent in the score.

Last Man Standing I have to say the score left me cold I did feel in added anything to the film – I didn’t notice it all. It did not build any tension nor did it drive the action.

Overall Last man standing was lacklustre, and the score is a major factor in that for me together with unbelievability of the main character. If there was a drama over heavy score from Yojimbo or the ironically haunting tones of Fistful of Dollars, then the movie may have been lifted somewhat and made its running time flow – whereas as it stands watching Last Man Standing is a lot like running in treacle.

Unfortunately I have been unable to compare the alternative soundtracks of Last Man Standing Elmer Bernsten and Ry Cooder after extensive searching i was unable track them down here in Hong Kong.

Watching three films back to back, which essentially are the same story has been an interesting exercise I have written a full analysis on the films in separate posts which can be accessed by clicking on the movie title. However, the exercise asked me to summarise each film in around three sentences.

Yojimbo (1961)

A Ronin arrives in a town controlled by rival gangs. He decided that the town would be better off with either gang. What follows is the Ronin playing the gangs against each other to achieve his goal.

A Fist Full of Dollars (1964)

A stranger arrives in a town controlled by rival gangs. He decides that this can work to advantage to make money. In his attempts to play them off against each other for money brings down one gang and wipes out the other to avenge the friend he made in the village.

 Last Man Standing (1996)

A drifter/gunslinger arrives in a town divided by gangs. For his purposes, he plays both gangs against each other to bring them down.

The two remakes are remarkably faithfully to the original screenplay of Yojimbo – so much so that Kurosawa successfully sued for breach of copyright over A Fist Full of Dollars. However, there are subtle differences in them all. I believe Fist full of Dollars is closest, weighted towards money making especially at first, by the stranger; morality is coming later in the film when we see him rescue Marisol. Yojimbo I feel the destruction of the gangs the Ronin’s moral crusade.

Last Man Standing although an official remake I found the narrative much more confusing – there is no moral standpoint. Yes, he helps the two female characters but is that out moral decency or guilt as in the in especially in the case of Lucy is probably is the cause of her being attacked. He is seen telling the Texas Ranger he intends to bring the gangs down, but why? To step in, there place?

Of the films the most pleasing to why eye regarding cinematography is “A Fist Full of Dollars”. There is that open expansiveness found in the traditional westerns, with deep depth of field used, with expansive wide shots; however, there is a good use of close-ups – extreme close-ups in places e.g. the final face off with the man with no name and Ramon. The film stock used is not too vivid its colours, there a some muted effect give a more feel to how the old west would be compared to traditional westerns.

Yojimbo is not as expansive in its shots; there are more close-up to characters the, camera is often at right angles to the scene. On the whole, there are more medium shots and there is an overall dark feel and look to the lighting.

Last Man Standing the cinematography lots of combination of long, medium and close-ups there no consistency. The colours are all muted by a layer of dust, and while I have said, I don’t mind this, it does on further reflection give an overall drab feeling to a lacklustre film.

Of the three film in would say the most skilful cinematography is in A Fist Full of Dollars because the have successfully mixed the Japanese and traditional western styles together to give unique dramatic effect. I like the way that the film has a look on the surface of the classic western, but as you are drawn in, there are more close scenes giving the feel of a not western genre drama.

Culturally is there a big difference to the Japanese audience between the sword and the pistol about the western and the chanbara? I feel that probably there isn’t. Chanbara is escapism for the masses in Japan in the same way that the “cowboy” (western) was escapism to American audiences.

However, the use of a pistol in Yojimbo is a different it is used to show the character of (or should I say lack of?) Unosuke. Unosuke has no honour or skill he is the quintessential bully and bringing the pistol is giving himself a power that he could not have otherwise.

Perhaps really where the cultural feeling towards the pistol will e would be a metaphor for the bulldozing nature of the American culture intruding in other cultures and overriding them. Which can also be seen metaphorically in the famous knife to a gunfight scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Last Man Standing (1996)

Dir: Walter Hill

Cast: Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, Bruce Dern

Summary

Prohibition era gunslinger finds himself in the middle of a gang war between Italian and Irish mafia, in a deserted On a West Texas town. Where he can play both sides off against each other, to his benefit.

Synopsis

Arriving in a deserted West Texas town loner gunslinger John Smith immediately creates trouble with a careless glance at the girlfriend of Doyle, the local Mafia boss. After reporting the incident to the cowardly local sheriff, Smith finds out about the town from the local saloon keeper and does to confront Doyle’s men about damages to his car. In an ensuing gunfight, Smith kills one of Doyle’s men.

Smith then starts working for Strozzi of the rival gang, the organisation where to assist with the stealing one Doyle liquor shipments and start an affair with Strozzi girlfriend, Lucy and meets a visiting high profile Chicago mobster.

Smith the defects to the Doyles where he lets them know of Strozzi’s plans and deceptions, causing the Doyle gang to attack and kill some of Strozzi’s men and kidnap the Chicago gangster. Strozzi’s gang responds by kidnapping Doyle’s girlfriend, Felina. A fair exchange is arranged.

Smith meanwhile is summoned by the sheriff to meet Capt Picket of the Texas Rangers who is intending to wipe out one of the gangs as he can tolerate just one. Smith explains he means to play both groups against each other so that the wipe each other out. Capt. Picket informs him in ten days he will attack and if Smith found he would be killed too.

Lucy visits Smith to tell him she been attacked by Strozzi, so he gives her money to leave town. Smith then start more rumours that Strozzi is intending to kidnap Felina again and is sent by Doyle to where she been hidden. Smith kills Doyles means guarding Felina, and after finding she was won by Doyle in guard game from her husband, he helps her escape back to her husband in Mexico.

Some of Doyle men are suspicious of Smith, and Smith double cross is eventually uncovered, and Smith is tortured for the whereabout of Felina. Smith does not reveal her whereabouts and manages to escapes with the assistance of the tavern owner and sheriff; witnessing Doyle men wiping out Strozzi gang in the process.

A few days later while Smith is recovering in an old church is finds out that the Saloon owner has been captured for helping Smith. Smith return to town to seek revenge on Doyle’s gang and free the tavern owner.

Doyle and his right hand are absent from the final shoot as they are trying to find Felina. However, they face Smith in the final scene where they try to convince him to join them again. However, the Saloon owner kills Doyle for ruining his town, and Smith shoots the others.

Smith then leaves town commenting that he is just as broke as when he arrived as he had given all his funds to Lucy and Felina but at least the town was better off without the gangs.

Review

While this is almost a carbon copy of Yojimbo, I found this film a hard watch. The running time was only 101min however, it much longer. The pace was slow; there was no energy to the movie. I did, however, enjoy the look of the film, the cinematography gave drab muted, dust covered colours which I would associate with the period particular in a Texas ghost town.

The character of Smith is just a little dull; Bruce Willis performance seems to mumble lines and doesn’t give off the aura of a hired gun. Walken is strong as Hickey but is hat down to the script and direction or just the actors natural ability to portray that style of character – I think the latter. And perhaps in not even worth going into the technical inaccuracies like over 40 shots from 2 guns that would hold about 16 to 18 shots between them.

While I disagree with him on cinematography, I think the great Roger Ebert hit the nail on the head with his opening paragraph:

““Last Man Standing” is such a desperately cheerless film, so dry and laconic and wrung out, that you wonder if the filmmakers ever thought that in any way it could be … fun. It contains elements that are often found in entertainments–things like guns, gangs and spectacular displays of death–but here they crouch on the screen and growl at the audience. Even the movie’s hero is bad company.”

Bibliography

Ebert, Roger (1996-09-20). “Last Man Standing review”. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2016-07-13.