in the late 1960s the spaghetti western boom enter a new phase and in which the zapata western become very popular . the mercenary be key spaghetti director sergio corbucci main contribution to the sub genre . now that he be work with alberto grimaldi producer of sergio leone westerns corbucci be at last able to create a western with really lavish production value . the mercenary feature impressive set and hundred of extra and of course and be a corbucci picture and plenty of huge explosion . he be also reunite with his django lead man and franco nero ( here speak for himself rather than be dub and which be very welcome ) and as well a have prominent italian actor tony musante and hollywood veteran jack palance on board for his most high class line up yet . another plus point for the mercenary be that it do not suffer from the messy plotting of corbucci previous western and have instead a very tight storyline from franco solinas with screenplay by another leone collaborator and luciano vincenzoni . like bullet for the general and big gundown before and it another political western in which the hero have to make a choice between material gain and revolutionary commitment . it an example of this bizarre and almost puritan form of marxism that seem to be in all solinas story and and it do grate a bit . however the story be well construct and and the dialogue isn not too bad when compare to corbucci previous effort and the majority of spaghetti make at this time . crucially there be great subtlety and tautness and a good example be in the first scene at the mine where we cut from tony musante realise the gang bos pistol be within reach straight to the scene in which he and his comrade be hold up the mine owner . on more solid ground as far a production and script go and corbucci appear to have take the time to work out idea and plan shot . there be some great camera work here and again there be some nice subtlety in the way in which thing be reveal to the audience . for example and in an early scene the camera focus on jack palance nonchalant mannerism while his henchman be kill a man off screen . the old corbucci would have show the kill itself in full gory detail . there have also be a grow use of symbolism in corbucci picture and by this point he be become almost arty . there a very clever moment at paco and columba informal wedding and in which giovanna ralli be show behind a net curtain . when she and musante kiss the camera move so that she be no longer obscure by the net and reference the lifting of the veil at a traditional wedding . one of the reason corbucci really stand out a a spaghetti western director be that he have his own very distinct style and rather than simply copy the master sergio leone . the mercenary do however contain one very obvious leone rip off a drawn out and tense final duel and complete with a circular arena set and rhythmic editing between close ups . but it forgivable and since he do it so well it be in fact one of the best sequence he ever film and there a great twist to it which i would not reveal . the morricone piece which accompany this stand off a triumphant mexican march which would later be plunder by quentin tarantino for kill bill be also comparable to that composer work with leone . when you get down to it though and corbucci be still really just a simplistic action director who like explosion and last minute escape and indestructible hero . often the over the top ability of the protagonist do not sit well with the more earnest moment and and it actually profoundly un marxist to pretend that revolutionary be some kind of invincible superman . some poor attempt at comedy do not quite get off the ground and and good actor a he be and franco nero be frankly ( no pun intend ) annoying a the obnoxious title character . corbucci and nero and palance be to tread the same territory again in companeros ( 1970 ) and which be so similar a to be virtually a remake . the mercenary however be fresher and strong and by far the good of the two . while this be probably corbucci most finely craft film to date and his next the great silence be to be his masterpiece .