| The story goes that as Adios Sabata was being filmed, star Yul Brynner was playing a character called Indio Black, but that after the first Sabata proved such an hit, it was decided to re-loop the soundtrack and change Indio's name to Sabata. This might be true, but I doubt it. For one thing, the leading and major supporting players all mouth their lines in English, and their lips seem to say "Sabata," not "Indio." Moreover, the movie's basic structure is almost identical to the first Sabata, with many of the same actors playing similar characters. Director/co-writer Gianfranco Parolini likewise carries over his fondness for gadgets (a model ship that fires real mini-cannons) and acrobatics.
In any case, this time Sabata (Brynner) comes to the aid of Mexican revolutionaries, a band led by Escudo (Pedro Sanchez/Ignazio Spalla), to steal a wagon loaded with gold by evil Austrian Col. Skimmel (Gerard Herter). As before, Sabata is accompanied (and sometimes double-crossed) by various eccentrics: in place of Banjo, there's piano-playing Ballantine (Dean Reed, whose fascinating, tragic career would make an interesting film), Joseph P. Persaud plays a revolutionary who does a "Flaminco Dance of Death," while his partner September (Sal Borgese) fires deadly little cannonballs with his feet, as if playing footbag/hacky sack.
The use of Brynner, sporting an all-black get-up more appropriate to Siegfried & Roy, gives the film a slightly more serious tone. His poker-faced delivery and steely-eyed stares are a stronger contrast to the lighter, broader performances that surround him, but Brynner is clearly in on the joke. Bruno Nicolai's superb if Morricone-influenced score adds to the slightly-less-comical tone. (***) |
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