The Hellbenders (1967) – Film Review

Director: Sergio Corbucci
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Norma Bengell, Julián Mateos
Certificate: 15

By Sarah Morgan

He might not be as famous as Sergio Leone, but when it comes to Spaghetti Westerns, Sergio Corbucci is a name to remember.

He’s been revered by none other than Quentin Tarantino, who reimagined Django, his classic 1966 production, as Django Unchained. The Hellbenders isn’t as famous or revered, but it’s certainly overdue a reappraisal.

“Fallen hero”

Originally released in 1967, just a year after Navajo Joe, on which Corbucci worked with future superstar Burt Reynolds, The Hellbenders once again features a US star, in this case Joseph Cotten; it’s a far cry from his days alongside Orson Welles on Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons and The Third Man.

Cotten plays Colonel Jonas, a man displaced from the world following the end of the American Civil War. He’s still a staunch Confederate who is obsessed with raising another army, one capable of defeating the Union once and for all.

Joining him on his quest are his sons – greedy Nat, rapist Jeff and the quieter, more sensitive Ben. They’ve stolen a heap of Union money and are transporting it across the country in a coffin, which they claim holds the body of a fallen hero. Accompanying them is Claire, who poses as the hero’s wife in order to throw any nosey parkers off the scent.

However, she and Ben fall in love, and from then on, a series of disasters befall the not-so-merry band.

Coming in at just 88 minutes, this is not an epic tale in the mould of Leone’s Dollars trilogy. Instead, it’s a taut melodrama, although it does contain the kind of blood-spattered action we’ve come to expect from the genre. Listen out too for a score from the legendary Ennio Morricone.

“Superb”

There’s a saddlebag full of extras to enjoy, including an audio commentary from the always wonderful Alex Cox, a Spaghetti Western aficionado as well as an acclaimed film-maker in his own right.

Look out too for an interview with assistant director Ruggero Deodato and an informative making-of documentary.

The film itself has had a superb 4K restoration – even Corbucci himself would have to admit his work has never looked so good.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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