The wind of death blows softly
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The wind of death blows softly |
| Original title | The Hunting Party |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1971 |
| length | 110 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Don Medford |
| script | Lou Morheim |
| production | Lou Morheim |
| music | Riz Ortolani |
| camera | Cecilio Paniagua |
| cut | Tom Rolf |
| occupation | |
| |
The Wind of Death blows quietly (English original title: The Hunting Party ) is a British- produced western from 1971. Don Medford directed Candice Bergen and Oliver Reed in the lead roles. The film was first released in German-speaking cinemas on July 30, 1971.
action
The rich and ruthless rancher Brandt Ruger treats everyone, including his young wife Melissa, like his property and a servant (including raping his wife). When Ruger and some friends have set out on a hunt, the well-known outlaw Frank Calder and his gang kidnap Melissa because he wants her, who is a teacher by profession, to teach him to read. He tells her that he doesn't care about her family history and her husband's money. Since he treats her well and takes care of her, Melissa falls in love with Frank, even if he also rapes her.
When Ruger learns of the kidnapping, he sees it as a personal humiliation. Full of hatred and a desire for revenge, he sets off in pursuit to kill Frank and, if necessary, Melissa as well. Together with his friends and equipped with the latest precision rifles, Ruger kills Frank's people, who would have preferred to collect a ransom instead of keeping Melissa with them, one after the other, until only himself and Melissa remain. Ruger, meanwhile also left alone by his friends because of his cruelty, now faces Frank in the final battle. He chases them into the desert and kills them there. He, too, perishes from heat and thirst.
criticism
The lexicon of international film judged harshly, "a psychological differentiation goes Verquälter, bloodthirsty pseudo-Western, whose trial in brutality." Joe Hembus in his Western lexicon: "Raw love games and bloody death will be presented in detail and quite clearly." Bert Reisfeld wrote in Film-Echo : "It happened to me for the first time that brutality and sex scenes are not excused dramaturgically, but one clearly expresses that it is the audience that takes pleasure in these things."
The New York Times particularly praised the acting performance of lead actress Candice Bergen.
Remarks
The film was shot in Almería and Alcalá de Henares .
A slightly cut version of the film can be seen on German television. The early video versions were also shortened. However, the film was re-examined for a new edition on DVD and approval was given for uncensored release. This uncut version is released for ages 18+ and has been available on DVD since 2006.
Web links
- Softly the wind of death blows in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The wind of death blows softly in the lexicon of international films
Individual evidence
- ^ Lexicon of International Films. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1995. ISBN 3-499-16357-8 , Volume L – N, p. 3330
- ^ Joe Hembus: The Western Lexicon . Munich 1995, p. 376
- ^ Film-Echo, Wiesbaden
- ↑ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=980CEEDC1330E73BBC4F52DFB166838A669EDE
- ↑ Ulrich P. Bruckner: For a few more corpses. Munich 2006, p. 688
- ↑ Comparison of the cut versions FSK 18 Premiere - MGM US DVD from Leise die Wind des Todes blows at Schnittberichte.com