GOD'S GUN

1976
Italy
aka Diamante Lobo
Director : Frank Kramer [Gianfranco Parolini]
Story & screenplay: John Fonseca, Gianfranco Parolini
Music : Sante Maria Romitelli
Cinematography : Sandro Mancori
Cast : Lee Van Cleef (Father John / Lobo), Jack Palance (Sam Clayton), Richard Boone (the sheriff), Sybil Danning (Jenny), Leif Garrett (Johnny), Zial Carni (Juanita), Heinz Bernard (Judge Bennett), Didi Lukov (Rip), Ricardo Davo (Angel George), Chin Chin (Willy), Rafi Ben Ami (Mortimer)

I must confess to approaching this review with some trepidation. For one thing, it is an Italo-Israeli (!?!) enterprise; part-produced by the dread team of Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who later made their (skid)mark as the head honchos of Canon Films. For another, a previous attempt to watch it had wielded some extremely disclement opinions. It was an unexpected surprise, therefore, when reacquainting myself with it led me to alter my judgement and concede that there's a reasonable film in there somewhere. Admittedly, it's locked away like a demented relative in an attic, but if you look hard enough you can see that it's not beyond all help.

Sam Clayton (Jack Palance) and his gang of lowlifes are embarked upon a robbin' and a murderin' spree when they arrive in the small town Juno City, of which Father John (Lee van Cleef) happens to be the priest. After falling foul of his wily ways, they determine to have revenge - and gun him down on the steps of his church. While about it, they also take control of the whole place, partly waiting for the stagecoach and partly passing time by molesting a variety of overdressed ladies.

However, little Johnny (Leif Garrett) manages to escape with a couple of their horses and rides off to Mexico in the hope of finding the priest's loco brother, Lewis (err, Lee van Cleef). They soon hook up and set off to wipe out some sagebrush scum. At the same time, however, Clayton is discovering that he is, in fact, Johnny's pa - and he likes the idea of parenthood.

One of the small spree of Westerns that emerged from Europe in the mid to late '70s, God's Gun is definitely the runt of the litter when compared to classics such as Keoma (75), A Man Called Blade (Mannaja, 77) or even El Macho (also 77). It shares with them a strangely dislocated feeling, of looking at the Spaghetti Western genre rather than being part of it.

It boasts a good score by Sante Romitelli and some great cinematography by Sandro Mancori. Parolini's direction is more than adequate and chock-a-block with his usual playful touches (such as the tremendous visual joke over which the final credits play). However, there are two big problems: the script and the cast.

Plotting has never been the strongest component of Italian exploitation cinema, but in this case the hysterical convolution of Sartana (Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte, 68) and its like has been dropped in favour of the purely dull.

The casting is even more problematical. As the seventies kicked into gear, Van Cleef began to look more and more uncomfortable with the roles he was given in the faltering genre. Here he sports a frightening wig and is called upon to display absolutely none of the shaded menace, which he could encapsulate so well. At least he isn't allowed to sing the title tune, as he was in the equally disappointing Guns of April Morning (Captain Apache, 71). Leif Garrett (an American child star of the time) is merely annoying, but fortunately becomes mute halfway through the film for no discernible reason whatsoever. Way down the credits is Robert Lipton -brother of the Peggy Lipton who was a regular in David Lynch's astounding series Twin Peaks (90).

On the other hand, Sybil Danning is effective as Johnny's mum (although her bust is well hidden - for once - by layers of frilly clothing). Jack Palance is less effective than outright potty. His performance as the deranged killer is so hammy that it could be shrink-wrapped and displayed in Tesco.

Matt B