Most people think of the "Dollars Trilogy" as a single, blurry memory of a guy in a poncho squinting at the sun. They usually point to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as the peak. But honestly? If you talk to die-hard Spaghetti Western fans or film historians today in 2026, they’ll tell you that the middle child, the Clint Eastwood movie For a Few Dollars More, is actually the one that perfected the formula.
It’s the bridge. The moment where Sergio Leone stopped just copying Kurosawa and started building his own weird, violent, operatic universe.
When A Fistful of Dollars hit, it was a shock to the system. But it was also a low-budget experiment. By the time 1965 rolled around, Leone had a bigger budget, more confidence, and a second lead who could actually go toe-to-toe with Eastwood’s cool minimalism. That man was Lee Van Cleef.
The Bounty Hunter Partnership You Didn't Know You Needed
In this 1965 classic, Eastwood plays a character nicknamed "Manco"—which basically means "one-armed" in Italian because he does everything with his left hand to keep his right hand free for his gun.
He’s a bounty hunter. So is Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by Van Cleef.
The dynamic is what makes the Clint Eastwood movie For a Few Dollars More so much better than the first one. In Fistful, it was Eastwood against the world. Here, it’s a professional rivalry that turns into a reluctant partnership. They’re both hunting "El Indio," a psychopathic bandit played with terrifying, sweaty intensity by Gian Maria Volonté.
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Why the "Hat Duel" is Cinema Gold
There’s a scene early on where Manco and Mortimer meet in the street. They don’t shoot each other. Instead, they shoot each other's hats.
It sounds ridiculous on paper. In practice? It’s a masterclass in tension. It establishes their skill levels without a single drop of blood. It’s also one of those moments where you realize Leone wasn't just making a Western; he was making a "Tall Tale."
Ennio Morricone and the Sound of Death
You can't talk about this film without talking about the music. Ennio Morricone didn't just write a "score." He created a character.
In most movies, the music is just there to tell you how to feel. In the Clint Eastwood movie For a Few Dollars More, the music is actually in the world. The recurring chime of a musical pocket watch is used by El Indio to time his duels. When the music stops, the shooting starts.
It’s haunting. It gives the final showdown an emotional weight that most Westerns lack. You aren't just watching a shootout; you’re watching the resolution of a tragedy.
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Production Secrets from the Almería Desert
- The "No Name" Myth: Despite the marketing, Eastwood’s character has names. He’s Joe in the first, Manco in the second, and Blondie in the third. United Artists just liked the "Man with No Name" hook for the US release.
- The Script Doctor: Luciano Vincenzoni reportedly wrote the script in just nine days. Leone still wasn't happy and brought in Sergio Donati to fix the dialogue.
- No Sound on Set: Like most Italian films of the era, they shot "MOS"—without recording sound. Eastwood and Van Cleef had to go back to Italy later to dub their own voices.
The Lee Van Cleef Resurrection
Before this movie, Lee Van Cleef was basically washed up. He’d been in a bad car accident, his career was stalling, and he was working as a freelance painter.
Leone saw him and loved those "hawk-like" eyes.
Van Cleef brought a level of sophistication to the Clint Eastwood movie For a Few Dollars More that balanced out Eastwood’s youthful, rugged energy. While Eastwood was the "monk" (Manco) looking for a payday, Van Cleef’s Mortimer was looking for something much more personal: revenge.
Is it Better Than "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"?
Look, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an epic. It’s huge. It’s about the Civil War.
But For a Few Dollars More is tighter. It’s more intimate.
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The stakes feel more real because the villain, El Indio, is genuinely unhinged. He’s not just a guy in the way of gold; he’s a monster with a conscience that’s eating him alive. The way he uses the pocket watch to remember a woman he raped and drove to suicide adds a layer of darkness that was pretty revolutionary for 1965.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't watched it in a while, skip the first movie for a second. Go straight to the Clint Eastwood movie For a Few Dollars More and pay attention to the editing.
Notice how Leone uses extreme close-ups—not just of faces, but of eyes and gun holsters. It creates a claustrophobic tension that makes the wide-open desert feel like a trap.
- Watch for the "Old Prophet": The character living in the shack by the tracks is a classic bit of Leone humor.
- Listen to the Trumpet: When the watch music fades into the grand trumpet theme during the finale, it’s one of the greatest transitions in film history.
- Check out Mini Hollywood: If you ever find yourself in Almería, Spain, the "El Paso" town set still exists as a tourist attraction.
This isn't just a "cowboy movie." It’s a piece of art that changed how we see anti-heroes forever.