History Film / AFistfulOfDynamite

The film never had the commercial success of the director's other SpaghettiWestern classics, due in part to confusing trailers implying it was an actual comedy and poor marketing. Leone's insistence the movie be called ''Duck, You Sucker!'' in its initial U.S release despite being repeatedly told this was not a popular turn of phrase in the states didn't help things either. Critics reviewed it favourably (especially in Europe, where the movie's parallels to contemporary politics were perhaps better-appreciated) but certainly not to the extent of the director's other work.

Despite the light-hearted moments between Juan and John, the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified romantic side of revolution]] is frequently deconstructed throughout the movie as both characters suffer [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized significant losses]]. It's arguably Creator/SergioLeone's most politically charged movie, capturing as Leone's reaction to the chaos of Italy's [[UsefulNotes/RepublicanItaly Years of Lead]], a cycle of terrorism and political warfare between extremists of both left and right, as it is a Western. Thus the revolution setting was intended to be symbolic according to WordOfGod, incorporating elements from a variety of events and time periods, and not an accurate rendering of the Mexican Revolution. The whole thing is, as with all Leone's westerns, set to epic Music/EnnioMorricone...but ''this'' time, his SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic has a ''trippy'' side.

Despite the light-hearted moments between Juan and John, the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified romantic side of revolution]] is frequently deconstructed throughout the movie as both characters suffer [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized significant losses]]. It's arguably Creator/SergioLeone's most politically charged movie, although the revolution setting was intended to be symbolic according to WordOfGod. The whole thing is, as with all Leone's westerns, set to epic Music/EnnioMorricone...but ''this'' time, his SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic has a ''trippy'' side.

The film never had the commercial success of the director's other SpaghettiWestern classics, due in part to confusing trailers implying it was an actual comedy and poor marketing. Leone's insistence the movie be called ''Duck, You Sucker!'' in its initial U.S release despite being repeatedly told this was not a popular turn of phrase in the states didn't help things either. Critics reviewed it favourably but certainly not to the extent of the director's other work.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Creator/SergioLeone took many liberties with regards to the actual Mexican Revolution. This was however for the most part deliberate as it was intended to be symbolic portrayal of revolutions in general, rather than an accurate description of Mexican Revolution in particular (that's why the film refers not only to Mexican, but also to Irish and, through Mao's quote, Chinese revolutions).

** The movie appears to be set in 1913-1914, during the rule of Victoriano Huerta (who's mentioned by name several times), so it's unclear which "wee fart of a revolution" John took part in. The closest in time would have been either the Curragh Mutiny, an affair which mostly involved Ulster unionists, or the Easter Rising, which occurred two years after the film's events. Of course it's possible that John and Nolan's planned "revolution" was disrupted by British authorities before it actually took place.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: The protagonists are a greedy bandito and a smug guy obsessed with dynamite. The opponents are an evil army bent on imprisoning and/or killing anyone they meet.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Mallory, with his obsession with explosives (and apparent belief that they solve all problems) is one. So too is Colonel Reza who starts his mornings by sucking a raw egg dry, brushes his teeth with frankly startling ferocity in front of his men (and rinses his mouth with what appears to be tequilla), and almost never speaks.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Christopher Frayling notes that this movie takes the violence, tangled motives and betrayals committed by its main characters much more seriously than Leone's other Westerns. Whereas [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Blondie and Tuco]] can double-cross each other time and again without serious consequences, the characters in ''Duck, You Sucker!'' find their actions [[LaserGuidedKarma coming back to bite them]] - up to and including the death of their family, friends and colleagues.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Christopher Frayling notes that this movie takes the violence, tangled motives and personal betrayals committed by its main characters much more seriously than Leone's other Westerns. Whereas [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Blondie and Tuco]] can double-cross each other time and again without serious consequences, the characters in these movies find their actions [[LaserGuidedKarma coming back to bite them]] - up to and including the death of their family, friends and colleagues.

** John being an Irish nationalist in 1913 owns an IRA flag. Problem is the Irish Republican Army didn't exist until 1919, because it was the army of the Irish Republic. He would have most likely been in the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood), a secret organization, if any at all. This failing is further compounded by countless reviews and summaries of the film labelling John ex-IRA or an IRA terrorist. The later secret terrorist organization was not the same as its earlier namesake which became the [[PaddiesWithPropellerPlanes Irish Defence Forces.]] [[JustifiedTrope Probably justified though]], as the terrorist IRA was a ''much'' more well-known (and nominally Marxist) organization and [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles active at the time of the film release]], and Leone certainly wanted the viewers to draw the necessary parallels.
** A newspaper which designated Mallory as a terrorist (and uses his English name "John" instead of Irish "Seán"). By definition it should have been a pro-British newspaper then, but we get to see the title - and it's ''United Irishman'', [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Irishman which actually was a nationalist newspaper]] and so highly unlikely to print a "Wanted" ad of Mallory. The mistake is understandable, as after [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishRevolution Irish War of Independence]] anything Irish termed ''united'' came to be associated with pro-British ''unionists'' rather than Irish republicans.

** John being an Irish nationalist in 1913 owns an IRA flag. Problem is the IRA didn't exist until 1919. He would have most likely been an Irish volunteer for the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) if any official organisation at all. This failing is further compounded by countless reviews and summaries of the film labelling John ex-IRA or an IRA terrorist. [[JustifiedTrope Probably justified though]], as IRA was a ''much'' more well-known organization and [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles still very active at the time of the film release]], and Leone certainly wanted the viewers to draw the necessary parallels.

* AnachronismStew: When he is captured by the Governor, Mallory uses a Hi-Power handgun, which was first made around 1935. Later on, Juan uses a Nazi MG-42 (The 42 meaning 1942, when it was made) to blow away a government convoy. Both weapons are used in a film set in 1913. Then again, the film abounds in thinly-veiled allusions to Nazis (see ANaziByAnyOtherName below), so [[TropesAreTools at least some of anachronisms could be deliberate]].

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Don Jaime the governor, and revolutionary General Santerna ([[AllThereInTheManual who isn't even named]]). [[TropesAreTools This serves to illustrate impersonality of both oppressive state machine and revolution itself]] (see also SilentAntagonist above).

** A newspaper which designated Mallory as a terrorist (and uses his English name "John" instead of Irish "Sean"). By definition it should have been a pro-British newspaper then, but we get to see the title - and it's ''United Irishman'', [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Irishman which actually was a nationalist newspaper]] and so highly unlikely to print a "Wanted" ad of Mallory. The mistake is understandable, as after [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishRevolution Irish War of Independence]] anything Irish termed ''united'' came to be associated with pro-British ''unionists'' rather than Irish republicans.

* OneSteveLimit: Technically averted with John, Juan and Sean (which are English, Spanish and Irish variations of the same name). "Johnny&Johnny", the name of partnership between John and Juan proposed by the latter, [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it.

** John's boss, according to Juan. A greasy German man who fired a woman Juan got pregnant without Juan suffering any repurcussions at all.

Despite the light-hearted moments between Juan and John, the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified romantic side of revolution]] is frequently deconstructed throughout the movie as both characters suffer [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized significant losses]]. It's arguably Creator/SergioLeone's most politically charged movie, although the revolution setting was intended to be symbolic according to WordOfGod. The whole thing is, as with all Leone's westerns, set to epic Music/EnnioMorricone...but ''this'' time, his AwesomeMusic has a ''trippy'' side.

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler: Averted with the death of Juan's children]].

* BigBad: The governor, who is directly or indirectly responsible for most of the terrible things that happen in the film. However, he is completely harmless in person and is easily disposed of.

* GreaterScopeVillain: The Mexican government, specifically the General Huerta regime.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Leone largely made this film as a response to the so-called "Zapata Westerns" like ''A Bullet for the General'' and ''Companeros'' that glorified revolutionary politics. ''Duck, You Sucker!'' shows revolution as extremely wasteful and neither side innocent in its atrocities.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Creator/SergioLeone took many liberties with regards to the actual Mexican Revolution. This was however for the most part deliberate with the revolution as it was intended to be symbolic portrayal of revolutions in general, rather than an accurate description of Mexican revolution in particular (that's why the film refers not only to Mexican, but also to Irish and, through Mao's quote, Chinese revolutions).

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Creator/SergioLeone took many liberties with regards to the actual Mexican Revolution. This was however for the most part deliberate with the revolution as it was intended to be symbolic portrayal of the revolution as such, rather than an accurate description of Mexican revolution in particular (that's why the film refers not only to Mexican, but also to Irish and, through Mao's quote, Chinese revolutions).

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Creator/SergioLeone took many liberties with regards to the actual Mexican Revolution. This was however for the most part deliberate with the revolution as it was intended to be symbolic, rather than an accurate portrayal.