History YMMV / THEGOODTHEBADANDTHEUGLY

* FridgeBrilliance: While the MexicanStandOff seems to have an uncertain issue at the first viewing, in an incredibly subtle instance of ShowDontTell, Leone is actually showing the public how it's going to end:[[spoiler: at first Tuco hesitates between Angel Eyes and Blondie, frantically switching his sight between the two, though it is foreshadowed by a scene that Tuco is more inclined to kill Angel Eyes, while Angel Eyes quickly asserts that Blondie is the most dangerous of the two, and stares at him. Meanwhile Blondie looks at Tuco and without exchanging a single world, with only a single nod from Blondie, they agree to both shoot Angel Eyes. They lure the latter into a trap, only staring at each others to have him drop his guard, Angel Eyes thinking he has an opening against Blondie sneaks his hand to his revolver and tries to shoot him, having checked that Tuco wasn't looking either, but Blondie reacts faster and kills Angel Eyes, while Tuco tries to shoot too, only discovering that]][[spoiler:his gun was emptied beforehand by Blondie]].

* CreatorsFavorite: Tuco. Both Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/LeeVanCleef realized that the character of Tuco was close to Leone's heart, and the director and Wallach became good friends during the making of the film. Van Cleef observed:
-->"Tuco is the only one of the trio the audience gets to know all about. We meet his brother and find out where he came from and why he became a bandit. But Clint's character and Angel's remain mysteries."

* NeutralEvil: Angel Eyes. A cold-blooded mercenary out only for himself, he runs a gang of outlaws, while simultaneously masquerading as a sergeant in the Union Army. Willing to use whatever means are necessary to achieve his goals, he's indifferent to order and chaos; he's OnlyInItForTheMoney.

* ValuesDissonance: Possibly [[DeliberateValuesDissonance deliberate.]] The [[OverlyLongGag ridiculously long list of charges]] read at one of Tuco's near-hangings explicitly mentioned that he was hanging for raping a white woman, but also for having ''consensual'' sex with an underage black woman. It's never stated how old she was though, so the 'underage' part might be a factor in the hanging.

* MoralEventHorizon: Angel Eyes crossed the line at the beginning of the movie, killing the son of the man he was hired to kill. It's one thing to kill the man himself, as that was just business ("When I'm paid, I always see the job through."); he didn't have to kill anyone else beyond those he was hired to kill (yes, those–just before dying, Stevens pays Angel Eyes to bump off the guy that sent him to do the deed). Although the boy came running down the stairs behind him, rifle drawn. Angel Eyes was too smart to chance that the boy would be too scared to pull the trigger.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: "The Ecstasy of Gold" and "The Trio" play a large part in creating one of the most memorable finales in the history of film. The former in particular is so memorable that Music/{{Metallica}} have used "The Ecstasy of Gold" to open their concerts since 1983. The opening theme is so iconic that one need hear only the first whistle to be immediately reminded of the Western genre, even if one has no idea where it came from.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: "The Ecstasy of Gold" and "The Trio" play a large part in creating one of the most memorable finales in the history of film. The former in particular is so memorable that Music/{{Metallica}} have used "The Ecstasy of Gold" to open their concerts since 1983.
* BrokenBase: the numerous changes made to the movie over the years tend to breed a fair bit of debate. The opening theme is so iconic that one need hear only the first whistle to be immediately reminded of the Western genre, even if one has no idea where it came from.

* BrokenBase: the numerous changes made to the movie over the years tend to breed a fair bit of debate.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is Tuco guilty of all those crimes that's being read off just before he's hanged, or has he falsely admitted to these crimes to drive up his bounty, and make his and Blondie's scam more profitable?

* AwardSnub: Among many other things, two blog posts decided that Eli Wallach deserved the Oscar for Best Leading Actor 1966 as Tuco. (http://popculturepalace.blogspot.com/2009/09/best-actor-of-1966-nominees-for-best.html#.WBQKJKTXFaA.facebook) (http://actoroscar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/alternate-best-actor-1966-eli-wallach.html?m=1)

** Speaking of the extended American cut: should Eastwood and Wallach have returned to dub themselves nearly 40 years later, or would it have been better to use soundalikes, as was done for the late Creator/LeeVanCleef? Is the new 5.1 surround sound mix tolerable or does it destroy the whole movie?

* CreatorsFavorite: Tuco. Both Eastwood and Van Cleef realized that the character of Tuco was close to Leone's heart, and the director and Wallach became good friends during the making of the film. Van Cleef observed:

* StoicWoobie: Blondie as he's crossing the desert, dehydrated. Even if you know that he always wins in the end, you can't help but feel a little bad for him here.

* ValuesDissonance:
** Possibly [[DeliberateValuesDissonance deliberate.]] The [[OverlyLongGag ridiculously long list of charges]] read at one of Tuco's near-hangings explicitly mentioned that he was hanging for raping a white woman, but also for having ''consensual'' sex with an underage black woman. It's never stated how old she was though, so the 'underage' part might be a factor in the hanging.

* AccidentalInnuendo: Tuco to Wallace: "I like big, fat men like you."

* FanDiscontinuity: The tie-in novels, which aren't even by the original authors, for Blondie's enigmatic past getting demystified and Tuco suffering a slight case of {{Flanderization}} in his only other appearance.

** Pablo Ramirez is emotionally restrained, but he had grown up in poverty, and within the film's timeline he has been silently coping with his parents' death.

** Does the cave scene belong in the movie? Most viewers say "no" because Sergio Leone himself removed it shortly after the movie's premiere, but it made it into the extended American cut anyway.
** Speaking of the extended American cut: should Eastwood and Wallach have returned to dub themselves nearly 40 years later, or would it have been better to use soundalikes, as was done for the late Lee Van Cleef? Is the new 5.1 surround sound mix tolerable or does it destroy the whole movie?

* NightmareFuel:
** Tuco mentally torturing a dehydrated Blondie in a sunny desert. It's easily the character's most cruel moment. It makes [[spoiler: Blondie finally gaining the upper hand by finding out the name on the grave]] that much more [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]].
** [[CompleteMonster Angel Eyes]] himself, full stop.
** The final showdown has the most awesomely chilling buildup. The scary part is we're worried about Tuco and we aren't sure he's going to make it. The look on his face is one of pure terror.
** Tuco's third near-hanging. Blondie forces him into a rope after the shootout and ties his hands, before riding away with half the gold, leaving him with the other half of the gold and certain death upon him. Blondie gradually gets further and further away until we can't see him at all. And every time Tuco cries "Blondie!", he almost loses his footing on the cross he's standing on. We also get an inversion of a HopeSpot as Blondie appears again, but we think he's going to shoot Tuco instead of the rope around his neck.
** Blondie's TranquilFury after the shootout is enough to make anyone cower in their seat.
-->'''Blondie''': You see, [[IronicEcho in this world, there are two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig.]] ''You dig''.

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. Because he was positive the bandit, with his impatient and impulsive nature, and bound tight with rope, wouldn't survive out in the heat, this mistake almost costs him his life. He clearly took for granted Tuco's admonishment.

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. Because he was positive the bandit, with his impatient and impulsive nature, and bound tight with rope, wouldn't survive out in the heat, this mistake almost costs him his life. This is illustrated by the earlier warning he took for granted.
-->'''Tuco''': Any man who double crosses me and leaves me alive understands nothing about Tuco. Nothing!

-->'''Tuco''': Any man who double crosses me and leaves me alive understands nothing about Tuco. Nobody!

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. Because he was positive the bandit, with his impatient and impulsive nature, and bound tight with rope, wouldn't survive out in the heat, this mistake almost costs him his life. Then again, he is "The Good", even if GoodIsNotNice.
-->'''Blondie''': Such ingratitude... after all the times I've saved your life.

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. Because he was positive the bandit, with his impatient and impulsive nature, wouldn't survive out in the heat, this mistake almost costs him his life. Then again, he is "The Good", even if GoodIsNotNice.

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. This mistake almost costs him his life. Then again, he is "The Good", even if GoodIsNotNice.

** Then while robbing a runaway carriage, the bandit proceeds to sniff some drug right in front of our faces. Dude, we really didn't need to see that.

** Even Blondie isn't immune to a bout of idiocy. When he decides his gambit with Tuco has run its course, he just leaves him out to die the desert instead of just letting him hang the next round. This mistake almost costs him his life.

* HilariousInHindsight[=/=]HarsherInHindsight: The Union Captain, the one played by Aldo Giuffre, tells Tuco that he'd make a good soldier. Fast forward five years to the spinoff novel ''A Dollar to Die For'' and Tuco is now the mutinous Sgt. Ramirez, who kills most if not all of his faction to get the money that would have bought Emperor Maximilian his life. Whether the novella is canon or not is up for interpretation.

*** Furthermore, Blondie's TranquilFury earlier is enough to make anyone cower in their seat.