RUN, MAN, RUN 1968- aka CORRI, UOMO, CORRI
Tomas Milian, Donald O'brien, Chelo Alonso, Linda Veras, John Ireland
Directed by Sergio Sollima
Cuchillo (Milian's character from THE BIG GUNDOWN), is in search of a hidden cache of gold. Numerous interested parties are also in pursuit of the gold's location as well as to get their hands on Cuchillo.
Very funny and fun western from Sergio Sollima. A sequel to his own BIG GUNDOWN continuing the adventures of Cuchillo (Milian) as he becomes involved in the whereabouts of some hidden gold that is coveted by everyone from Bandit gangs to retired lawmen to Salvation Army workers. Again, Milian excels in his role of the dirty, elusive, bad mannered and crafty knife thrower. With his slight build, Milian is never imposing in any of his movies but his personality and charisma dominate pretty much any movie he is cast in.
This highly enjoyable oater is enhanced by a dynamite performance from DR. BUTCHER himself, Donald O’Brien who seldom got meaty roles such as this. O'brien also gets decent roles in EMMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS, 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS and THE NEW GLADIATORS from Fulci. As Cassidy, a retired lawman, he provides an imposing presence, a perfect foil to Cuchillo's peon character. One gets the impression the two share an uneasy alliance but they ultimately come together during the finale which, like the films title, seems to continue after the credits are over.
John Ireland has what amounts to a cameo as a bandit leader. The music by Morricone is very spirited and playful. Peplum actress Alonso plays the feisty female who wants, in a rather forceful way, to be Cuchillo's wife. She could chase me anytime. Frequent Euro actress Linda Veras is another strong female character who vies for Cuchillo's affections but for different reasons and both inevitably indulge in a female scrap fest late in the film.
At nearly two hours, the film bogs down a bit towards the end, but a minor quibble nonetheless. It’s a shame Sollima only directed three spaghetti westerns. This one being the least political, it is definitely the most fun.