My Name Is Nobody (1973)
"Il mio nome è Nessuno" (original title)

My name is Nobody has a very determined cult following who are absolutely convinced that this is a great film. I'm not sure I can agree to that, but there are certainly some wonderful moments in it.

The principle asset of the film is Henry Fonda, who seems to approach his role as the most graceful bow-out of his career as a leading-man in the cowboy genre.

The principle liability of the film is Terrence Hill, still dressed as Trinity, the cowboy bum of the My Name is Trinity comedies. I never understood the charm this actor has, since he seems to lack any depth, and can't even convince us that he's a "ne'er-do-well" - he just seems to be an actor playing a ne'er-do-well.

Fortunately, this film isn't written or directed by the "Trinity" crew; indeed, a major historical interest in the film revolves around exactly how much of it may have been written and directed by the great grand-daddy of Italian Western directors, Sergio Leone - a question which appears to be unresolved after considerable debate and research.

Well, perhaps that's not so important. Certainly Leone, as producer, managed to get the production of this film the resources it needed to achieve a truly professional polish - absolutely necessary for the rich imagery to provide the rather absurd plot a necessary credibility.

Insofar as the comedy depends an whole lot on Terrence Hill, I don't find it all that laugh-out-loud funny; but I do admit admiration for it's whimsical approach to material that could easily have produced a heavy-handed satire. instead, we get a light-hearted fantasy about the end of the cowboy film genre altogether - because certainly this film could never have been made in the era when audiences took cowboy movies seriously.

No, this is farewell to the genre - but not the brooding lament that we find in Leone's acknowledged classic, Once Upon a Time in the West. This is farewell-with-a-smile - "and don't forget to write!"