Lee van Cleef is excellent as the pseudo-lawman/bounty hunter with integrity who believes in "justice" and "progress" for society.

Ennio Morricone, as usual, provides a great score for the film. The song is rousing, while the music for the chase scenes is excellent. Morricone also does a folk-music/square dance version of the theme for the wedding party, which is a neat touch.

The story is interesting and well-developed, as well. In its full-length version, it is in fact somewhat deep, with van Cleef's Corbett being a fairly complex character who undergoes a significant character development in the course of the film. In the abridged American version, unfortunately, he is shown as simply bounty hunter who mercilessly kills all before him in cold blood, who never bats an eye at his job, making his character two-dimensional and making the end more flat, more perfunctory, and less convincing or meaningful. In the full-length version, though, he cares about justice, gives outlaws a choice (and a chance), and there is significant development on how he becomes so obsessed with finding Cuchillo that he crosses the boundary between justice and personal obsession. He then re-examines himself and the events in which he finds himself to come to a significant realisation near the end. (See here)

Lino Ventura is still good, but lame at times. Landscapes are fabulous and the music by Vladimir Cosma is still good in the main theme, although unfortunately pasted more or less continuously, which was not the smartest move.

Other characters and actors are not reaching that high, including Claudia Cardinale and Giraudeau (possibly the best one in the cast there).

A good portrait of the Canadian Wild West today, it remains a decent rental or discount buy if you're fond of Lino Ventura.(See here)

电影音乐之父Ennio Morricone　　意大利电影配乐大师 Ennio Morricone 现已72岁高龄了，他是电影史上最富盛名的配乐大师，我们已经不知道他具体编写创作了多少部电影的配乐，大概是500多部吧，几乎任何风格的电影都有他的创作足迹。所以当我们被他神奇的电影音乐所感染的时刻，让我们记住这个伟大的音乐家的名字-Ennio Morricone。

　　他创作的音乐风格极其多样化，种类可谓繁多至极，从古典、爵士到电子、摇滚都在他的音乐作品中有所体现，他曾因《天堂之日》(Days of Heaven)、《教会》(The Mission)、《铁面无私》 (The Untouchable)、《豪情四海》(Bugsy)四度荣获奥斯卡原著音乐提名奖，今年再度以电影《真爱伴我行》再度荣获奥斯卡最佳原著音乐的提名奖。

　　值得介绍的是《教会》(The Mission)，这是一部具有重要意义的电影配乐作品，大型管弦乐团的宏伟气势与唱诗班的重叠和声的完美运用在电影音乐历史上影响颇为广泛。《四海兄弟》的风格有点忧伤，正象电影一样探讨人生的深刻意义一样，他采用了排萧作为基调，同样以管弦乐来烘托…

　　Morricone的音乐具有深刻的含义和浪漫的气质，更使得他的音乐能够和电影塑造的气氛融合的恰到好处，他尤其注重听者内在感情的细腻变化，让听者内心产生共鸣，而大师对于音乐的深刻理解和把握更令人肃然起敬。

意大利名作曲家膺奥斯卡成就奖香港文汇报(2006.12.15) 曾替众多名片包括《Spaghetti Westerns》、《独行侠决斗地狱门》和《荒野大镖客》等担任配乐的意大利殿堂级音乐人Ennio Morricone，将会在明年2月25日举行之第79届奥斯卡颁奖礼中获颁终生成就奖，以表扬他多年来为电影界作出的无比贡献.现年78岁的Morricone,已在其45年工作光景中替逾三百部片负责配乐,然而总是跟终身奖擦身而过,情况宛如过身不久的今届终身奖得主罗拔艾特曼那般.他曾被提名五次,分别是78年"情来自有方",86年"战火浮生".87年"义胆雄心".91年"一代情枭毕斯"及2000年"西西里的美丽传说",此外"星光拌我心"亦是出自他的手笔.奥斯卡的主办单位表示.今次颁奖予Morricone并不止因他创作出如此多数的杰出乐章,还有很多人都对它们相当喜爱(更多见这里和这里)