Shango is a typical Anthony Steffen spaghetti western, beautifully photographed with great music, lots of sweaty Mediterranean actors posing as Mexicans, bad dubbing, and a sneering Eduardo Fajardo as a Confederate Major who is reluctant to see the south go down in defeat (a staple of these pasta oaters!). Lots of gun play, hurtling stunt men, put-upon villagers, and the reliable Steffen as Shango, a Texas Ranger who just wants folks to believe that the war is over. Good production values, great sets, fine music and lots of action make this one a winner, if you like spaghetti westerns. Franco Cleef's restoration is fine with only an unavoidable slight hiss on the soundtrack.
7 Reviews
There are so many spaghetti westerns that don't really stand out, when it should had. This is one of those. It's so lackluster that it could pasta away, being forgotten.
ironhorse_iv27 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
If you're a fan of Spaghetti Westerns like me, then you would first notice about this film directed by Edoardo Mulargia is how familiar, the plot is to other films like 1965's 'The Tramplers', 1966's 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly', 1967's 'Hellbenders' & most of all, 1967's 'Payment in Blood' film AKA 'Seven Winchesters for a Massacre,', 'Renegade Riders'. After all, most of these films deal with a group of people, trying to find gold, while a gang of ex-Confederate soldiers and Mexicans bandits chase them, down. The only different between those movies, and this, is the fact that this film, the gold is not even shown. Trust me, the whole treasure of gold, subplot goes nowhere. Instead, this film, mostly focus on, the former Confederate soldiers leaded by Major Droster (Eduardo Fajardo) terrorizing a Mexican town, while an ex-Texas Ranger, Shango (Anthony Steffen) tries to stop them. That's it! It's as generic as it comes. It's sucks, because a name like Shango should stand out, more. After all, its sounds like, 'Django', the fame Italian western character, whom obsessed with creepy out his enemies, by dragging a coffin, along with him. What happen, here!? Why is Shango so lame!? It's certainly, isn't the acting. Anthony Steffen does give, a very stoic and subdued performance, here, regardless, if some critics says, it's wooden. I think, it is how the character, was written was the fault. Steffen is incredibly weak here as the hero. He's either being captured, or escaping only to be captured again a short time later. It's weird, how the character can be, so cunning at some parts, but also, really, really dumb at other sequences. It's really hard to believe, that Shango still believes that he can still talk down the Major, after being, trapped in a wooden cages for weeks and seeing him, cruelly killed innocent people like women and children. Honestly, are we supposed to believe, that Shango doesn't have a clue, that the Major does know, that the Civil War is indeed over, after months of telling him, so!? He's quite violent! He had to know that he was crazy! Also, why did the Major think that Shango would make a good scapegoat for his murder plot in the beginning; when, he's supposedly need him to find the gold!? Does he want him, dead or not!? Why is this film, full of contradictions!? The chemistry between the two leads, doesn't really quite gel, as well, as I found their limited scenes, together to be hilarious. It's really odd to see, the Major go all mad in the end. That said, the action scenes between all the actors were horrible as well, with broad emptiness. Barely anything clever, happens. If it did occur, such as the dead body on a horse, trick and the sheep in wolf clothing scene; it didn't bring anything new, as we seen, these tricks, be done in other, better off, Spaghetti Westerns films. Furthermore, something else about this film I wasn't too keen on was how Anthony's gun never ran out of ammunition and nearly every villain, dies with one shot kills. Honestly, folks, it's unrealistic as well. After a few scenes like this, it quickly becomes tiresome. Even, the editing is a Z-grade. Lots of awkward badly cuts, throughout this film. A good example is a scene where the Major is talking to the leader of the Mexican gang, Martinez (Maurice Poli), only to be, follow by, by a shot of Shango talking to somebody. It's so badly splice, that it makes it look, like Shango is talking to the Major and Martinez rather than his helper, Fernandez (Attilio Dottesio). Before, I go further, I must addressed the elephant in the room. Yes, the little boy that plays Fernandez's young son, Pedrito (Valerio Fioravanti) did became a neo-fascist terrorist, later in his life, and yes, like his character in this film, he was also shot by an authority figure, trying to escape, while trying to steal guns. It's truly ironic. Despite that, it makes no excuse, for the director reused shots during gun fight in the Mexican party. It was very lazy. I hate how notorious low budget, this movie is. Shot at very few sets & location, it become very unintentionally funny to see, one location be used for multiply scenes. Another problem is how Di Stefano's music is disparity inserted at many places through a simple drum roll. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense. Also, some of it, was very annoying to listen to. It sounds like somebody playing a piano with a rock, missing all of the main keys. The audio is not first class, as well. English dubbing is just bad, as the words don't synch with the moving of the mouths. While, later DVDs would try to fit the problem, it clearly hasn't work, along with the grainy, unclean footage. Overall: Shango was no Django. It's a hard film to sit down and watch. I really can't recommended.
So-so Spaghetti Western , including passable action sequences with rousing attacks and high body-count
ma-cortes7 November 2018
This is a thrilling film , plenty action , thrills , fights , and starked outdoors from El Lacio , Rome and Cinecitta studios . The picture results to be entertainingly ordinary , but does not allow for the usual subtexts and undercurrents to develop that can make these flicks . This violent Western is set on dirty outdoors , woods and dark interiors , the star is a mysterious revenger , a Texas Ranger called Shango (Anthony Steffen) , who comes to avenge against nasty villainous . As Shango is a Texas Ranger who finds himself hanging at a cage , being subbsequently freed . Without memory , he gone back from a dark past to revenge and he encounters up against a former Confederate Major (Eduardo Fajardo) and his gang of thugs who have been terrorizing a local border town in search of gold . Furthermore , some Mexican bandits led by Martínez (Maurice Poli) trying to find gold . This sub-plot about gold seekers is adding with the previous dealing with former Confederate soldiers led by Major Droster (Eduardo Fajardo) terrorizing a Mexican town, while an ex-Texas Ranger, Shango (Anthony Steffen) tries to stop them . In that place there is a dangerous band led by a bandit called Crazy Joe (Fortunato Arena) and his hoodlums . While a gang of ex-Confederate soldiers and Mexicans bandits chase them . En route, the Texas Ranger executes a single-handedly revenge , as he shoots , ravages and kills each person involved in the killings of the peaceful Mexican peasants .
This Italian production contains action , crossfire , drama , treason , high body-count and it's fast moving , being entertaining and approaching increasingly the Spaghetti style , more than the American western and keeping some details that make it special in this particular Pasta genre . The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . Steffen is appropriate in his usual two-fisted character , he ravages the screen , shoots , hits and runs . Generic and mostly entertaining western with focus on a Texas Ranger against nasty Mexican ones and Confederate rebels . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , such as in the final gunfights . The movie gets the usual Western issues , as avengers antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies and spectacular duels , excessive zooms , among them . Good production design creating an atmospheric , but poor scenario , and fine , though rotten, sets . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . And developing a bloody and breathtaking showdown between the ordinary contenders , Steffen and his main enemy , Fajardo . Charismatic performance for all casting . The film is well starred by a frequent Spaghetti star . As it stars a mediocre actor , though here giving an acceptable acting , Anthony Steffen , as a Ranger that vows revenge against villains who have mistreated and killed Mexican people .This notorious Spaghetti actor , Anthony Steffen may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre - at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics. The handsome, Italian-born - actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome - Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica . From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction . His acting is often accused of being wooden, but in many manners is ideally suited to playing the steely-faced gunslinger synonymous with the genre . His others successes include features as ¨Seven Dollars to Kill¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Train for Durango¨, ¨Gentleman Jo¨ , ¨Four dollars for Django¨, ¨Shango¨, ¨Arizona colt¨, ¨Apocalypse Joe¨ and several others . Although Steffen's performance in the movie is a bit wooden for the role of such an interesting character as a revenger Texas Ranger who attempts to keep law and order . There appears as secondaries the habitual in Italian Western and Peplum , such as : Attilio Dottesio , Franco Pesce , Espartaco Conversi , Andrea Aureli , Petro Torrisi , Fortunato Arena ,among others .
The musician Di Stefano composes a nice soundtrack in Morricole style and well conducted . Striking cinematography by Gino Santini , though inappropriate sets , I miss the classic outdoors and settings from Almeria , Spain . This motion picture was well and professionally directed by Edoardo Mulargia , though with no originality , as it has a lot of flaws and failures . Edoardo Mulargia directed a lot of Spaghetti as ¨W Djianjo¨, ¨El Puro¨ , ¨Django Spara¨ , ¨ Cjamango¨ , ¨Shango¨ , ¨Vete con Dios , Gringo¨, most part starred by Robert Woods , Anthony Steffen or Eduardo Fajardo . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable Western that will appeal to Spaghetti fans .
This Italian production contains action , crossfire , drama , treason , high body-count and it's fast moving , being entertaining and approaching increasingly the Spaghetti style , more than the American western and keeping some details that make it special in this particular Pasta genre . The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . Steffen is appropriate in his usual two-fisted character , he ravages the screen , shoots , hits and runs . Generic and mostly entertaining western with focus on a Texas Ranger against nasty Mexican ones and Confederate rebels . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , such as in the final gunfights . The movie gets the usual Western issues , as avengers antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies and spectacular duels , excessive zooms , among them . Good production design creating an atmospheric , but poor scenario , and fine , though rotten, sets . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . And developing a bloody and breathtaking showdown between the ordinary contenders , Steffen and his main enemy , Fajardo . Charismatic performance for all casting . The film is well starred by a frequent Spaghetti star . As it stars a mediocre actor , though here giving an acceptable acting , Anthony Steffen , as a Ranger that vows revenge against villains who have mistreated and killed Mexican people .This notorious Spaghetti actor , Anthony Steffen may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre - at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics. The handsome, Italian-born - actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome - Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica . From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction . His acting is often accused of being wooden, but in many manners is ideally suited to playing the steely-faced gunslinger synonymous with the genre . His others successes include features as ¨Seven Dollars to Kill¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Train for Durango¨, ¨Gentleman Jo¨ , ¨Four dollars for Django¨, ¨Shango¨, ¨Arizona colt¨, ¨Apocalypse Joe¨ and several others . Although Steffen's performance in the movie is a bit wooden for the role of such an interesting character as a revenger Texas Ranger who attempts to keep law and order . There appears as secondaries the habitual in Italian Western and Peplum , such as : Attilio Dottesio , Franco Pesce , Espartaco Conversi , Andrea Aureli , Petro Torrisi , Fortunato Arena ,among others .
The musician Di Stefano composes a nice soundtrack in Morricole style and well conducted . Striking cinematography by Gino Santini , though inappropriate sets , I miss the classic outdoors and settings from Almeria , Spain . This motion picture was well and professionally directed by Edoardo Mulargia , though with no originality , as it has a lot of flaws and failures . Edoardo Mulargia directed a lot of Spaghetti as ¨W Djianjo¨, ¨El Puro¨ , ¨Django Spara¨ , ¨ Cjamango¨ , ¨Shango¨ , ¨Vete con Dios , Gringo¨, most part starred by Robert Woods , Anthony Steffen or Eduardo Fajardo . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable Western that will appeal to Spaghetti fans .
Average spaghetti western
Wizard-812 February 2017
Most spaghetti western fans will probably find "Shango" to be an average example of the genre - not great, but definitely better than some. It's hobbled somewhat by a limited budget - it's clear that the movie was not shot in Spain but in Italy, and the lack of a stark and stunning backdrop brings the movie down. Other production niceties (like when it comes to Confederate soldier uniforms) also seem to a degree limited. There are also has some significant portions that come across as kind of drab and dull, especially in the first third of the movie. But there are some fairly well done action sequences along the way (the movie has a pretty high body count.) The musical score by Gianfranco Fioravanti is nice to listen to. So the movie does have some merit. Though I wouldn't say it's a must see example of the spaghetti western genre, those who really enjoy these kind of movies will likely find it to be okay.
It just kept getting worse as the movie continued.
jordondave-2808515 August 2023
(1970) Shango/ Shango, la pistola infallibile
DUBBED
SPAGHETTI WESTERN
Co-written and directed by Edoardo Mulargia where we see a man locked up in a bamboo-like cage hung onto a tree branch, and at first viewers are oblivious who he is but at the same time suspect that he may be the star of the movie. In this movie bloodthirsty bandits led by Martinez are coinciding with the confederacy led by Major Droster. And the major of the confederate army, Droster shoots and kills the telegrapher to prevent Martinez from knowing that the civil war is over. The major attempts to pin the murder to the captive man in locked the bird cage. As a matter of fact, he first kills the guardsman before he shoots the rope to free him leaving an empty holster for him to pick up, to make it appear he was the one who shot the telegrapher. And for some strange circumstances, a father Fernandez (Attilio Dottesio) and his son, Pedrito (Giusva Fioravanti) managed to save him who was locked in a cage for six weeks and once he regained his memory, he finally revealed to them he is a ranger, Shango played by Anthony Steffen.
When you like watch a movie like this, one would expect it to be as good or somewhat to be as unique as the movie the makers are attempting to capitalize on which is "A Fistful of Dollars", and then it's like by the time you see it, that it would not offer anything new to the genre which even the gunfights are too over the top and unconvincing. And what is more asinine is the fact that the hero in question, killed all but one despite the villagers/ peasants themselves are also armed. This is yet another unimpressed movie made on a whim.
Co-written and directed by Edoardo Mulargia where we see a man locked up in a bamboo-like cage hung onto a tree branch, and at first viewers are oblivious who he is but at the same time suspect that he may be the star of the movie. In this movie bloodthirsty bandits led by Martinez are coinciding with the confederacy led by Major Droster. And the major of the confederate army, Droster shoots and kills the telegrapher to prevent Martinez from knowing that the civil war is over. The major attempts to pin the murder to the captive man in locked the bird cage. As a matter of fact, he first kills the guardsman before he shoots the rope to free him leaving an empty holster for him to pick up, to make it appear he was the one who shot the telegrapher. And for some strange circumstances, a father Fernandez (Attilio Dottesio) and his son, Pedrito (Giusva Fioravanti) managed to save him who was locked in a cage for six weeks and once he regained his memory, he finally revealed to them he is a ranger, Shango played by Anthony Steffen.
When you like watch a movie like this, one would expect it to be as good or somewhat to be as unique as the movie the makers are attempting to capitalize on which is "A Fistful of Dollars", and then it's like by the time you see it, that it would not offer anything new to the genre which even the gunfights are too over the top and unconvincing. And what is more asinine is the fact that the hero in question, killed all but one despite the villagers/ peasants themselves are also armed. This is yet another unimpressed movie made on a whim.
Interesting story, indifferent execution in this spaghetti western
Leofwine_draca12 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I found SHANGO a largely average spaghetti western, benefiting from an interesting storyline but let down by an indifferent execution. The one thing the film does well is convincing portray the desert heat, not bad when it was largely made at Cinecitta Studios in Rome. Anthony Steffen is the titular character, the stock hero (and a Texas Ranger to boot), while the bad guys are a bunch of Confederates who refuse to believe that the American Civil War is over.
What this amounts to is a great deal of oppression and suffering meted out to innocent folk in the first half of the production, followed by revenge-fuelled action in the second half. The action is fast and furious and has some good stylistic touches, like the bit where Steffen hides inside the sacks to execute his enemies. However, the characters are largely uninteresting and the tale never grabs you as it should. The best bit is all of the old tunes that the soldiers whistle throughout.
What this amounts to is a great deal of oppression and suffering meted out to innocent folk in the first half of the production, followed by revenge-fuelled action in the second half. The action is fast and furious and has some good stylistic touches, like the bit where Steffen hides inside the sacks to execute his enemies. However, the characters are largely uninteresting and the tale never grabs you as it should. The best bit is all of the old tunes that the soldiers whistle throughout.
Shango
BandSAboutMovies21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Anthony Steffen, born Antonio Luiz de Teffé von Hoonholtz and also known as Antonio Luigi de Teff, was born at the Brazilian embassy in Rome in what is known as the Pamphilj Palace. His noble family came from Prussia, with his great-grandfather being the Great Baron of Teffé and his father Manoel being a Formula One racer and a Brazilian ambassador. His grandaunt, Nair de Teffé von Hoonholtz, was the first female caricaturist of Brazil and wife of Brazilian President Hermes Fonseca. And yet his teen years were filled with war, as he and his family worked with Italian resistance fighters against the Nazis.
From 1965 to 1972, Steffen became the Italian Clint Eastwood, showing up in 27 Italian Westerns like Django the Bastard, Arizona Colt Returns, A Few Dollars for Django and Viva! Django as well as giallo movies such as Crimes of the Black Cat, The Killers Are Our Guests and Play Motel. He retired to a jet set life based out of Brazil.
He also wrote this movie along with director Edoard Mulargia, who also made Don't Wait, Django... Shoot!, Tropic of Cancer and Escape from Hell, which is part of the two movies that make up Savage Island.
Shango (Anthony Steffen) has been framed for the death of a telegraph operator. That man just happens to be the only person that can inform a small Mexican town that the American Civil War is over, which allows Major Droster (Eduardo Fajardo) to keep the war going and lording over the people. Shango hangs from a wooden cage until Fernandez (Attilio Dottesio), his daughter Consuelo (Barbara Nelli) and son Pedrito (Giusva Fioravanti) help him to escape. Droster allows his henchman Martinez (Maurice Poli) to attack the people of this small Mexican barrio and this won't stand. Shango must get his revenge and somehow goes from PTSD POV to avenging killing machine in moments. And it all ends in fire and self-sacrifice.
Giusva Fioravanti went from being a child star to - along with Francesca Mambro - becoming a leading figure in a far-right terrorist group, Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari. His brother Cristiano had joined a far right youth section at the age of 13 and Giusva joined as well to protect him. But even a year in the U. S. didn't make him any less violent or devoted to the cause. Along with his girlfriend Francesca Mambro, they had no real ideology but still caused plenty of mayhem, including potentially being behind the Bologna Massacre in 1980 that killed 85 Americans. Today, Fioravanti is a writer for Il Riformista focusing on human rights and the criminal justice system in Iran and the U. S.
From 1965 to 1972, Steffen became the Italian Clint Eastwood, showing up in 27 Italian Westerns like Django the Bastard, Arizona Colt Returns, A Few Dollars for Django and Viva! Django as well as giallo movies such as Crimes of the Black Cat, The Killers Are Our Guests and Play Motel. He retired to a jet set life based out of Brazil.
He also wrote this movie along with director Edoard Mulargia, who also made Don't Wait, Django... Shoot!, Tropic of Cancer and Escape from Hell, which is part of the two movies that make up Savage Island.
Shango (Anthony Steffen) has been framed for the death of a telegraph operator. That man just happens to be the only person that can inform a small Mexican town that the American Civil War is over, which allows Major Droster (Eduardo Fajardo) to keep the war going and lording over the people. Shango hangs from a wooden cage until Fernandez (Attilio Dottesio), his daughter Consuelo (Barbara Nelli) and son Pedrito (Giusva Fioravanti) help him to escape. Droster allows his henchman Martinez (Maurice Poli) to attack the people of this small Mexican barrio and this won't stand. Shango must get his revenge and somehow goes from PTSD POV to avenging killing machine in moments. And it all ends in fire and self-sacrifice.
Giusva Fioravanti went from being a child star to - along with Francesca Mambro - becoming a leading figure in a far-right terrorist group, Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari. His brother Cristiano had joined a far right youth section at the age of 13 and Giusva joined as well to protect him. But even a year in the U. S. didn't make him any less violent or devoted to the cause. Along with his girlfriend Francesca Mambro, they had no real ideology but still caused plenty of mayhem, including potentially being behind the Bologna Massacre in 1980 that killed 85 Americans. Today, Fioravanti is a writer for Il Riformista focusing on human rights and the criminal justice system in Iran and the U. S.
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