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Django Kill!, a prime example of the Italian "spaghetti" western as horror movie, is one of the most violent westerns made. Director Giulio Questi gives the film a haunting, surreal veneer that suits well the many horrific elements. In keeping with the "spag west" genre, it also contains a great deal of gothic imagery. If not for poor pacing and an overlong running time, Django Kill! would be a genre classic. |
 * The spag west genre spawned a few great films, such as Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West and Enzo G. Castellari's little-seen Keoma. |
 The long cycle of spaghetti westerns (1961  1975) began with Sergio Leone's, A Fistful of Dollars.* Sergio Corbucci's 1966 slaughterfest Django by no means a great film was one of the most financially successful spaghettis. Innumerable Django sequels were inevitable and unrelated films were retitled to cash in on the series popularity. Such was the case with director Giulio Questi's film If You're Alive, Shoot! retitled Django Kill! Django Kill! was made durng the spag west peak period, the late sixties. It hits all the bases of the genre: excessive violence, a stoic, Eastwood-esque anti-hero, the ugliest desert landscapes you'll ever see, and, of course, strong Gothic overtones. (Any worthy spag west features at least one scene set in a graveyard and Django Kill! has more than its share.)
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 Django Kill!'s opening shot of hands clawing their way out of an open grave gives us fair warning not to expect a Disney flick. Those hands belong to The Stranger, a mysterious, perhaps supernatural individual (in one oft-cut scene bullets seem to pass through his body). He was left for dead by a ruthless gang of bandits who enter a community dubbed "the unhappy place" by locals. The town lives up its moniker when its citizens band together and murder all the bandits. Complications ensue when a rival band of homosexual criminals enter the scene, having heard that the slain bandits carried a cache of gold which the town's mayor now possesses. They attempt to blackmail the mayor out of his newfound treasure by kidnapping his young son and gang raping the kid (thankfully offscreen) until he commits suicide. Later, they learn that the gold may be buried in the town cemetery and in their zeal to find it, proceed to dig up every grave. Meanwhile, The Stranger remains aloof, occasionally popping in to shoot somebody or romp with the madwoman locked in the mayor's attic.
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* The exteriors are drab and ugly, and none of the characters appear to have bathed in years, if ever. |
 Giulio Questi directs with hallucinatory style while sticking closely to the particulars of the genre. The violence is unusually graphic and so are the horrific scenes: The Stranger's torture by crucifixion in a cell containing dozens of bloodthirsty vampire bats, and the evil mayor's death as melting gold turns his head into a gleaming mask. For all of its interesting qualities, Giulio Questi's film is not one of the great spaghetti westerns. With a 2-hour plus running time, it's overlong by at least 30 minutes. This is especially noticeable during the film's second half when Questi's pacing slows. It almost comes to a standstill as the film nears its conclusion, definitely a poor spot to drag.
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 Django Kill! (AKA If You're Alive, Shoot!) C.I.A Cinematographica/Hispamer Films Director: Giulio Questi Producer: Alex J. Rascal Screenplay: Franco Arcalli, Guido Questi Cinematography: Franco Delli Colli Editing: Franco Arcalli Cast: Thomas Milian, Marilu Tolo, Piero Lulli, Milo Quesada, Roberto Carmardiel, Patrizia Valturri
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