MANNAJA: A MAN CALLED BLADE
"Those that know me call me, Blade; because I got a habit of letting this do my talkin' for me"
IMDB.com Rating: 6.7 out of 10
Availability: In print, and moderately priced.
Watch Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZaqcwF3Dro
OH SHIT! Moment: Left to die, Mannaja is buried from the neck down with his head propped up towards the sun and his eyelids tacked open.
Beverage: A Bounty Hunter and a glass of High West Whisky
Ingredients:
- 1 Shot Malibu
- 1 Shit Kahlua
- 1 Shot Creme de Cacao
- Coconut Milk
Method:
Add ice to your glass, add one shot of Malibu, Kahlua and Creme de Cacao and fill up the rest of the glass with milk. Dust with chocolate powder.
_________________________________________________________________________________
What's the difference between a tomahawk and a hatchet? I mean, they're pretty much the same, except you generally don't throw a hatchet, right? I gotta buddy, his name is Kyle. One day, we were splitting firewood. Let me start over. One night, we were drinking heavily like 20-year-olds do. The next day, we were splitting firewood. Kyle was super-hungover and super-not-useful. He had to do something, though; so I gave him my brand new hatchet (unless we were throwing it, in which case it'd be a tomahawk, right?). I told him to chop up little blocks of wood for kindling. I even remember specifically saying, "don't cut yourself". I knew it was a bad sign when he was walking with it, pretending to chop at his neck. I immediately turned to one of the other guys and said there's no way Kyle's not gonna cut himself today. Some time later, two of my friends, Greg and O.J., came up to me and said, "stay calm, don't be mad. We have something we need to show you". We walked over to Kyle, face fresh with the oh, shit look. Then I looked down at his leg. About halfway up his shin, there was a gaping hole. "Gee, I don't remember bone being there", I thought; and then it hit me. "Caleb, get over here. You gotta see this", Greg shouted. We took him over to my dad. Huddled around him, we couldn't look away. The muscle would contract and expand occasionally, spilling blood in the process. We took a towel and wiped it quickly. And then the muscle expanded again. For a half a second, we could see bone; until it contracted, pouring blood again. "Hey, look, Joe. It's winking at you", Caleb said. So my dad takes Kyle home, an hour away (Joe, now dry-heaving in the background). By this time, the wound had clotted up. As Kyle took a step inside his house, he saw his younger sister. Kyle, as any boy would've done, takes off after his younger sister, chasing her throughout the house. Of course, the pressure on his leg caused the wound to open right back up. And dad -- well, he got out of there faster than Carl Lewis.
.jpg)
Let that be a lesson. I know there's a lesson in there somewhere. Figure it out and let it become a lesson. Any way, we have 'Mannaja' tonight. This is like an end of an era for me. I've been searching for this movie for ten years. I can remember being high school age and looking up Vipco's old website, wanting to order a copy. It's like when Bret Favre and Shaq retired. It's like when a President ends his run in office. This is the end of a long journey for me. Also, my inner 13-year-old boy always giggled when I said, "Mannaja". That hasn't a thing to do from a relevant stance; but I figured I'd put it out there.Blade is just your average tomahawk-wielding bounty hunter. His travels takes him to Suttonville; a small western mining town. Unwelcome, he begins to ruffle some feathers when he tries to stay. He clearly has a discrepancy with the town's mining boss, McGowan; but it's unclear as for why. He eventually sets aside his motives for revenge when McGowan's daughter gets kidnapped. This is an interesting turn in the plot, because it basically changes the direction of the film; but after being captured by the film's antagonist, he is left buried from the neck down, in a position which forced him to stare into the sun. Blinded, a fugitive who has a history with Blade finds him and digs him free. As he rehabilitates, he hones his senses and skill so he can exact revenge -- on, fucking, everybody.
It's an interesting movie. Unlike most westerns, 'Mannaja' contains symbolism and emotional scenes to give the viewer the feel of a horror film or a thriller. The picture begins in a foggy swamp and ends with a dark cave and a heavy fog. It's also a rather brutal western, in the same vein as 'Cutthroat's Nine' and 'Four of the Apocalypse'. It was for that reason this movie is banned in Sweden.
The heavy fog through a lot of the film gives it a surreal feel; but in all actuality, the filmmakers used it as a way to hide the sound stage they filmed on. The stunts of the film, which Maurizio Merli did almost of all, are extremely well-done. The make-up is very effective and realistic. The movie adds to its surreal-dimension with a dreamlike score. Scenes are intercut as well as could be. It really shows the influences 'The Wild Bunch' and The Man with No Name trilogy had on 'Mannaja'. In the end, you're left with an entertainingly great film and a feeling of fulfillment. So, time to grade it, yes?
On my scale:
Overall Enjoyment ----18
Redeeming Qualities---16
Rewatchability---------8
Fun/Special Effects----7
Directing/Quality------8
Plot/Storyline----------7
Pacing-----------------7
Dialogue/Acting-------8
TOTAL---------------79
'Mannaja' is a strong film with a good plot and better acting. It's worth every penny and is a film I could watch again and again. The pain our lead goes through is relatable at times; and he's a likable character with depth and emotion. The picture has a surreal feel unlike most westerns. It presents a number of uncertainties which makes the process of figuring out the plot more enjoyable. I would recommend anyone to watch 'Mannaja', even if you don't share my affinity for Italian films. This is one of the last great spaghetti westerns. Four stars. Tony-approved.
No comments:
Post a Comment