THE ENDURING VALUE OF
*THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY*
A film that has remained immortal in the hearts of audiences for decades and holds great significance for the present day.
*Watch to reflect.
*Watch to draw parallels with the times we live in.
*Watch to witness human nature when confronted with evil, wickedness, and baseness.
*What path do people choose when faced with the allure of gold and power?
*Do Truth, Goodness, and Beauty still exist in today's world? Why? We invite you to join us for a special program dedicated to the screenwriter, director, composer, and actors—each bringing their own unique qualities to the diverse cast of this world-renowned classic Western.
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Clinton Eastwood Jr. was born on May 31, 1930, at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco; he is a world-renowned American actor and filmmaker. His parents were Ruth and Clinton Eastwood (1906–1970), and the family was living in the Lake Merritt neighborhood of Oakland at the time.
He is one of the most decorated stars in the industry, having won four Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three César Awards, in addition to receiving nominations for three BAFTAs and a Grammy Award. He has been honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, an Honorary Palme d'Or, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. He has also been awarded two of France's highest civil honors: Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) in 1994 and the Legion of Honour in 2007.
As a child, he was a non-traditional student and held various jobs before becoming a film actor.
He has starred in many famous films, but *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly* is perhaps my favorite. It is one of the most iconic Westerns in cinematic history. The film stands as a masterpiece not merely for its suspenseful gunfights, but for its storytelling, the power of its imagery and music, and its portrayal of human character within a world rife with violence, greed, and betrayal.
I have been passionate about movies and books since childhood, and Clint Eastwood was one of the actors who captivated us kids. He was not only a talented actor but also created a cowboy persona that has endured across generations of audiences. His character also commands our affection and respect.
The character Blondie, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, possesses a unique appeal. He is a man of few words—cool, observant, and rarely revealing his inner thoughts.
THE STOIC HERO
Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of Blondie in *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly* is far from the archetype of a flawless hero. To survive, he is calculating and exploiting situations to triumph over villains in a world where trust is a luxury. Yet, he maintains moral boundaries and moments of genuine humanity.
Eastwood acts through his eyes, facial expressions, and silence—a unique strength of his performance.
THREE CHARACTERS—THREE DISTINCT PERSONALITIES THAT DEFINE THE FILM'S VALUE
***Three characters—three aspects of human nature:
-The Good — Blondie: Calm, intelligent, and pragmatic, yet bound by moral limits.
-The Bad — Angel Eyes: Cold, ruthless, and calculating; willing to kill for personal gain.
The Ugly — Tuco: Quick-witted, humorous, and greedy, yet also pitiable and brimming with vitality.
They stand in contrast to one another, embodying the era and history of America's formation—a time of wild struggle and lawlessness across a raw, untamed frontier.
Perhaps, the characters do not perfectly align with the film's title. Blondie is not purely "good," nor is Angel Eyes simply "bad"; Meanwhile, Tuco—despite his rough exterior and numerous flaws—possesses remarkable psychological depth.
Eli Wallach is one of the three, bringing a personality that is drastic opposite to the others yet highly entertaining. A noisy, cunning, chaotic but full of humanity robber, accompanies and confronts the remaining two main characters. One of director Sergio Leone's greatest achievements was forced to pigeonhole these characters strictly into the categories of good and evil.
A BREATHTAKING SHOOTOUT – THE CODE OF THE OLD WEST UNDERWORLD
We were children and watching this scene. Everyone feared that Blondie, the handsome cowboy, would be gunned down by those two villains. It is a scene that remains a staple in cinema, a captivating piece of filmmaking art.
The brilliant director Sergio Leone chose a three-way standoff at the Sad Hill Cemetery for the climax.
Three men stood amidst thousands of graves. The space was vast, yet the atmosphere was suffocating. Faces were tense; eyes held a mix of bewilderment and fear, yet were intensely focused. Hands hovered over guns, waiting to unleash fire. Time seemed to stand still. Death loomed.
A style that transcends the Western genre, Sergio Leone transformed a tale of a gold hunt into a cinematic epic, blending violence, dark humor, tragedy, and reflections on the human condition.
The audience knew that some would live and others would die. Guns would fire, yet they could not tear their eyes away from the screen.
(***Nowadays, when a death-row inmate—who shot dead 13 innocent soldiers and wounded 23 others—is set to face execution, many hypocrites speak out in opposition.)
Director Leone stretched the suspense to an almost unbearable limit. He understood that, at times, the silence preceding the gunshot is more terrifying than the shot itself.
It was not merely a shootout to resolve a conflict or thwart an opponent's schemes. It was a clash of good and evil, greed and human calculation—brutality that had to be extinguished by the sound of gunfire. When the law cannot reach the wicked, the law of the underworld deals with them.
It is inevitable that the gentle—if they fail to act—will be devoured by wild wolves.
Another notable film I rewatched just a week ago—*The Outlaw Josey Wales*, starring Clint Eastwood—explores a similar theme. In the absence of the law, people turn on one another. Blood is shed, and human beings are hunted like wild beasts; the gentle, the kind, and the innocent become easy prey for those driven by animalistic savagery.
THE MUSIC OF ENNIO MORRICONE – THE FILM'S IMMORTAL SOUL
Sometimes, I want to revisit old Westerns just to hear music that echoes the sounds of nature: whistling, the thundering of hooves, and resounding neighs blending with the winds of the plains and mountains. At times, you might find yourself excitedly humming along to the cheerful tunes accompanying a galloping horse. Ennio Morricone composed truly magnificent film scores.
If Clint Eastwood’s image became iconic, then Ennio Morricone’s music transformed the film into a melody featuring sounds that mimicked wild howls and whistling, alongside guitar work and strange timbres unlike anything found in traditional Western soundtracks.
The music did more than just accompany the action; it signaled danger, injected irony, evoked a sense of solitude, and heightened the epic scale of the film. The score possessed such vitality that it has remained etched in people's memories for decades.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the film with a 97% approval rating from critics. Based on an aggregation of approximately 75 reviews, the film—and specifically Ennio Morricone’s captivating score—has received high praise.
The immense value of *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly* lies in how it lays bare the brutality of war and human greed.
A major merit of *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly* lies in how it exposes the brutality of war and human greed.
This represents the film's central thematic significance. After all, film, literature, and journalism reflect the times; they mirror humanity and individual destinies amidst the currents of history.
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the story follows three characters in pursuit of a hidden cache of gold. Along the way, they bear witness to wounded soldiers, the dead, and the devastation wrought by the conflict.
Certain scenes confront the viewer with a heart-wrenching paradox: soldiers slaughtering one another for lofty ideals, while the three gold-seekers exploit the war to serve their own selfish ends. The film does not preach morality directly. Instead, it lays bare the absurdity of violence, the fragility of life, and the overwhelming power of greed—a force that eclipses basic human decency—leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.
To my mind, the gold in the film is more than just a prize for the discoverer; it serves as a litmus test for human nature. Faced with immense wealth, who retains their sanity and a shred of dignity? Who turns traitor? And who stops at nothing to achieve their goal?
The boundaries between good, evil, and greed are laid bare when money, gold, and power consume the character of both "two-legged" and "four-legged" beings. The true nature of the animal—and the human wearing a human mask—is revealed when material gain supplants moral character. I foresee the current century—an era dominated by existentialism and pragmatism—where bizarre, deceptive, and illusory ideologies will lead humanity astray in its pursuit of a mirage-like paradise.
People see only the "treasure" depicted in the movie, failing to recognize the battle between good and evil unfolding within their own minds. They lose sight of the historical struggles and the fight for survival over centuries that forged the great United States of America we know today.
People of all ethnicities across the globe possess diverse cultures, skin colors, languages, customs, and religions. They can only live in harmony and friendship with other peoples if they conduct themselves with decency and a sense of reciprocity—repaying kindness and acknowledging wrongs. If they wish to receive grace, respect, and love from others, they must first prove themselves worthy of such rewards.
CLINT EASTWOOD – AN APPEAL THAT TRANSCENDS THE SCREEN
Clint Eastwood possesses a mysterious allure. He is ruggedly handsome and exudes a quintessential masculinity. His chiseled features, deep-set eyes, stoic expression, and calm demeanor create a unique magnetism.
What I admire even more is that this persona is not confined to his on-screen roles; he has also distinguished himself as a director, producer, and cinematic storyteller. In works like *Unforgiven* (1992), he revisits the cowboy world he once inhabited but offers a deeper perspective—one where "violence is stripped of glamour, the hero is not entirely noble, and the past cannot be easily washed away."
He is an artist who does not merely repeat the image that made him famous but dares to question that very persona.
You come to respect him even more for his intelligence, decency, compassion, and the courage to speak his mind. Eastwood holds clear personal convictions and has openly addressed issues regarding society, politics, and individual liberty. He has criticized the radical left, particularly their push to strip away the Second Amendment rights associated with his cowboy persona. While he does not always command universal agreement, his willingness to voice his own opinions has become an integral part of his compelling public image.
What I love about the cowboy world is the spirit of freedom and the deep appreciation for nature—the forests, mountains, flora, open seas, and rivers. I long to hear the breath of the wind, the stirring of the flora, the babbling of the stream, and the roaring of the sea, so that I may understand the harmony between all living things and the nature bestowed upon us by heaven and earth.
Amidst the profound suffering of the American Civil War, there were those who stood on the sidelines—venturing out on journeys across deserts and through rugged wilderness. These figures embody the human condition when faced with a vast, unforgiving world—a place where rescue was not always guaranteed. They were compelled to make their own decisions, bear personal responsibility, and confront the consequences of their choices.
The history of the United States is as complex as the movies on the silver screen. Alongside the pioneering spirit and the yearning for freedom, there were conflicts, the dispossession of Indigenous lands, and profound losses suffered by many communities. It is precisely this complex history that gives the Western genre such depth—making it far more than a series of thrilling adventures to be watched merely out of curiosity.
We admire Clint Eastwood because he imbued that iconic figure with a unique and deeply personal humanity. He entered our lives in our youth with his quintessential cowboy charisma, yet he has remained in our consciousness through the values he embodies—representing a rare breed of truly gifted artists whose talent, integrity, and individuality endure beyond the screen.
At 96, I pray that Clint Eastwood enjoys abundant health, peace, and joy. With a mind that remains sharp, he has lived long enough to witness the United States entering another difficult chapter—one whose drama sometimes rivals that of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Thank you, Clint Eastwood, for allowing children like me to grow up remembering you as an enduring icon of American cinema.
Sadly, the golden age of Hollywood is no more./.
By Phong Thu
THE END
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