Sonny and Jed

1972 "Three Women of the Old West...Wild...Raw...Vicious. They're the reason they called the West wild!"
6.2| 1h34m| R| en
Details

Jed (Tomas Milian) is an unlikely hero in this Italian western. As thoroughly unlikeable a robber as ever walked the West, he nonetheless robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Not only is he a murderous, ill-tempered sort, he is bad-mannered, too. When Sonny (Susan George) decides he should be her man and teach her how to be a proper outlaw, sparks fly.

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
The_Void Guns and violence are pretty synonymous with the Spaghetti Western genre; and while this film has all that stuff, the real reason Bandits is so good is not because of it; but because of the central characters and their relationship, and works so well mostly thanks to excellent performances from the beautiful Susan George and the immensely talented Tomas Milian. The film takes obvious influence from the famous story of Bonnie and Clyde, and indeed the most shocking thing about this film is the misogynistic nature of the lead male character. The story focuses on Jed; a good for nothing bandit who has little respect for anybody; friend or foe. His life is changed one day when he runs into a wannabe bandit by the name of Sonny, who he later finds out (much to his annoyance) is a female. They get split up after a robbery goes wrong, but fate soon brings the pair back together and they soon win themselves a reputation and have a price put on their head, leading the determined Sheriff Franciscus to chase the pair; stopping at nothing to bring them to justice.Bandits has two central plots; we have the idea of the pair being wanted and chased by mercenaries, and also the relationship between them. It's the latter plot that is by far the most interesting and the one that director Sergio Corbucci is most keen to focus on. He ensures that both of his central characters are extremely well fleshed out and this benefits the film immensely as the audience is really made to care for them. This genre is not well known for well put together characters, so that makes this film all the more surprising. Tomas Milian is undoubtedly the film's biggest standout and I would have no qualms putting him right near the top of an all time greatest actors list. He leads the film amazingly well and we're never left in any doubt as to who the star of the show is. He gets good support from Susan George in one of her best roles and Telly Savalas who is effective as the lawman. It all boils down to a conclusion that brings closure to both of the main plots and while Sergio Corbucci will always be better remembered for Django and The Grand Silence; this is still an excellent Spaghetti Western and not one to miss!
MARIO GAUCI This latter-day Spaghetti Western boasts a good cast (Tomas Milian, Susan George, Telly Savalas, Laura Betti, Eduardo Fajardo, Rosanna Yanni and Herbert Fux) and is enjoyable while it's on...but the misogynist traits of Milian's character in particular and the general unpleasantness of it all leaves a bad taste in the viewer's mouth. In essence, this is a vulgarization of the Bonnie and Clyde myth in Western garb with Jed (Milian) an illiterate brute with Robin Hood pretensions and Sonny (George, just off Peckinpah's STRAW DOGS [1971]) is almost always on the point of being raped by all and sundry. Among the gallery of grotesques that cross their path are blinded lawman Savalas, whorehouse madam Betti and sex-starved aristocrat Yanni. Ennio Morricone provides the typically eclectic music score but I wouldn't say it's one of his more memorable works.
spider89119 This movie is definitely not your average spaghetti western, and it's uniqueness is part of what makes it great.There are really two separate stories being told in the film, and they are both given equal weight. One of them is the chasing of Jed by a revenge seeking lawman played by Telly Savalas, and the other is the dysfunctional love story of Sonny and Jed. Franciscus, the character played by Savalas, seems out of place in a spaghetti western, wearing a long fur coat and basically being Kojak, accent and all. He even talks more like he belongs in a 1970's cop movie than a western. In one part he even calls Jed a "punk." I'm not sure, but I don't think I've ever heard that word in a spaghetti western before this one. I love when spaghetti westerns have these offbeat characters that don't belong in a western. It always makes for a cool and interesting movie. In the middle of the film, after Franciscus becomes disabled, Savalas gets to portray him as a totally different character, as his personality changes and his style of clothing becomes even more bizarre. He is truly great in this role.Tomas Milian plays the part of Jed, a character similar to the one he portrayed in Companeros, but a bit cruder. He is fantastic as usual. He plays this type of character perfectly. His antics are a lot of fun to watch. He even eats spaghetti in this movie! I've always wanted to see that in a spaghetti western. Susan George is good for the role of Sonny. There is one part where she uses 1960's slang when she speaks. You've just gotta love these Italian westerns!Ennio Morricone's score is brilliant, and one of his more memorable. It is not the typical spaghetti western score, but it fits, and has that haunting Euro-movie style.Definitely a must see for Euro-western fans
MovieMan-112 Sergio Leone, the king of spaghetti westerns, would never have dreamed of making a western like "Sonny and Jed." It is a poignant film that was considered daring at the time of its release and is now labeled by many as a cult classic. Tomas Milian, who took the stage name "Tomas" after his prime role model: Tomas F. Dobb, plays Jed in an unforgettable role initially intended for Rodney Dangerfield. Susan George plays Sonny, Jed's one-true love and partner-in-crime. This is a "Bonnie and Clyde" of the west. It isn't a great film, but it seems to entertain most of the time. The best performance in the film, by far, is by Telly Savalas. He plays a blind sheriff who is determined to catch Sonny and Jed dead or alive by using any means necessary BY HIMSELF! Savalas steals every scene he is in and rightfully so. The final line in the film, "Sonny, I love you, you M**********r!", is right up there with the final line in "Gone with the Wind". Some believe it's more touching than the "Gone with the Wind" line. This is one of those hard to find films like "A Town Called Hell", "Blood and Guns", and "Villa Rides." Get it if you can.