Westerns have enjoyed some sort of renaissance in recent years with the advent of new projects that bring audiences back in tune with dusty spectacles and gunslinging bravado. Within this genre, movies like Kevin Costner's sweeping theatrical epic, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 & Chapter 2, and Eddington, a contemporary neo-western dark thriller, stand out as modern entries into the genre. Television shows such as Netflix's violent and gritty limited series, American Primeval and the acclaimed historical anthology from Paramount+, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which stars David Oyelowo in the lead role, help prop up the genre within the sphere of television.
However, arguably the most recognizable Western of the past decade or so, is Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western drama series, Yellowstone. While not set on the 19th-century American frontier, Yellowstone's success allowed the franchise to venture into that era and others through prequels. Costner led Yellowstone, and the star can be considered a star of the genre, who romanticized and revived it for modern audiences. However, it should be without question that Clint Eastwood was the back upon which the entire idea of modern Westerns was laid upon. As almost a matter of fact, as a film enthusiast, it's almost likely that when you imagine a classic Western movie, you likely envision Eastwood in the Dollars Trilogy, as the Man with No Name.
The Dollars Trilogy is a compilation of three movies which one can comfortably pencil down under true all-time classics. A Fistful of Dollars was its first entry in 1964 with Eastwood starring and Sergio Leone directing. That entry stood out as a breakthrough for spaghetti Westerns and was quickly followed by the other two films in the series, For a Few Dollars More in 1965 and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly the following year. Despite the passing of sixty years since the trilogy premiered, it remains incredibly popular, with several aspects of its production, like its layered storytelling, standing the test of time. Now, if you have an interest in owning the full trilogy as a set, the perfect opportunity has presented itself. Kino Lorber recently announced that it's releasing a new 4K UHD box set called the Sergio Leone Masterworks. Whilst holding all three films of the Dollars Trilogy, the box set also holds Once Upon a Time in the West in 4K UHD. The Sergio Leone Masterworks box set is currently set to release on November 24, and costs $150. However, you can pre-order it on Amazon right now for $107.
What Happens Throughout the 'Dollars' Trilogy?
The Dollars trilogy follows Eastwood's enigmatic Man with No Name through three separate adventures with unique storylines. In A Fistful of Dollars, upon his arrival in a divided town, he artfully manipulates two rival factions into destroying each other after inserting himself in both camps. By the time we arrive in For a Few Dollars More, we see him form an uneasy partnership with a bounty hunter (Lee Van Cleef), as they seek out a ruthless outlaw. In the final entry, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the story expands into a sweeping Civil War-era epic with buried gold the center of attention. Three gunslingers would ultimately be forced into an unstable alliance as they compete for the same fortune buried somewhere in the desert.
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