In 1952, Fred Zinnemann’s acclaimed motion picture *High Noon* graced American screens. Its straightforward protagonist, Marshal Will Kane, portrayed by Gary Cooper, and his resolute moral code resonated deeply with audiences. Kane refuses to succumb to fear, standing firm against bullies and outlaws. Yet, amidst these antagonists, what happens when a figure with a seemingly golden heart emerges? When a man with self-proclaimed “Devil Eyes” reveals complex human emotions that transcend the conventions of the Western genre? This essay offers a brief yet passionate retrospective on man who played fascinating characters; such as “Jack Colby” from *High Noon*, “Reese” from *The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance*, and “Frank” from *Ride Lonesome*, culminating in an exploration of Lee Van Cleef’s iconic “Angel Eyes” and a journey into the transformation of his figure.
Mistrust is a familiar theme in the Western genre, even in its earliest iterations. The genre, quintessentially American, delves into the complexities of human nature. Budd Boetticher’s *Ride Lonesome* exemplifies this, portraying a man driven by financial desperation who must rediscover humanity and love beyond distrust and greed. While its optimistic arc contrasts with the nihilism of many spaghetti Westerns, such hope is not uncommon in films featuring Lee Van Cleef as a central figure, where cynicism rarely dominates.
Like many actors, Cleef turned to European Westerns to sustain his career, breathing new life into his stardom. This journey began with Sergio Leone, a director fascinated by subversion. Years later, Leone would cast the wholesome Henry Fonda as a sadistic villain in his masterpiece *Once Upon a Time in the West*. Earlier, in 1965, he selected Cleef—known in American cinema for his cold, anti-empathetic stare—for the deeply empathetic and tragic role in *For a Few Dollars More*. Leone’s instinct for poetic tragedy in casting is as rare as his catalog of masterpieces. Fonda’s blue eyes, framed by a greasy smile and weathered skin, convey a lost art, while Cleef’s “evil” eyes radiate sadness, revolt, and anger. This duality birthed an archetype that defined Cleef’s career.
Leone’s genius lay in crafting a subversion so profound that Cleef was repeatedly cast as morally ambiguous characters who committed evil deeds yet retained an enigmatic soul. Corruption became the central theme of Cleef’s career, propelled by the poetic power of *For a Few Dollars More*. Directors and writers, whether capitalizing on Leone’s vision or expanding it, created what I consider a trilogy of films—*Death Rides a Horse*, *Day of Anger*, and *The Big Gundown*—that showcase Cleef’s remarkable range and cement his status as an underappreciated legend of the Western genre.
### *Death Rides a Horse*
Following *For a Few Dollars More*, Cleef’s roles evolved from gangster stereotypes to benevolent father figures and men with dark, complex natures. The emotional weight of a close-up in *For a Few Dollars More* echoes through time, much like the retribution in the standoff of *Once Upon a Time in the West*. These films explore facets of evil, corruption, and human tragedy, juxtaposed with deceptive goodness masking undeniable malevolence.
What distinguishes Cleef’s character, Ryan, in Giulio Petroni’s *Death Rides a Horse* from Fonda’s villain in *Once Upon a Time in the West*? Both are perpetrators of trauma and revenge, yet directors like Budd Boetticher, Anthony Mann, and later John Ford explored the possibility of salvation for corruptible characters. In their films, greedy killers and selfish thieves—driven by trauma, desperation, or loneliness—undergo transformations, often through newfound love, evolving from egotism and violence toward heroism and justice. Ryan embodies both Fonda’s terrible past and the redemptive potential of Mann and Boetticher’s characters. As the titular “death,” he guides young Bill Meceita in his quest for revenge. The film’s climax hinges on Bill’s decision, positioning *Death Rides a Horse* as either a Leone-esque tale of inevitable retribution or a Mann-Boetticher narrative of redemption through human connection.
Beyond its thematic depth, *Death Rides a Horse* rivals the quality of classic Westerns. Its mythical narrative, reminiscent of a great novel, relies on potent poetic imagery and unrelenting tension. From the opening sequence, every element is meticulously crafted, maintaining a continuous and organic narrative flow while adopting an episodic structure. In comparison, Anthony Mann’s *Winchester ’73* portrays revenge met with nihilism, whereas *Death Rides a Horse* frames Bill Meceita’s vengeance—played by John Phillip Law—as both a product of greed and an emotionally aware quest, akin to Mann’s American Westerns. Cleef’s character, motivated by money and an unspoken father-son bond with Bill, adds further complexity. Director Giulio Petroni and cinematographer Carlo Carlini create a dynamic visual canvas, evolving from intense zooms and iconic imagery to a sublime, biblical terror reminiscent of Mann’s *The Fall of the Roman Empire* and the expressionism of Enzo G. Castellari’s *Keoma*.
### *Day of Anger*
In 1967, Cleef starred in two additional Westerns with significant thematic connections. Tonino Valerii’s *Day of Anger*, the second film in what I term the “Eyes of Gold” trilogy, serves as a counterpoint to *Death Rides a Horse*. Once again, Cleef plays a father figure, but Valerii adopts a Leone-inspired approach. His teachings are harsh, and unlike *Death Rides a Horse*, no redemptive grace offsets past sins. Echoing film noir, the film insists that sinners must continually pay for their transgressions, leaving only the wronged to find solace.
While *Day of Anger* may feel conventional compared to Leone’s masterpieces, Cleef’s character faces a fate aligned with Leone’s moral universe. As a dubious yet earnest mentor to a relatively innocent young man, Cleef’s role parallels the dynamic in *A Fistful of Dollars*, where the young man’s mule symbolizes his inexperience, contrasting with Eastwood’s ironic competence. This subversive poetry, a hallmark of Leone’s genius, is less prevalent in Valerii’s work, underscoring Leone’s unparalleled vision.
### *The Big Gundown*
Though *The Big Gundown* may not be the most potent of the trilogy, it boasts the strongest ending and comes closest to replicating Leone’s poetic irony. Director Sergio Sollima distinguishes himself by transforming a morally dubious character into an unequivocally heroic figure. Cleef, now a Western hero, pursues a man he believes to be a murdering pedophile. Legends surround his character, and the harsh “evil eyes” that defined his fame give way to vulnerability and confusion, revealing new dimensions in his performance. These qualities, hinted at in *Death Rides a Horse* and masterfully harnessed in *For a Few Dollars More*, culminate in a three-way Mexican standoff reminiscent of Leone’s work. Yet, Sollima and writer Sergio Donati redefine Cleef as a triumphant hero of the American West. Together, the trilogy—*Death Rides a Horse*, *Day of Anger*, and *The Big Gundown*—captures the multifaceted nature of Cleef’s Western persona.
After this trilogy, Cleef starred in films like *Sabata* and *The Grand Duel*, which fearlessly explored his humanity, whether through sinful retribution or redemption. *The Big Gundown* redefined Lee Van Cleef, building on Leone’s subversive foundation to establish him as more than a mere gang member. Lee Van Cleef became the name of a true Western hero.
Lee Van Cleef: Through The Eyes Of An Angel
