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The Five Man Army

The Five Man Army (Un esercito di 5 uomini)

Movie · 1969 · 15 people

Set during the Mexican Revolution and running about 105 minutes, The Five Man Army, originally Un esercito di 5 uomini ("An Army of 5 Men"), dates from 1969 as an Italian spaghetti western. It has been shown as Die fünf Gefürchteten in Germany, Cinq Hommes armés in France and Un ejército de cinco hombres in Spain, and it was released in Iran in a dubbed version under a title meaning "Five Fighting Men".

The story hinges on a single large robbery: five men are brought together to steal a shipment of gold from a heavily guarded train during the revolution. Each has a skill of his own, from explosives expertise to martial arts, and these talents are used to carry out a plan that looks impossible at first glance. The cast includes Peter Graves, Bud Spencer, Nino Castelnuovo and Tetsurō Tamba, as well as Daniela Giordano, Claudio Gora, Carlo Alighiero and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart.

The film was directed by Don Taylor and Italo Zingarelli. The script is by a young Dario Argento, later a master of horror and thriller cinema, who is also said to have directed some sequences without credit. Ennio Morricone composed the score and Enzo Barboni shot the film.

DirectorItalo Zingarelli, Don Taylor

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Cast

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Nino Castelnuovo Nino Castelnuovo Actor · died at 84 Daniela Giordano Daniela Giordano Actor · died at 75 Peter Graves Bud Spencer Claudio Gora Carlo Alighiero Giacomo Rossi-Stuart Marino Masè Antonio Monselesan Luigi Bonos James Daly Tetsurō Tamba Lina Franchi Fortunato Arena José Torres

Through different eyes

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Gold stolen from a heavily guarded train, five men who are each masters of their own trade, and Morricone in the background. Fusing the heist film with the western still works. The real fun is watching an impossible-looking plan come together step by step. The one gap: the team members are little more than their skills, so don't expect depth.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

The credits are almost more intriguing than the film: a young Dario Argento on the script, Enzo Barboni behind the camera, Ennio Morricone on the score. Argento's structure leans not on the usual spaghetti-western revenge template but on the mechanical pleasure of the heist film: plan, specialisms, timing. That choice gives it a tidier skeleton than most entries in the genre. On the other hand, two credited directors and the report that Argento shot some sequences uncredited leave open whose vision this really is; in my view it is better judged as good teamwork than as an auteur's film. The revolution, meanwhile, stays a backdrop and never gains depth.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

Bud Spencer's name may lead the household to expect a comedy, but this is a heist western. It is set during a revolution, with explosives and fights. Older kids and teenagers will enjoy the adventure; for little ones it may be a bit rough. A good weekend pick for older kids and grown-ups alike.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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