A Bullet for the General
A volatile Mexican Revolution western follows a bandit chief and a mysterious American ally through gun-running, shifting loyalties, and ideological violence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- boisterous
- tense
- fatalistic
- classic western night
- spaghetti western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a lively and accomplished spaghetti western that combines boisterous action with serious political and historical themes, though editing and continuity were criticized in some versions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Mexican Revolution drives the struggle over weapons, military power, and allegiance to General Elías.
Bill Tate presents himself as a calm, useful American ally while the story questions his true objective.
The film is explicitly identified as a spaghetti western and combines boisterous action with serious revolutionary politics.
The American gringo's presence within the Mexican revolutionary struggle makes foreign motives central to the film's political tension.
Films like A Bullet for the General, and why
The Mercenary
shared spaghetti western style, revolutionary politics, and morally ambiguous outlaws
Duck, You Sucker!
shared Mexican Revolution setting, political conflict, and revisionist western tone
A Fistful of Dynamite
shared politically charged spaghetti western form, bandit protagonists, and anti-authoritarian themes
The Big Gundown
shared brutal western action, ideological tension, and charismatic outlaw figures
Movie Details
- Director
- Damiano Damiani
- Release Date
- 1967-01-13
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (141)
Cast
- Gian Maria Volonté
- Klaus Kinski
- Martine Beswick
- Lou Castel
- Aldo Sambrell
- José Manuel Martín
- Jaime Fernández
- Andrea Checchi
- Spartaco Conversi
- Joaquín Parra
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, IndieFlix, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Bullet for the General about?
- A volatile Mexican Revolution western follows a bandit chief and a mysterious American ally through gun-running, shifting loyalties, and ideological violence.
- What is A Bullet for the General like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Bullet for the General as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Bullet for the General violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in A Bullet for the General as graphic.
- What did critics think of A Bullet for the General?
- Critics broadly regard it as a lively and accomplished spaghetti western that combines boisterous action with serious political and historical themes, though editing and continuity were criticized in some versions.
- Which films are like A Bullet for the General?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mercenary, Duck, You Sucker!, A Fistful of Dynamite, and The Big Gundown.
- How long is A Bullet for the General?
- A Bullet for the General runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Bullet for the General?
- In United States, A Bullet for the General streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, IndieFlix, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
