At a Glance
"Between" (I really don't want to have to type all the rest out) came out in 1968 and was directed by Marino Girolami (who also directed a movie called "Flying Sex" which I think is a very amusing title for a movie). Anyway, it stars Gilbert Roland as a quasi-outlaw named Juan Chasquisdo, Richard Harrison as Father Pat Jordan, and some kid whose name I don't know as, well, some kid who causes trouble for everyone, basically. Here's a brief synopsis brought to you by IMDB: "A stranger being chased by bandits dies in an accident, but not before he has had a chance to hide a treasure map the bandits wanted. A boy witnesses where it was hidden, retrieves it and passes it on to the local preacher. The preacher recognizes that much of the treasure was likely that from a local mission. He sets out to get it before the bandits find it."
Story and Characters
This movie is less of a Spaghetti Western, and more of a treasure hunt adventure. The story is alright, but it lacks the certain flair that most Spaghettis have. I think one of the main flaws is the way Roland's character was written. For example, there are some great creepy scenes where he is being nice to the young boy, all the while plotting something sinister. Those parts gave his character an edge and made me wonder what he was going to do next. By the end of the movie though, he ends up being just your average drifter. Maybe if there weren't so many other outlaw characters, there could have been some intense scenes with just the preacher and Chasquido. Another problem this movie has is its plot. Well, not the plot as a whole, but more the plot devices that are used to move the story along. A lot of the time it seems like the characters could easily kill each other off and get everything over with. The characters also make very dumb decisions that honestly don't seem realistic. There's a difference between a character being written to make bad decisions, and characters making bad decisions so the movie can progress a certain way. Despite all this, the characters aren't too bad, and I actually really liked the preacher.
Filming and Locations
It's fairly clear that effort was put into filming "Between." There is a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations, as well as inside a cave. That's pretty cool.
Music
The score isn't the most memorable, but it's still pretty good.
Overall
"Between God, the Devil, and a Winchester" is an average movie. It's paced and filmed well, but lacks that special something that keeps people intrigued. I personally enjoyed "Apache Blood" more because I could at least make fun of how bad it was. If anything, check it out just to see Gilbert Roland, one of the few real Mexicans who had large roles in Spaghetti Westerns.
Final Verdict: 3/5
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