- Mannaja
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Mannaja Directed by Sergio Martino Produced by Luciano Martino Written by Sergio Martino
Sauro ScavoliniStarring Maurizio Merli
John Steiner
Sonja Jeannine
Donald O'Brien
Philippe LeroyMusic by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis Cinematography Federico Zanni Editing by Eugenio Alabiso Studio Devon Film
Intes CorporationRelease date(s) Italy 1977
France 1980
Norway 1983/84 (video)
Running time 101 minutes Country Italy Language Italian Mannaja (also known under the English title A Man Called Blade, USA) is an Italian western film from 1977 directed by Sergio Martino. The main role, Blade, is played by Maurizio Merli. Other central roles are played by John Steiner, Sonja Jeannine, Donald O'Brien, Philippe Leroy and Martine Brochard.
Mannaja is a western with strong influences from drama and thrillers.
Contents
Plot
Man hunter Blade (Maurizio Merli) arrives at the mining town of Suttonville with the lawless Burt Craven (Donald O'Brien) as his prisoner. He gets noticed when he uses a tomahawk in their fight against an outlaw. After a short time, Blade's reputation becomes grater, and he comes to the attention of the city's wealthy and crippled mayor, McGowan (Philippe Leroy) and his corrupt lackey Voller (John Steiner), hired to find the mayor's daughter (Sonja Jeannine) who has disappeared. Blade is not aware that she has been kidnapped by Voller, who secretly works for a gang that regularly plunders coachloads of silver from the mayor's silver mine. After a while, Blade is imprisoned, beaten up, and left to die as part of a plan by Voller and his men. However, against all the odds, he survives. Blade prepares for the final battle, but not only against Voller and his gang. He also wants revenge against those who killed his father when he was small.
The film was released on DVD in 2002 (Region 2).
About the film
Mannaja is an unusual spaghetti western, in that it contains some symbolism and emotional scenes that give the viewer the feel of an adventure or horror film, particularly in the opening scene in the swamp, and the scene in the cave. Mannaja has been compared to a contemporaneous film called Keoma (1976). Like other spaghetti westerns it is sometimes rather brutal, and contains fairly graphic depictions of murder with an axe. It was banned in Sweden.
Starring
(utvalg)
- Maurizio Merli: Blade (Mannaja)
- John Steiner: Theo Woller
- Sonja Jeannine: Deborah McGowan
- Donald O'Brien: Burt Craven
- Philippe Leroy: Ed McGowan
- Martine Brochard: Angela
- Salvatore Puntillo: Johnny
- Antonio Casale: Dahlman
- Enzo Fiermonte: agente del governo
- Rick Battaglia: padre di Mannaja
- Aldo Rendine: uomo derubato
- Enzo Maggio: vecchietto
- Sergio Tardioli: barista
- Sophia Lombardo: Lucy
References
External links
- Mannaja at the Internet Movie Database
- Eccentric cinema (review and pictures, English)
- Swedish video cover from 1982
Internet TV
The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) · Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) · Milano trema: la polizia vuole giustizia (1973) · Torso (1973) · Gambling City (1975) · Sex with a Smile (1976) · Mannaja (1977) · The Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978) · Island of the Fishmen (1979) · Cornetti alla crema (1981) · 2019, After the Fall of New York (1983) · Vendetta dal futuro (1986) · Casablanca Express (1989)
Cinema of Italy Actors · Directors · Animation · Cinematographers · Composers · Editors · Producers · Screenwriters Films A-Z · Films by year: 1910 · 1911 · 1912 · 1913 · 1914 · 1915 · 1916 · 1917 · 1918 · 1919 · 1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1925 · 1926 · 1927 · 1928 · 1929 · 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935 · 1936 · 1937 · 1938 · 1939 · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011Categories:- Italian films
- Italian-language films
- Films directed by Sergio Martino
- Italian drama films
- 1970s Western films
- Spaghetti Westerns
- 1977 films
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