Most critics respond warmly to Sergio Leone’s Western, with praise clustering around his handling of confrontations, close-up detail and larger-than-life characters. The pairing of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef gives the bounty-hunting story a rivalry that keeps its loyalties uncertain. The reviews particularly value the prolonged shoot-outs and playful exchanges, while the Western imagery, distinctive supporting faces and Ennio Morricone’s elaborate score add to the film’s appeal. Plot matters less to these admirers than the pleasure of individual scenes.
Reservations concern both the storytelling and the violence, though the spread is wide rather than mildly divided. Empire admires the scenes while finding that they do not form a tightly plotted story; Variety praises the action but considers the film somewhat overlong. The New York Times is the clear dissenter, treating the elaborate shooting and killing as an indulgence of bloodlust rather than a source of enjoyment.