Christopher Frayling is one of the best writers on movies that I have ever encountered. So reading his very lengthy book about the director of my favorite film of all-time was something I was eager to do.
Something To Do With Death is fairly massive. But the amount of details within the book are extraordinary. While I thought I knew as much as there was to know about The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Frayling went into such detail that I realized I didn’t know a fraction of what happened during the production of that film.
The book chronicles all of Leone’s major films. Each chapter is quite beefy but every page is necessary and engaging. It gives insight from Leone himself, as well as his stars: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda and everyone else, really.
It also explores how Leone changed the course of filmmaking and it delves into a thorough explanation of the growth and expansion of spaghetti westerns, as a response to Leone’s films’ popularity – not just in Italy but around the globe.
Something To Do With Death is an epic book in regards to its subject matter. Frayling is a spectacular writer and this book makes me want to pick up all of his other stuff out there.
Rating: 8.75/10
Talking Pulp 