Love Clint Eastwood's 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'? Watch This 100% Fresh Documentary

The standoff in the climactic showdown between Clint Eastwood, his scene stealer co-star Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach's characters in Sergio Leone's 1966 epic spaghetti Western masterpiece The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is arguably the most unforgettable in cinematic history. Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes, the respective characters of the three legends, continue to live on in the hearts of fans over fifty years later. At the mention of the film, it's inevitable to picture their extreme close-ups, juxtaposed with long shots of the sweeping landscape of an eerie, circular graveyard. You'll remember how, for minutes, the tension escalated with Ennio Morricone's magical score in the background, without a word being spoken between the three. What may not be known to some is that the sprawling 5,000-capacity graveyard, Sad Hill Cemetery, was a set built from scratch by Spanish soldiers, commissioned by Sergio Leone. Located near Burgos, over the years, the set disappeared into obscurity as it was not maintained following the completion of filming.

It is this cemetery that is at the center of Sad Hill Unearthed, a 2017 documentary film that captures how passionate fans and volunteers (brought together by social media) restored the burial site, which has now become a tourist attraction. The film, directed by Guillermo de Oliveira, features interviews with Eastwood, Morricone, and Metallica's lead vocalist, James Hetfield. Metallica has often used The Good, The Bad and The Ugly's iconic theme song as its opening music in live concerts. Other interviewees include The Good, The Bad and The Ugly's editor, Eugenio Alabiso, among other crew members, as well as industry experts and fans. Sad Hill Unearthed is a fitting tribute to Leone's legend, and its perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes testifies to its ability to connect with audiences on a deep, personal and cultural level.

'Sad Hill Unearthed' Revives 'The Good, the Bad and The Ugly's Rich Cinematic History

Beyond its coverage of the physical restoration of one of the most popular graveyards in the world, Sad Hill Unearthed connects generations of cinephiles united by their love for film. Director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The New Batch), who features in the documentary, aptly puts it, "For some people, film is their religion."

Sad Hill Unearthed features a wide range of fans — from those who saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly when it first premiered and have carried its legacy for decades, to newer fans who joined along the way, and even those experiencing it for the first time during a special evening screening at the restored graveyard. The passion that the different cadres of fans exude can be seen in their attention to detail as they cooperate in the restoration and in their efforts to replicate iconic shots from the 1966 film. For instance, Arch Stanton's grave, as well as the one marked "Unknown," are labeled exactly as they are in the film and placed as they appear, with the barren tree that marked their spot maintained in the restoration. Through the shared love for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Guillermo de Oliveira's documentary is a love letter to the power of movies, the communities they create, and the lasting impact they leave on people’s lives.

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'Sad Hill Unearthed' Offers Interesting Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits During the Making of 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'

Interviews with Clint Eastwood, some of the crew who worked on Leone's film, and spaghetti Western buffs provide interesting recounts of events that took place behind the scenes during the making of the epic. Even without necessarily divulging explosive new information, Eastwood's recounting of how he and Eli Wallach avoided being in the trenches during the bridge explosion scene, a multilingual mishap that led to the accidental and costly destruction of the bridge, and the subsequent reconstruction and re-shoot, as well as his overall contribution to the documentary is both nostalgic and refreshing. The involvement of critics and crew members, including Morricone's take on how he uniquely approached composing the film's music, adds star power that ultimately weaves a heartwarming homage to Sergio Leone's iconic masterpiece.

If you’re a fan of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Sad Hill Unearthed is the perfect companion piece. It's equal parts heart and history that offers a deeper understanding of one of cinema’s greatest works of art, one that is about the power to inspire and unite.

Sad Hill Unearthed

A documentary following film fans working to restore the set of the climatic graveyard scene from the iconic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

Release Date December 1, 2018

Director Guillermo de Oliveira

Runtime 86 minutes

Main Genre Documentary

Sad Hill Unearthed is currently available to stream on Apple TV+.

WATCH ON APPLE TV+