Fistful Of Dollars

First Leone film, first of the 'Dollars' trilogy, first serious Clint Eastwood film. This is a fun ride, tipping a hat in sincerity to the Western genre conventions while going it's own merry way.
Leone obviously knows what he's doing, it is paced just right and is intriguing and action packed enough without being over-the-top. Eastwood does what he does, showing weakness now and again which is nice. He still comes out of it with an aura you only see in Hollywood; he's obviously the hero, whatever he does.
This film is, despite having decent weight behind it, not entirely serious. We are never asked to consider the violence, Eastwood's surreal character is meant to be faintly ridiculous. The oddest moment of the film has to be Eastwood's glance at the camera after accidently punching out the women; in that we have the whole mood of the Western summed up, considered upon, and subverted. The soundtrack is minimal, and peculiar (as always for Morricone), which works without the theatrical fireworks he'll let off in later productions.
So, this is a fine, not too long, deliberately odd take on the before-moribund Western genre. It's not something to blow you away, but has a cool aesthetic, an exciting plot, and great acting and directing.