Truly an icon of cinema. No other man commands the blend of cool and certainty than Garda's favorite son. Upon viewing his filmography one is hit by not only the variety of roles, but also the genres. He's one of the few actors to strike it big in all of the big three Italian Genres of the 70s. He did Westerns, Giallo and Crime films with little or no hesitation. Seamlessly flowing from one to another. A true master of his occupation.
His dealings with Demofilo Fidani aside, his western roles were good. Dead Men Ride is a great example of mid era pasta and of course his participation in the masterpiece that is Four of the Apocalypse will forever have him embedded in the genre's history. He was always a rugged looking character and his unmatched mix of ruggedness and class played perfectly in the Spaghetti Western form.
His Giallo performances were always inspired, but in relation to the genre he will always be identified with the classic sleaze fest What Have You Done to Solange? and for good reason. His performance as the ethically questionable Enrico Rosseni is wonderful.
But the genre he will always be known for is undoubtedly the Italian Crime film. His films with Enzo Castellari are among the most over the top entertaining of the genre. The Big Racket is practically the Italian Crime version of the Dirty Dozen. Again, his combination of toughness and class shine through like everything a cop or criminal should be in an Italian Crime Thriller.
All in all, the man doesn't know how to play a role half assed. A God among actors.
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