Love, bullet and rage

Shooter Clayton Drumm (Fabio Testi) is awaiting execution in prison when he is suddenly offered a pardon and a large sum of money if he agrees to kill a certain Matthew Sibanek (Warren Oates) who refuses to sell his plot to a railway company. Clayton accepts the offer and sets off.

He finds Matthew, but does not try to kill him, but instead asks to give him an overnight stay for a couple of days. Matthew Sibanek realizes that Clayton is working for the railway company and says that he once worked for them too, killing people, but decided to settle down. Two days later, Clayton reports that he intends to leave. On the night before departure, the young wife of Matthew Sibanek, Catherine (Jenny Egatter), is cheating on him with Clayton. Upon learning of this, Matthew becomes furious, trying to shoot Clayton leaving. Katherine does not let him do this, then he tries to strangle her, but she stabs him with a knife and stuns him with a rolling pin. Believing that she killed her husband, Katherine follows Clayton.

Clayton and Catherine stay in a small hotel, where they are noticed by Virgil, one of the three brothers Matthew Sibanek. He opens fire first, and Clayton is forced to kill him with a return shot. Meanwhile, the two remaining brothers discover a seriously wounded but alive Matthew. A little later they bring Virgil's body.

Matthew, his brothers and one of their acquaintances set off in pursuit. Clayton and Katherine stop in a small town, the same one where Clayton was going to hang. Clayton returns the advance payment to the railway company, stating that Matthew Sibanek is dead, but he did not kill him. The next morning, Matthew arrives in the city with his brothers. During the ensuing skirmish, Clayton is injured in the leg and forced to flee. Katherine is captured and driven home.

The management of the company, learning that Matthew Sibanek is alive, sends two groups of shooters - for Clayton and Matthew. The shooters find Clayton in a brothel, but he manages to kill them, and he hurries to help Matthew. Ambush mercenaries manage to kill Matthew's brothers. Clayton, who had arrived in time, was killing attackers from a rifle from a long distance.

Matthew is grateful for the help, but insists on a duel. With a well-aimed shot, Clayton knocks the revolver out of Matthew's hand, but does not kill him. Clayton leaves, leaving Catherine with Matthew. After some time, Matthew and Catherine, loading their belongings on a wagon, set fire to the house and also left.

The original script was written by Larry Cohen but he did not arrange Monte Hellman. At his request, Jerry Harvey and Douglas Venturelli completely rewrote the script, leaving only the basic idea about an elderly husband, young wife and infidelity. ^[2] The final script was rewritten during the filming. Both screenwriters are present in the film (two men sitting on the couch at the entrance to the brothel). ^[3]

The film was shot in southern Spain , in a desert area where the vast majority of spaghetti westerns were filmed.

Legal difficulties associated with the joint Italian-Spanish production of the film and the receipt of subsidies from the budget of Italy, led to the need for numerous rental tricks: ^[4]

• Lots of names. Amore, Piombo e Furore for Italian film distribution, and Clayton Drumm for Spanish. In the USA, the film was released under the names "Gunfighters", "Clayton and Catherine" and under the original name "Cnina 9, Liberty 37".
• In the credits for the Italian rental, Antonio Brandt, who was actually the assistant director, is indicated as the director. Also in the Italian version Ennio de Conchini and Vicente Escriva were mentioned as co-authors of the script, but in fact they were not related to the film.
• The installation was completely completed by Monte Hellman, but Cesare D'Amico was indicated in the credits.
• Due to possible legal complications, I had to refuse to show the film at the Cannes Film Festival .

• Brad Stevens. Monte Hellman: His Life and Films = Monte Hellman: His Life and Films. - McFarland, 2003 .-- 210 p. - ISBN 0-7864-1434-0 .

• Review: 'China 9 Liberty 37' (Eng.) , Variety (December 31, 1977). Date of treatment November 10, 2015.

• Peter Nelson China 9, Liberty 37 Review . The Spaghetti Western Database (May 29, 2009). Date of treatment November 10, 2015.

• Chris B. China 9, Liberty 37 (1978) - Review . But Then Again, Who Does? (movie blog) (May 14, 2014). Date of treatment November 10, 2015.

• Mark Tinta. Cult Classics Revisited: CHINA 9 LIBERTY 37 (1978 ) . Good Efficient Butchery (movie blog) (September 15, 2015). Date of treatment November 10, 2015.

• " Love, Bullet, and Fury ” on the Internet Movie Database  
• Love, Bullet, and Fury on Rotten Tomatoes