Available on Netflix for a few days, the film Blood & Gold is already number one in the best views of the platform. This spaghetti western, directed by Peter Torvart, screenwriter of The Wave series and director of Blood Red Sky, which has already become a hit on Netflix, takes us back to the end of World War II.
In this pulp war film that follows Quentin Tarantino’s side, we follow the story of soldier Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a deserter who is willing to do anything to return home and find his daughter. But on his way back, he encounters a marauding group of SS men led by their leader von Starfled (Alexander Scheer), who hangs him from a tree.
Fortunately, Heinrich is extremely saved by the brave farmer Elsa (Marie Haque), who hides him in her house. United by common motives and a desire for revenge, Heinrich and Elsa team up to destroy a horde of Nazis heading for a nearby village where a Jewish treasure is hidden.
The angry villagers, who want to keep the treasure, decide to resist them. Heinrich and Elsa soon become unwittingly involved in this fraught hunt for gold, which ends in a bloodbath in the village church.
This cinephile wink you might have missed
With a rock soundtrack, Blood & Gold combines action scenes, murders, explosions and bloody encounters with a spirit of pure fun. It’s no surprise that this movie quickly found itself at the top of Netflix’s views.
But if you’ve ever seen Blood & Gold, you might have missed director Peter Thorvart’s cinephile nod. While searching for the treasure, Heinrich and Elsa’s investigation leads them to meet some villagers who know about the gold that was originally hidden in one of the cemetery’s graves.
And if you stop at the 64th minute, you will be able to see the name of the deceased on the tombstone. And it’s not just any name, because it’s registered: Walter Hill. This wink is an homage to the real Walter Hill, a famous American screenwriter and director known for his Western-style action movies.
The filmography of the 81-year-old cinematographer can include Le Bagarreur with Charles Bronson, Driver with Isabelle Adjani or his cult film Les Guerriers la nuit. Walter Hill also produced and co-wrote Alien, Ridley Scott’s Eighth Passenger. He subsequently wrote or co-produced every film in the Alien franchise.
The filmmaker once participated in the Cannes Film Festival in 1980 with his film Gang of the James Brothers. But Walter Hill’s two biggest box office successes remain 48 Hours in 1982 and its sequel 48 More Hours in 1990. With this wink, Peter Torvart wanted to honor the American screenwriter and director, which is part of his influence in cinema.
The movie Blood & Gold is available on Netflix.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
