‘Heads or Tails?’ Review: John C. Reilly Plays Buffalo Bill in a Wacky Italy-Set Western With Ambition to Burn

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The movie “Heads or Tails?” – a joint production between Italy and the U.S. – begins by recreating a true historical event: Buffalo Bill (portrayed by John C. Reilly) and his traveling circus-like rodeo show’s early 20th century trip to Italy. This unconventional western-inspired film, which tells a fictional tale of young lovers (Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Alessandro Borghi) evading bounty hunters, interacts with revolutionaries and train robbers, eventually strays far from the traditional narrative and delves into the realm of magical realism.

This innovative project, helmed by Matteo Zoppis and Alessio Rigo de Righi (previously known for The Tale of King Crab), is undeniably ambitious, although not all its bold moves find their mark. However, what sets it apart is the unique concept of a European “horse opera,” a refreshing change from the traditional western genre where European landscapes were portrayed as American locales, a common practice in the 1960s spaghetti western era. This production, with its self-referential elements, spirals into a tale that becomes purely fictional but with some intriguing quirks and twists.

Nadia Tereszkiewicz, a French actress who portrayed the lead character Rosa, stands out with her powerful performance in a role that was not well-written on paper. Her character may have been written as French, similar to the actress herself, which led to minimal Italian dialogue and numerous scenes of her looking anxious or melancholic while gazing into the distance, sometimes while riding a horse. However, her attentive and alert demeanor gives Rosa an unspoken depth. Additionally, her hairstyle resembling poodle curls and her captivating eyes bring to mind Julie Christie in Robert Altman’s “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971), a classic revisionist western that serves as a fitting reference for this film to establish its purpose effectively.

It appears that Rosa had connections with the sex industry at some point, much like Mrs. Miller from Christie’s world. This may explain how she came to be married to Mirko Artuso, who went by Ercole Rupe, a man known for his gambling addictions and being the son of a wealthy landowner, Senor Rupe, also a former spaghetti western actor named Gianni Garko.

Following Buffalo Bill’s performance, Rupe the younger and Bill himself agreed to a horse-riding competition to determine which group, Italians or Americans, excelled more at taming wild horses. A coin flip (hence the name) determined that Santino, the Italian champion, would participate, and despite being instructed to lose by Ercole for the purpose of his gambling wins, the dashing horse trainer couldn’t resist trying to win the competition instead. Tensions rose between Ercole and Santino in the stables, but it was Rosa’s actions that ultimately decided their outcome. Moments earlier, she had been flirting with Santino, but her actions sealed their destiny.

Riding on a newly broken-in white mustang, Santino’s horse from just hours earlier at the ring, Rosa and Santino set off towards the sandy deserts beyond Rome, chased by Rupe’s bounty hunters and Buffalo Bill. The vivid, slightly exaggerated account of the chase forms the dramatic narration, reminding us once again that reality often falls short in Western legends compared to their on-screen portrayals.

To be quite honest, many elements of this script (written by de Righi, Zoppis and Carlo Salsa) remind me of classic western tales. For instance, the shady cellmate Santino crosses paths with feels eerily similar to characters from the past. Then there’s the group of anarchists who seem to aid our lovers in their makeshift train-car settlement, but as we soon discover, they too have secret motives hidden beneath their facade.

Intriguingly, around the turn of the 20th century, the call for rebellion by the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who is known from the movie “Viva Zapata!”, was echoed in the newly unified Italian state as well. Just like the expansion of the railway system sparked conflict in North America, here it was local workers sweating under the sun while constructing tracks instead of imported Chinese laborers or American-born slaves or prisoners. Despite linguistic differences, the underlying messages remain consistent.

As increasingly fantastical elements emerge in the narrative, it becomes less clear where Head or Tails? is headed, yet the experience remains entertaining throughout. The visual appeal is enhanced significantly by its use of various film stocks – 35mm, Super 16mm, and 16mm – along with digital enhancements that blend seamlessly. And nothing evokes a classic western feel quite like the prominent grain texture and abundant magic-hour lighting, beautifully captured by DP Simone D’Arcangelo and team. Indeed, this is how a western should be portrayed.

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2025-05-22 21:24