Lee Van Cleef played the villain Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Angel Eyes is a ruthless mercenary who hunts for a Confederate soldier connected to a hidden cache of gold during the American Civil War.
The character is identified as “Sentenza” in the film’s original Italian version, while “Angel Eyes” became the familiar English-language name. His cold expression, calculated cruelty, and willingness to betray anyone make him the film’s principal villain and its “Bad” figure.
Directed by Sergio Leone and released in 1966, the film brings Angel Eyes into conflict with Clint Eastwood’s Blondie and Eli Wallach’s Tuco. Each man possesses part of the information needed to locate the buried Confederate gold, creating a shifting contest of alliances and deception.
Bill Carson is the dying Confederate soldier who knows the location of the treasure, while Tuco is the bandit known as the “Ugly.” Sentenza is not a separate character from Angel Eyes; it is the same role under the Italian name, which explains the most common source of confusion.