Also of special note is Barton Heyman, who plays the world-wise Segundo, who quickly realizes that they are not after any ordinary man, and provides a great surprise ending. That, should be the premise of this story. After killing an innocent man in self defence, Mexican-American lawman Bob Valdez(BURT LANCASTER)asks gunrunning rancher Frank Tanner(JON CYPHER),who instigated the chaos, to pay the dead man's wife compensation. A few racial epithets later and we realize the man is (a) black and (b) possibly innocent of the crime he is accused of. 6) Crash Course in Romance Episode 9 Recap & Review. Lancaster is interesting to watch as he plays the idealistic outsider up against the bigoted majority. It isnt the language that made me think it could be considered more pulpy than True Grit more that it seems more unabashedly thrilling, if that makes sense. Be the first to contribute! But the whole definition of pulp remains a problem that isnt going to get solved in the context of my class, thats for sure, since (as previously noted) the official description simply conflates pulp and genre fiction. "How old are you?" He orders ranch hand El Segundo (Barton Heyman) and his men to tie Valdez to a heavy wooden cross and drive him into the desert. False Positive offers a different ending: Lucy refuses to mother the twin . You're almost there! (765) 6.7 1 h 30 min 1971 PG-13. Ive never been able to read Leonards crime fiction, but Ive not tried his westerns. Moreover, Sherin not only makes excellent use of the arid desert locations, but also stages the exciting shoot-outs with real flair and skill. He delivers it and then lies dying, and we spend nearly two pages with him as he reflects on Valdez, and on his own life and immanent death: He should have thought more about the way the man stood at the wall and watched them shoot at him. May 19It might have been the 2007 fight between Georges St-Pierre and Matt Serra, won by Serra in a monumental upset, that lit the fire. Please reference Error Code 2121 when contacting customer service. Screen legend Burt Lancaster plays Bob Valdez, an ageing Mexican-American lawman who is called upon to assist in the apprehension of a supposed murderer. Since I am a western fan, I should give his westerns a try. is not allowed, Heathcliff wont work. Cinemark A payback film that attempts, sometimes successfully, to be in the Euro-Western Sergio Leone mold. Tanner is livid at the old man's suggestion. The grandeur of revenge might as well be the title of a doctoral dissertation on Western fiction, and maybe on the works of Elmore Leonard in particular. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. A former Apache hunter, who has lost his taste for violence, becomes embroiled in a running duel across a scorched, rugged terrain with a gang of gunrunnersall over a lousy 100 bucksand honorand a woman. The conclusion amounts to something of a letdown, but everything up till then is pretty good. It walks the line between the tone of Spaghetti westerns and American revisionist westerns while setting its own pace. Unfortunately for Tanner, he has picked on the wrong man: Valdez is a wily, experienced Indian fighter and a marksman with a rifle. But R.L. I also have some hesitations about teaching it: it is full of racial slurs, for one thing, and while I think its pretty clear not just that they are historically and contextually appropriate but also that the novel as a whole rejects the attitudes they express, that does create some pedagogical challenges. I think Spaghetti westerns lack believability, you know the good guy is never gonna die, while in this show the good guy takes a beating and loses at the end but wins as well. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, or Moment of Vengeance, another Leonard story from that plump Complete Western collection). Valdez is Coming is a strange Western with a simple enough premise taken to the extreme. The German version is uncut. When rancher Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) hoodwinks local lawman Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) into shooting an innocent man, Valdez is remorseful and tries to take up a collection for the widow. Although I already feel as if these two might beenough Westerns for me, I thoroughly enjoyedValdez Is Coming, partly because it is so sincere, not to mention suspenseful. The humiliations suffered by Valdez early on, as well as the ruthlessness of the villains, are of such unequivocal nastiness that the film's ultimate satisfactions come not from the triumph of honor, but from the scope of the revenge. Other examples would be Paul Newman as "Hombre" (1967) and Chuck Connors as "Geronimo" (1962). . Valdez is Coming? Adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel (as was Martin Ritt's Hombre - a superior western with some similar themes). TMDb Parts of the movie reminded me of Point Blank and Payback. Second, a Brigadier General would not have commanded a regiment (let alone a company or troop). Still Frank will continue to underestimate Valdez who knows the entire country all too well. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. Gritty, well written movie. But dialog that tells one story for the actor while the actor is telling another story is the richest of gifts for a performer. Leonard's characters talk the way real cowboys and ranchers and trainmen and schoolmarms would talk if they were poets. This is a great movie, one that deserves watching by anyone interested in the Western, and any Elmore Leonard fan. 25 Jun 2021. After Valdez is freed, he's ripe for revenge, abducting Tanners' woman Gay Erin (Susan Clark) as he gets ready for a final showdown. Valdez Is Coming (1971) PG-13 | 90 min | Action, Western | 9 April 1971 (USA) A Mexican-American sheriff must resort to violence against a powerful rancher in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man. But now there was more to it. Davis (Richard Jordan), a wormy, loony, bigoted member of the posse starts shooting at the suspect and Valdez is left little choice but to kill him in self-defense. Might have been better with a more experienced director. We dont have Books-A-Million up here! Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Im surprised, really, how much fun I found Valdez Is Coming. Your email address will not be published. Rating: PG-13. IMDb With all the computer generated garbage being put in theaters today, it's good to be able to turn on the western channel and see some real acting again. but honor was always priceless. All right, you pay for the man and you get your woman.. Townsmen and friends alike, know little of him or his background, until an uneventful day when a rich and powerful land Baron, incites all to chase and corner an ex-army soldier because he "looks familiar." 'Valdez is Coming' was the first, then 'The Lawman' (which i have not seen) and of course the mighty 'Ulzana's Raid'. Davis backs off, showing he has no gun, and El Segundo calls his men aside, refusing to obey orders. Press J to jump to the feed. Davis finds him and cuts the ropes, freeing the unconscious man. Cast & Crew Read More Edwin Sherin Director Burt Lancaster [Bob] Valdez Susan Clark Gay Erin Frank Silvera Diego [Luz] Jon Cypher Frank Tanner Some have noted similar elements in Sylvester Stallone's sole palatable Rambo item First Blood (war veteran unjustly marginalized and humiliated seeks bloody revenge - although in the genre context it probably owes a debt to the contemporary Western Lonely are the Brave as well). Good and violent Western with excellent performance by Lancaster, Burt Lancaster anchors this worthy Western, Despite odd casting, the film worked very well, Mexican gentleman takes on mob of old west gangsters, Interesting social commentary by rookie director, chases, ambushes, race, culture, humiliation, Leonard, Lancaster & New Hollywood EstheticUnderrated Western. [1] Plot [ edit] Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Soundtracks submission guide. "[4] Canby's description of the plot is illuminating as to the impact the movie probably made when it came out. Thus opens the film and sets the stage for the story of Valdez, the constable, who after killing the innocent man tries to set up a collection for his woman and runs into violent reaction from the wealthy, racist white rancher who wanted the man killed in the first place, and who runs roughshod over his own men, the Mexicans who hired out to him. Moby-Dick. Copyright Fandango. His history makes him a very dangerous man, although he now only wants to live in peace. Although many might not like the ending, I actually liked when the movie faded to black. Valdez Is Coming is a 1971 American Western film directed by Edwin Sherin and starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Richard Jordan and Jon Cypher. He calmly replies, "Or paid the $100. If Frankensteins monster (with whom I strongly sympathize and identify like me, he loves Goethe!) I do think he has limited range, but he knew how to pick roles that played to his strengths. Valdez tries to negotiate a peaceful settlement, as the hunted man says hes innocent. If you use material from this blog, please give proper credit to the author. Leonard's splendid way of inventing odd turns of phrase and similes and making them sound as though there were no possible better way to describe something made him, in my opinion, one of the great wordsmiths of the past century. For many Burt Lascaster fans, this is a classic role as he plays Constable Bob Valdez, an aging but experienced peace keeper. The text on the photograph states it is of "Brig. Report this film, smh another WOKE western. The photograph of Valdez with the 7th Cavalry has a several errors. At first, this made me groan, but after a short time I realized that he did a pretty good job with the accent and there are many light-skinned Mexicans, so it wasn't too hard to believe this. It always strikes me as odd when a well known and celebrated white actor is given a Mexican or Indian role in a Western. www.ultimatemovierankings.com/burt-lancaster-movies/. Once again I'm going to attempt to use January to try and clear some space on my TiVo box - and then just end up filling it right back up by the end of the month. Each pivotal character woven within this western tapestry seems to have reached the summit of experience. Inside, she was wild as mountain scenery.". I don't get the impression that Leonard had a lot of hard bark on him. The murder suspect ends up dead, and Valdez believes that his Indian wife should be compensated. Clint Eastwood certainly portrayed the brutal, enigmatic hero as well as it could be done but the purity of Leone's form could probably have carried almost any actor with a similar type of charisma through the story. Coming Soon. Tanner and his men relentlessly pursue Valdez through the hazardous terrain.However,if Valdez has his way, it will not be long before the hunter becomes the hunted Burt Lancaster plays an old Mexican/American stagecoach shotgun rider who finds himself forced to kill an African American during a stand-off with him while a lot of other people are watching. James, Ive tried Leonards detective fiction but always given up as I just didnt enjoy the atmosphere or voice of it (and I hated the film version of Pulp Fiction so much I started a whole new academic research project as a result but thats another story). Adapted from the novel by Elmore Leonard. The film is based on the 1970 Elmore Leonard novel of the same name. its the same stories as always except their forcing the heroes to be POC like burt lancaster. Blutig und spannend gehts hier zur Sache, wenn Banditen vom Rcken des. What I love about that line, and the other splendid lines throughout that script, is that they reveal character and the place that character came from in a special way no actor could do on his own. The money is to go to the black man's pregnant Apache woman. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. By what name was Valdez Is Coming (1971) officially released in India in English? By the end of the novel Valdez has killed over a dozen men, but even though by then things are more complicated than they seemed at first, theres no doubt that hes in the right, that we are rooting for him as he picks them off one by one in defense of himself but also of the code he cant quite articulate but follows without equivocation. In such knowledge also lies one source of possible identification; they should probably be proportional to the revenge being taken. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! Hot off of reading the Elmore Leonard novel last night, I decided to give the film adaptation a watch since it's still fresh in my memory. Fast & Furious 9 ending spoilers follow. How often we are wrong. It's one of those vendetta entertainments that often frequent the multiplexes in the 60's and 70's when the rules, thanks in large part to Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch", were starting to be broken. If his dialog isn't the way real Westerners talk, it ought to be. This scene is missing in the UK version, you see them riding towards each other and suddenly they are down on the ground, rising up. Selbst der Protagonist kann einen irgendwie nicht so richtig mitreien, was fr mich auch die grte Schwche des Films ist. 2) The Interest Of Love Episode 16 Recap, Review & Ending Explained. After reading it, I said to a close friend, 'Hey, this is a great story and it'd be another great movie" So, when he told me it already was, I just had to get it and have a look. Valdez Is Coming boldly recreates America's western frontier, a place where life was sometimes cheap. Tanner helplessly snarls at Valdez, "I should have had you killed three days ago." "They tore his body.They buried his pride.Find Tanner,El Segundo and 16 others.And tell them,VALDEZ IS COMING!. That being said, Lancaster is the best part of this western. Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. (I got it for Three-Ten to Yuma, which is as great as people said.). At the climax however I was left feeling a little let down. [3], The film received primarily mediocre to negative reviews. The fine acting by the able cast constitutes as another major plus: Lancaster makes for a credible and sympathetic reluctant man of action, Susan Clark gives her role as Tanner's fed-up mistress Gay Erin a substantial amount of class and depth, Frank Silvera does well as Valdez's loyal friend Diego, Barton Heyman likewise impresses as the shrewd El Segundo, Richard Jordan positively oozes as despicable sniveling weakling R.L. A Mexican-American sheriff (Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence against a powerful rancher (Frank Tanner, played by Jon Cypher) in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian A Mexican-American sheriff (Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence against a powerful rancher (Frank Tanner, played by Jon Cypher) in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man. This is not a spaghetti western!!! Here he plays a softly spoken (Mexican) constable, who is set up to kill an innocent man. his commitment is to a private moral code without which no other code makes sense to him. Old Mexican-American sheriff Bob Valdez has always been a haven of sanity in a land of madmen when it came to defending law and order. Why you ask! This is just a crackerjack movie, compelling from start to finish without losing a carefully crafted artistry that any movie lover would appreciate. Valdez is Coming is a serviceable western with Burt Lancaster playing a vengeful Mexican sheriff who sets off after Jon Cypher and his gang, including a terrifically manic and cowardly Richard Jordan, after they tie him to a wooden cross and sling him into the desert. Burt Lancaster is terrific in this well directed movie.Even with his pale blue eyes, he comes across as a believable character of the results a mixed relationship. The film is based on the 1970 Elmore Leonard novel of the same name.[1]. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Tanner turns out to be a coward one-on-one. Tanner basically has proven that he lacks courage in front of his men, and he's not willing to risk his life to get Gay Erin back. I think the essential climax of the revenge plot is the moment of recognition of the avenger: the guilty one realizes both that he (all examples that come to mind have guilty males, though the avenger is sometimes a woman) is doomed and at whose hands the doom has come. Most actors have to rely on dialog that only reveals plot or consciously explained back-story. Directed by Edwin Sherin. This western surpasses most if not all of the spaghetti's. What exactly is that code? While I try to divorce myself from the source material since I'm not reviewing that, Valdez Is Coming comes out as barebones with the story feeling incomplete or perplexing as they let out several scenes out that would've given the actions the necessary context they deserved. Lancaster is a favorite of mine. The dead manwho was black, which also entered into the issueleft an Indian woman, and Valdez wants $200 to get her back to the reservation. He descends on a mountain shack where a black man is accused by cattle baron and gunrunner Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) of murdering his friend James Erin. For some reason, friends that are fans of both Burt Lancaster and/or westerns have not seen this movie. When Valdez persists, in kindness and gentle-care, Frank to pay $100, he is is attacked and roped to a wooden cross..they send him into the desert this way to perish. Valdez is told that a murdering black army deserter has holed up in a . I am not 100% sure revenge accurately sums up what he wants, though: that sounds petty, but what he wants seems almost grand. The one man apocalypse that is Bob Valdez kidnaps Tanner's fiance Gay Erin(SUSAN CLARK)and escapes deep into the mountains. Afterward, Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster of "Lawman") goes around trying to take up a collection for the African-American's widow.