Cabo Blanco (1980)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

best movie i've ever seen.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

An inkeeper : Charles Bronson and an assortment of misfit characters are searching for a nazi treasure with unexpected consequences. This variety of other characters include an ex Nazi officer : Jason Robards , a mysterious French woman : Dominique Sanda , a suspect police chief : Fernando Rey , an adventurer : Simon MacCorkindale , among others .All of them assemble in Peru after WWII and everyone shares a common interest : to find a missing treasure of gold , lost in a ship wreck.This is an adventure, thriller, suspense movie full of flaws and gaps , dealing with a motley group searching for a Nazi loot sunken off the coast of Peru. The plot sounds familiar as the film results to be a very inferior crossover between Casablanca and The treasure of Sierra Madre , taking parts here and there . Average screenplay by Victor Andres Catena and Jaime Comas Gil with plenty of twists and turns .The main and support cast is frankly excellent though really wasted , giving mediocre interpretations. Bronson plays in his usual wooden style a tough and two-fisted bartender who runs the local watering hole ; Dominique Sanda is a beautiful woman searching for his lover ; Jason Robards plays a nasty Nazi who controls the townsfolk and the police chief well performed by Fernando Rey . Here appears an important plethora of secondary actors as Gilbert Roland , Camila Sparv , Simon MacCorkindale , Clifton James , Anna De Sade and brief appearance by the Spanish Aldo Sambrell . Atmospheric cinematograhy by the Mexican Alex Phillips , being necessary a perfect remastering because of film copy is washed-out. Adequate and sunny scenarios by the expert production designer Jaime Perez Cubero. Evocative musical score by Jerry Goldsmith , but far from his great soundtracks.The motion picture was regularly directed by J.Lee Thompson . Lee made various Charles Bronson vehicles , both of them got some successes , working in titles as St Ives, White Buffalo , Ten to midnight, Death Wish the crackdown , The evil that men do, Murphy Law , Messenger of death , Kinjite forbidden subjects and this Cabo Blanco . Thompson's greatest hit was Navarone guns as well as MacKenna gold . Rating : 4.5/10 . Mediocre , though the movie will appeal to Charles Bronson fans

Laidback ex-patriot innkeeper Giff Hoyt (a nicely low-key performance by Charles Bronson) runs afoul of nefarious former Nazi Gunther Beckdorff (Jason Robards in fine crusty form) and falls for fetching French femme fatale Marie Claire Allesandri (a charming portrayal by the beauteous Dominique Sanda) while searching for sunken treasure in Peru in 1948.Director J. Lee Thompson, working from a convoluted and involving script by Mort Fine and Milton S. Gelman, relates the complex and compelling story at a steady pace, ably crafts a brooding film noir atmosphere, offers a flavorsome evocation of the exotic setting, stages the action scenes with skill and flair, and sprinkles in a satisfying smattering of pretty naked ladies for extra trashy good measure. The sturdy acting from the excellent cast helps a whole lot: Fernando Rey as suave, yet corrupt police chief Captain Terredo, Simon MacCorkindale as dashing sailor Lewis Clarkson, Camilla Sparv as washed-up booze-sodden floozy Hera, Gilbert Roland as alcoholic weakling Dr. Rudolfo Ramirez, James Booth as ill-fated diver John Baker, and Denny Miller as brutish flunky Hurst. Moreover, this movie deserves extra praise for being more plot and character driven than your average Bronson action opus. Jerry Goldsmith's zesty score hits the stirring and spirited spot. Alex Phillips Jr.'s sumptuous widescreen cinematography makes invigorating use of a constantly mobile camera. A worthwhile picture.

This is very slickly made film which sadly doesn't have a good reputation or a decent widescreen release. The camera-work on the film is excellent with much moving camera a great score and good locations.The odd thing is the bursts of full frontal nudity and one really graphic death scene. These seem to be included for fans of Bronson's gritty films but seem totally out of place here.Sondra is dull as usual. Bronson solid. Robards doesn't seem to want to be bothered by doing a German accent. It has real visual sweep. Odd rather forced voice over which seems to be trying to set this up for a sequel perhaps at the end.Despite these forced elements--of violence, nudity,and nostalgia--the bulk of the film works as a mystery and intrigue--rather than say action. One of the few of director Thompson's later films that really hearken back to his early Hollywood career of sweeping location quasi epics.Ending builds suspense only to pay it off in an offbeat--and perhaps off putting way for some.Deserves more respect and proper restoration than it gets especially among the later career of Bronson.

"Caboblanco" is a nice and rare treat for any Bronson/Robards/Thompson fan. Don't believe what every review says. There are only a few movies where Bronson puts down the gun and turns up his acting charm. Throughout out the 80s, he starred in a huge bunch of Cannon Popcorn-Actioners. They where just mindless and fun comic book thrillers. "Caboblanco" is one of the few Bronson suspense films where he gives an all-star performance. He doesn't need to be in an action film to give a solid performance. His scenes with Dominique Sanda are a joy and fun to watch and his scenes with Robards the greatest in the film.Like any good movie, it did have it's flaws. "Caboblanco" has been labeled as an action film and a "remake" of "Casablanca." I highly disagree with both. It's more of a suspense/drama. The plot was a little boring and some scenes are just that. Of coarse, it's not a real Bronson movie without some violence, so there are a few action scenes placed nicely in the film. He throws quite a few punches and handles a gun here and there. But like I said earlier, it's not about the action in this movie. There are a few DVD copies on the net, so if your a hardcore Bronson/Robards/Thompson fan, I recommend you check this out. Although, there are a few boring scenes, it's a well made suspense/drama with a great cast. Scenes with Bronson and Robards are the best if the film! They make a great team. 10/10