The Bravados (1958)

You won't be disappointed!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

By 1958 the Works of Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher, With the So Called "Adult" or "Psychological" Western had Made Their Mark and an Old Salt Like Henry King was Surely Influenced in This One.He Almost Manages it, but the Old School Hollywood was Just Too Ingrained in the Director and His Capitulation to Heavy Handed Religious Apologetics All But Destroyed This Otherwise Excellent Attempt at Pushing the Western Forward.The Story of Revenge and Rage is Well Done Until the Ending that Becomes Laughable (when Gregory Peck exits the Church). But Until the Sledgehammer Ending Where King and Yordan Beat Us Over the Head with Piety and Priests, it's an Edgy, Sometimes Brutal Display of the "New" Western.The Cast, Led by Peck, are All Pretty Good Featuring Lee Van Cleef, Stephen Boyd, and Henry Silva as the Outlaws on the Run, but Joan Collins is Virtually Background Scenery. Speaking of Scenery, the Cinemascope, Technicolor Landscape is an Attraction and Backdrop Some of the "New" Violence.Other Signs that is One of Those New Fangled Types is the Word "Rape" is Used More than Once and an Actual Rape Takes Place On Screen but Out of Sight and is Rather Unsettling.Overall, this is an Above Average Western with a Highly Polished Hollywood Look. It's Just a Shame About the Excessive Use of Religion, Especially in the Final Scenes.

When Jim Douglas rides into the town of Rio Arriba he is told they don't want any strangers in town till after four criminals are hanged; he states that he has come to see them die and after surrendering his guns he enters town anyway. The sheriff asks him why he wants to see the men hang but receives no answer and when Douglas goes into the jail to see the men none of them recognise him. That night while the town is in church the men are broken out of jail and flee with a young woman as hostage; the sheriff is wounded so his deputy leads a posse after the escapees. In the morning Douglas joins the posse and they track the men as they head for the Mexican border. As they go Douglas manages to corner the bandits one by one and each time shows his captive a picture of a woman; they all claim not to have seen her but he doesn't believe them. Back in town a friend of his, who he hasn't seen for five years learns his story from the town priest; one day Douglas had returned home to find his wife had been raped and murdered; the gang had been identified by a neighbour and Douglas had been after them ever since. When Douglas finally corners the last of the escapees he learns a shocking truth; one that will affect him for the rest of his days.I've always associated Gregory Peck with the mild mannered lawyer Atticus Finch from 'To Kill a Mockingbird' so it came as a shock to see him playing a character hell bent on seeing four men die; perhaps it is that surprise that made his performance seem so powerful. While Peck's performance carried the film the supporting cast, which included Joan Collins and Lee Van Cleef, did a fine job. The story of a man seeking revenge might be one of the oldest but that doesn't mean it is always cliché; the ending added an excellent twist that I'm sure would have taken me totally by surprise if it hadn't been hinted at on the blurb on the back of the DVD case. With many classic westerns the setting is almost as important as the story and this is no exception; the locations are stunning in a way that makes the action believable. When I sat down to watch this I expected something fairly average but was gripped from start to finish; I'm surprised this film isn't better known as it is a fine example of the genre... if you like Westerns this is a must see.

There are few movie which contain all the ingredients of a true Classic. Here is one of them and it's rare indeed. The movie is based on the Exciting Novel by Frank O'Rourke, aptly directed by Henry King, and called " The Bravados. " Reminiscent of a 1932 story called 'The Oxbow Incident ' this film relates the saga of vengeful Jim Douglas (Gregory Peck) who rides to the town of Rio Arriba, for the purpose of seeing four condemned prisoners Stephen Boyd, (who is deliciously evil) Lee Van Cleef (Who is surprisingly emotional) and Albert Salmi and Henry Silva, hung. When the four escape, Douglas heads a Posse to trail them and see that they are punished. That the four bad guys represent top Hollywood actors, is reason enough to see this film, but to add excellent acting and dialog makes this movie a memorable offering. Henry Silva's character is sufficient to post Gregory Peck and allow him cause for reflection which makes' for superior drama. All in all, this is one movie which can be recommended to both fans of the actors and to movie goers alike. ****

This is a smart western, it is not about the hero quick-drawing against four anonymous opponents at the same time, it is about moral.For quite some time, you are not sure exactly where the movie is heading. The beginning is slow, with the goal to present the hero (Peck). He is doing just about the same silent, dry western hero as in "The Gunfighter". But the tempo goes up and the plot reveals, step by step. We get very convinced that the four criminals are quite bad men, and the worst is clearly the ruthless Bill (Stephen Boyd), ready for rape and murder any time it suits him.Joan Collins, however, is mostly annoying, subject of an implied love story that the movie fortunately doesn't go deeper into. She has little importance to the story. It seems she is there only to tack on a touch of romance.The movie manages to make each and every one of the bad guys (six of them if you count right) sharp and live, we get to know them. We also get to know a few others. The most famous villain actor here is clearly Lee van Cleef, who makes a great job as Parral, but the best character actor is really Joe DeRita (one of the Three Stooges) as Tucker/Simms, who is, incredibly, uncredited despite his fairly big role, central to the story. This means that both casting and script are very good, the script gives room for acting and the actors are capable of delivering.From an action/western perspective, the movie fails on one thing: It could make more dramatic endings when people are killed, spend a little more time on their last seconds so we kind of follow them down. Now, a death is too much like flipping a switch. We don't have to use slow-motion every time, but a second or two extra would have helped in some places. In some cases, I feel that the movie really doesn't want to show too much violence and blood, but in at least two occasions it isn't that simple, it looks rather like if the director or producer was careless with some important scenes. These all to obvious mistakes lower the total a bit, but they don't ruin the movie, it just takes it below the absolute top.But what the movie doesn't fail in is to deliver a message, a message of right and wrong, life and death, who has the right to kill. This is where it shines. After all is said and done, you find that there is still a lot more to say, more to think about, and the movie stays with me a lot longer than the average western where the difference between right and wrong is obvious and crystal clear.