1965
Spain / Germany
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Cast: Lex Barker , Pierre Brice, Marianne Koch, Gerard Tichi, Angel del Pozo, Aldo Sambrell , Antonio Molino Rojo, Víctor Israel , Wolfgang Lukschy, Hans Nielsen, Alfonso Rojas, Jorge Rigaud, Carlos Casaravilla, Santiago Ontañón, Alberto Dalber, Miguel Angel Gil, Luis Barboa, Robert Martin, Angel Menendez, Gaspar Gonzalez
Screenplay: Jerold Hayden Boyd, Edward Di Lorenzo, Fernando Lamas
Music: Angel Arteaga
English-German co-production from 1965 directed by Sheldon Reynolds (director, screenwriter and producer who developed his career mainly in television) in the demonstrating their commitment and knowledge of classic westerns and has led a pleasant surprise for me.
We are in a very remote given the successful "A Fistful of Dollars" to be modeled on American westerns, a fact that was no stranger to being involved in the project Central Cinema Company, founded in 1946, German producer Artur Brauner in the sixties tried to get to Europe some of the talents who emigrated to the United States as Fritz Lang with its unique diptych located in India ("The Tiger of Esnapur" and "The Indian Tomb" both starring Debra Paget), William Dieterle or Robert Siodmack which ran a couple of westerns based on novels by German writer Karl May also starring Lex Barker, and participated in major productions in the style of those made by Samuel Bronston in Spain, as the saga of the Nibelungen conducted by Harald Reinl or the film "Invasion of the barbarians" who filmed by Siodmack, had a great cast, and retrieving a key figure in the German fantasy film, Dr. Mabuse.
This time he tried to exploit the success in Europe and especially in Germany, where he had become a huge phenomenon, were taking the series films based on characters of Old Shatterhand and Winnetou created by the German novelist mentioned (in particular had released five of them and the CCC itself had participated in which was the most ambitious project, "The last battle of the Apaches" led by U.S. based Argentinean Hugo Fregonese), for which featured two main performers, authentic idols in the mid-sixties, the American Lex Barker and Frenchman Pierre Brice and raised, from the point of view movie, a western starring continuity of both.
The film has two distinct sections:
"The first and most interesting shows us a people, Glory, that every year on October 4 to celebrate the day of its founding, organizing a duel death between two gunmen and death is trivialized it to appear in a great final scene, as a mere spectacle in which only care about the success of the (sadly now subject to the policy of production of many television networks which is marketed to the private nature of human misery of the people interviewed and those who are left to sell virtually their death.) This interesting idea (the treatment of death as a spectacle without any moral connotation), which at first might seem exorbitant, would be revived by two American westerns: the dramatic "The great duel" directed by Lamont Johnson in 1971 and more casual "Quick and the Dead" who led in 1995 Sam Raimi.
"The second point to a classic theme treated extensively by the American Western, the clash between settlers (as a symbol of the barbed wire and fences) and livestock (representatives of the wide open spaces) in which involved the two players will stay at City Powder.
first thing that caught my attention is the packaging film with a careful formal direction that abound elegant camera movements and beautiful frames, a successful installation, a great photography (natural scenes are beautifully portrayed, especially for two scenes that are developed around a river) Larraya Frederick had already shown its good performance with Massimo Dallamano in "A Fistful of Dollars" , as well as great atmosphere to work which the study took Balcázar brothers had in Esplugues de Llobregat and also contributed a budget that seems above average. And this must be added an appropriate and wonderful soundtrack composed by Ángel Arteaga has a great and catchy theme also classical sound.
As respects but I think we are lucky with the rhythm of the film, and during part of the story development in the western Powder City made me a bit slow especially for a script in speaking the former lover Fernando Lamas, which lengthens the situations too much (much the footage consists of repeated attempts at confrontation between Jack Villaine men and the two protagonists). On the other hand I think the director fails to find the right tone about the growing tension between the two sides.
Regarding the actors, the crafty producers toyed with the surprise of the possible clash in a duel between the two protagonists, Lex Barker and Pierre Brice, who had hitherto appeared in four films mentioned saga based on Karl May novels as inseparable and loyal friends and siblings. But while the Apollonian Barker seems quite comfortable in the role of Clint, a gunslinger who makes duels accepting life and is characterized by not wearing a hat, Brice, an actor with a resemblance to Rock Hudson, I liked how the French-born gunman Reese, Clint ally in Powder City but possible rival in Glory, to have ended The gunman hired to deal with Clint. Joining them more than a correct Marianne Koch (actress usual for those years in Germany co-produced westerns: "A Fistful of Dollars", "Land of Fire," Clint Solitaire ") portrays Jade , Clint's former lover and the daughter of Seth a good man to settle the settlers to leave their lands and, as befits its name, to protect (The god Seth in Egyptian mythology was the protector of the caravan) incurs the wrath of Jack, the German Gerard Tichy is also great as the evil and treacherous Jack Villaine, while George Rigaud shown convincing as the kind Seth, a former gunman who had laid down their arms. Besides well-known faces appear in the subgenus as Aldo Antonio Molino Rojo Sambrell and give life to two of the followers of Jack, Angel del Pozo in the role of a settler, Victor Israel in the role of the receptionist at the hotel or Luis Barboa as a Glory spectator gunman.
Finally comment that the film was a huge success and because they had the distribution of Embassy Pictures Corporation, Joseph E. Levine was one of the first euro westerns released in the U.S., CCC trying to repeat the success next year with, for me, less "The Ballad of Johnny Ringo" in which lovers meet again as Lex Barker and Marianne Koch .
I have the DVD that once released Impulse Records with an excellent picture and good sound, yet has little extras (chips plus some technical and artistic picture of the film).
In summary, an interesting western euro, close to both in one of his subjects as the production design to the classic western, with a bill impeccable technique to match the average productions performed in the USA.
SCORE:
HISTORY: 6
AMBIENTE: 7
ADDRESS: 6
ACTORS: 6
MUSIC: 7
MEDIA: 6.4
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