Villa Rides

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Product Description ------------------- Viva la revolución! O® winner Yul Brynner stars as Pancho Villa in this thrilling story of the Mexican Revolution. Along for the ride are legends Robert Mitchum with Charles Bronson at his sneering best. A gritty screenplay by Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch) brings out the chemistry between the stars and makes this action packed tale of real life desperados a must see! Review ------ The Italian western craze of the 1960s added new life to the genre, but it also quickened the end of the traditional American western's noble heroes, simplistic stories and clear morals. To survive, American westerns almost immediately became darker in theme and more cynical in outlook. Some American producers followed the Italians to Spain, coming up with hybrid productions of their own. 1968's Villa Rides! is an expensive show with assets most Italian producers only dreamed of: big stars, top creative talent and battle scenes worthy of an epic. Yul Brynner, Robert Mitchum and Charles Bronson look very impressive together on a marquee. […] Using a 'borrowed' airplane, American Lee Arnold (Robert Mitchum) runs s to the Federales. A local blacksmith repairs the plane's landing gear, allowing Lee to meet the lovely Fina (Grazia Buccella). Federale officer Ramirez (Frank Wolff) rapes Fina and executes eight men including her her before Pancho Villa (Yul Brynner) counterattacks. Relieved of his money, Lee is prepared for execution by Villa's second in command, Fierro (Charles Bronson). But Villa bargains with Lee for his services as an aerial spotter and bombardier in a major battle. When Arnold complains that Villa delayed attacking the village to give the people more reason to hate the Federales, the General compensates by marrying Fina, restoring her honor. Unfortunately, Villa has married many women in the same way. More problems come from Villa's political rival General Huerta (ert Lom), who plots to ensure that Villa's army is wiped out in battle. The naïve President Madero (Alexander Knox) orders Villa not to cause trouble. Pancho takes a town without firing a , only to be arrested and put before a firing squad. Villa is convinced that his beloved President will intervene, but Madero is hundreds of miles away in Mexico City. […] All of this is told through the experience of Robert Mitchum's Yankee aviator Lee Arnold, who wants a fast buck but keeps getting sucked into Pancho's idealistic battles. Like a fly on the wall, Arnold witnesses mass hangings and executions while never being particularly important to the plot. His girlfriend is raped and his money stolen, and he spends more than a little of his time hoping that Charles Bronson's trigger happy General Fierro won't use him for target practice. The impressive production musters hundreds of costumed extras, an armed battle train and exciting aerial sequences with Arnold's WW1 pursuit plane. The pyrotechnics and stunt horse falls are expertly done. Top talent like ace British cinematographer Jack Hildyard put a gloss on all technical aspects, and the cast is quite capable. […] An unexpected casting success is Alexander Knox, a spet in stuffy English authority figures. Knox is a compelling President Madero, and has a fine time play-acting in a black beard, mustache and wig. Legend Films' DVD of Para's Villa Rides! is a very good enhanced transfer of elements in fine shape. The only funky s are the barely-adequate blue screen composites that insert Mitchum into the airplane in flight. Another highlight is Maurice Jarre's spirited, classy score. It's not as lively as his work on The Professionals and some of the more lyrical passages clash with the violent subject matter, but Jarre's music is a definite plus. No extras are included. Unlike most of the other Legend releases, the cover graphic uses original art. --Glenn Erickson of DVDSavant.com