GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

James Hitchcock Sean Connery is not an actor one would normally associate with Westerns, although he was known for his action-adventure roles, especially in the Bond films, so would have seemed well-suited to them. Plenty of Westerners would have been born in all parts of the British Isles, including Scotland, so his accent should not have been a problem. This, however, seems to be his only attempt at the genre, which was to go into a decline in the seventies and eighties."Shalako" was one of a number of European, mostly Italian or Spanish, Westerns from the late sixties. This one is ostensibly set in the New Mexico of 1880, but was actually filmed in Almeria, Spain, and was largely financed by European money, although it had an American director, Edward Dmytryk. (Dmytryk was actually born in Canada but was a naturalised US citizen). Perhaps appropriately, the cast includes an unusually high number of European characters.Connery plays Moses Zebulon Carlin, a frontiersman and former Civil War officer better known by his Indian name, "Shalako". (The name is stressed on the first syllable). He becomes involved with a hunting party mostly composed of European aristocrats, although an American Senator and his wife are also involved, when they inadvertently stray into Apache territory. Shalako warns them of the danger they are in, as the Apache do not welcome outsiders on their land, but they arrogantly refuse to go, believing that it would be cowardly to flee from people whom they regard as "savages". When the Indians attack, the party are double-crossed by their guide Bosky Fulton and his associates who make off with their stage coach, ammunition, supplies and money, and it falls to Shalako to lead them on foot to safety.Unusually for a Western, "Shalako" can be seen as a critique of imperialism. With their jewels, fine clothes and haute cuisine meals, eaten off a formal dining-table and china plates, the hunting party cut incongruous figures in the deserts of the American South-West. With their contemptuous talk of "savages" and "natives", it is clear that they have imported to the New World the same sense of arrogant superiority towards non-white peoples as they would display in their colonies. The film might also make uncomfortable viewing for Americans; the presence of a US Senator among the party makes it clear that in the nineteenth century American attitudes in this respect were essentially no different from European ones and that America's remorseless westward expansion was just another form of colonialism.The film was advertised under the curious slogan "BB + 007 = !!!", playing on its two famous stars, Connery and Brigitte Bardot. Bardot plays the Countess Irina Lazaar, one of the party who becomes romantically involved with Shalako. Irina's nationality is never made clear; her name suggests that she is Russian, but Bardot plays her with a French accent. Actually, I doubt if Bardot, whose English was not good, could have played her with any other accent. BB was always happiest acting in her native language, and although she could be quite good in some English-language films productions such as "Viva Maria!", here she is quite dreadful. Despite the romance that develops between their characters, there is no chemistry between her and Connery and her performance is emotionless and wooden. BB + 007 = ???Seen as an action hero rather than a romantic lead, however, Connery makes a decent cowboy, and there is a good performance from Peter van Eyck as Baron Frederick von Hallstadt, the German leader of the hunting party. At first Hallstadt seems like an arrogant and conceited bully, a Nazi officer transported back in time to the days of the Old West, but after the Indian attack we see another side to his character. He proves to be capable and resourceful with a certain sense of decency, and is responsible for the plan which eventually saves the lives of his party. (Despite his Dutch-sounding name, Van Eyck, originally Von Eick, was himself German. This was his penultimate film- his last was to be "The Bridge at Remagen"- before his early death at the age of 57).Despite the failure of its romantic subplot, and a rather irritating theme song, "Shalako" is not a bad film. The idea of a party of upper- class Europeans stranded in the deserts of New Mexico is an interesting one, the action sequences are well done and overall this is well up to the standards of most "paella Westerns". Had more opportunities come up Connery's career might have taken a different path and we could have had the world's first great Scottish Western hero. We might today be talking about "haggis Westerns". 6/10

Spikeopath Shalako is directed by Edward Dmytryk and collectively written by J.J. Griffith, Hal Hooper, Scot Finch and Clarke Reynolds. Adapted from the book written by Louis L'Amour it stars Sean Connery, Brigitte Bardot, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Honor Blackman, Peter van Eyck and Alexander Knox. A Technicolor/Franscope production, music is scored by Robert Farnon and cinematography by Ted Moore.When a hunting party of European aristocrats are led into Apache territory by shifty guide Bosky Fulton (Boyd), it calls for a brave tough guy to try and get them out to safety. Enter Shalako (Connery).A difficult film to review since it undoubtedly has problems, yet with the right expectation level set it plays out a fun and robust Western. It's not nearly as awful as some would have you believe. Really.OK, it's a bit too off kilter for its own good, miscasting is all too evident, with Connery and Bardot particularly standing out, and there isn't enough quality of story to justify the near two hour running time. The Connery issue is sad because it isn't for lack of trying or charisma, a confirmed Western fan, Connery ventured into the genre having just left (temporarily) the James Bond franchise, he attacks the role of Shalako with relish. But he never once convinces in this time period and desperately tries to plug into the socket for some sparks in the "sign posted a mile away" love interest with Bardot. Although there's something sensual about observing Bardot blasting away with rifle in hands, it's just a little too out there, especially since she has make-up apparently done by Dusty Springfield. But if you can buy into the odd European group dynamic that Bardot fronts? Then it can provide some genuinely enjoyable genre passages.Dmytryk structures it soundly without surprises, however, the action sequences hold up very well. With flaming arrows piercing bodies and setting wagons ablaze, combat between rifle and bow is perky. The first Apache attack on the Adobe ruin compound that our odd group are holed up at, is resplendent with Apache leaps and energised attack and defence tactics. There's also a vigorous chase passage involving a coach, while the key battle in the final quarter, up on the mountainside, is well worth the wait. Elsewhere in the cast, Blackman is sexy, Boyd makes for a good scuzzy weasel and Knox gives the most believable performance. Outdoor photography is pleasing, with Almeria in Spain nicely made to look like New Mexico, and the theme music is wonderfully exuberant.There's other problems, not enough Woody Strode, unconvincing smooching, unconvincing mano-mano fight and the closure is hardly barnstorming. And yes, at times it is ridiculous. Yet there's still rewards there for the Western fan who is in an undemanding mood. 6.5/10

MartinHafer So, you've got a Scot, a couple Englishmen, an Irishman, a Pole and a French woman in a film....who would believe that it would be a western?! But somehow, the film folks decided this bizarre casting would be great and somehow they persuaded Sean Connery to abandon the lead in the next Bond film ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service") for this movie. While I know Connery was aching for some other sort of acting challenge, he must have been real desperate for a change to pick a movie like this. It isn't that it's bad--it's just badly miscast. And, to top off the bad casting, black-American actor/athlete Woody Strode is cast as an American-Indian!! Wow...that's so weird. What was also weird were the 1960s hair styles many sported--particularly Bardot with her VERY distinctive doo. Louis L'Amour, who wrote this story, must have been frustrated at the casting.Brigitte Bardo is among a group of Europeans out in the old west on a hunting expedition. Their party is attacked by Indians and Sean Connery comes to her aid. Eventually, he's able to get the Apache chief to agree to let him and Bardot leave...provided they got off Indian land by sundown. On their way out, they meet up with Bardot's bizarre friends--who insist on staying in their surreal camping expedition. Surreal, because they come provisioned like kings--complete with linens, fine wines and the like. Apparently they are rich and regal....and totally stupid, as they want to stay and "teach the Indians a lesson"! Sixteen upper class twits versus an entire Indian nation--I like them odds!! Why Connery didn't just leave them all to die is beyond me. Instead, he plans on setting out to get the help of the Cavalry--though why they'd want to help these idiots, I have no idea! But before this can happen, the Apache attack and things look dire for the band of idiots. Watch the film if you'd like to see what happens next. However, aside from the odd cast, it's a pretty standard 'let's not get slaughtered by the Indians flick'. Not bad overall, but just a bit strange. I was ready to give this film a mediocre score of 5, but the closing song was so bad that I just needed to shave off another point. Yuck!By the way, this is definitely NOT a film for dog lovers. While it's rare to see dogs killed in films (other than "Old Yeller"), here several are brutally killed by Indians and it probably will disturb some viewers. Plus, I felt these scenes lacked realism, as real German Shepherd dogs would have acted quite differently considering they WERE supposed to be guard dogs!

xredgarnetx Based on a Louis L'Amour story, SHALAKo is a standard Western about an ex-Army colonel (a miscast Sean Connery in a really silly cowboy hat) trying to keep a party of Europeans alive after they have invaded Indian territory. A Spanish-made film, the only American in the cast is Stephen Boyd as the party's villainous guide, and he's OK. Well, and Woody Strode is the chief bad Indian! Otherwise, you have a broad spectrum of accents and acting to deal with here. Heavily eyelined Frenchie Brigitte Bardot is a countess from who knows where and German actor Peter Van Eyck plays a stiff-backed baron. Brits Jack Hawkins and Honor Blackman are a couple of English nobility. And so on. Even the butler is foreign. This is one of those glossy European flicks, of which there were quite a few made back in the 1960s and 1970s, and most of which never quite clicked here. In the end, the story comes to nothing. And the endless shots of Spanish desert wear thin after awhile. You may safely skip this one.