Supelice Dreadfully Boring

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

FightingWesterner Mexican-American lawman Burt Lancaster is forced to kill a wrongfully accused black man, during a circus-like standoff. Attempting to collect a hundred dollars compensation for the man's pregnant Apache wife, he's beaten and nearly killed, before suiting up to take the money from the bigwig responsible, one way or another.Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, this explores familiar Leonard themes of stubbornness and racial/ethnic strife in the west (see also Hombre, Joe Kidd, and Mr. Majestyk, among others.), while also keeping up with Lancaster's pursuit of roles that reflected his views on social justice.As far as the actual movie goes, the first half is fairly unpleasant, though it really hammers home the unrelenting nastiness of the villains. The second half is more action-filled and satisfying, as we cheer on Lancaster's cat-and-mouse games with a virtual army of goons, though I think it's hurt by fact that the credits begin to roll before the ending is completely resolved!If you enjoy this, don't miss Lancaster in Lawman, a very similar film made in Spain at the same time.

Wuchak Released in 1971, "Valdez is Coming" is a significant Western that champions human dignity. It's a tale of the meek (not the weak) versus the arrogant. PLOT: Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) is an aging Mexican-American constable who runs into a ruthless rich cattleman, Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher), who senselessly causes the death of a black man for sport more than anything else. When Valdez humbly insists that Tanner provide a little money ($100) for the black man's pregnant Indian widow he is ridiculed, scorned and ultimately tortured. Valdez pulls out his old Indian-fighting uniform, his antique buffalo rifle and goes forth in the name of justice -- attaining the hundred bucks at all costs and wiping out anyone who opposes him.Burt Lancaster was 57 years old at the time and is almost unrecognizable as Valdez. Some have complained about a blue-eyed man of Mexican descent, but it's not terribly uncommon for Mexican-Americans to have blue eyes, as well as Puerto Ricans (in fact, Hector Elizondo has a minor role in the film and he's a light-eyed Latino). Some complain about Lancaster's accent but I think he comes off authentic; besides, are there any recordings of Mexican-American accents from 130 years ago? Lancaster does a fine guesstimate."Valdez is Coming" is essentially a one-man army tale. It's not so much about revenge, as some claim, but rather justice and simple human dignity. Although I'm sure Valdez was infused with a spirit of vengeance to some degree when he first sets out against Tanner and his henchmen -- especially seeing he was just horribly disrespected and tortured -- any need for revenge is clearly expunged after the mounting blood spilling; by the end of the film it's obvious that all he wants is the $100 and the case would be closed.A hundred dollars is an arbitrary number; what Valdez really wants is Tanner to pay for the senseless death of the black man and acknowledge the existence of his Native widow. Tanner is corrupted by power, pride, greed and racism and looks down on everyone else, especially non-whites like Valdez, the black man and the pregnant Indian. But he makes the mistake of underestimating Valdez because of his meekness, ancestry and disheveled appearance.Speaking of disheveled, one interesting contrast in the film is the difference of Valdez before and after he goes after Tanner. Before his quest for justice he appears spent, unkempt and slightly portly; but when he dons his old uniform and sets forth to attain justice he appears focused, orderly and trim.Throughout it all he's the embodiment of nobility and humility. The more one ages in enlightenment and spirituality the more one acquires humility. We see this wonderful quality overflowing in Valdez from the start (kudos to Lancaster), but it's woefully absent in Tanner.Susan Clark has a significant role as Tanner's woman, whom Valdez kidnaps. Susan is notable for her stunning appearance and non-verbal acting skills.The film runs 90 minutes and was shot in Spain.BOTTOM LINE: "Valdez is Coming" is essentially a one-man army Western. Although it's far less compelling than, say, "First Blood," in its favor are a sense of grim realism and a potent message about human dignity, justice and the superiority of humility over arrogance. It's also a smart film that refuses to spell everything out in a spoon-fed fashion, but it leaves little doubt for those who take into account all the blatant cues.GRADE: B+ or A-WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END? ***Spoiler*** (Don't read further unless you've seen the film). The further Tanner's lead henchman gets into the conflict, the more he sees the truth about both Tanner and Valdez. He consequently calls off his men, saying in effect, "This isn't our fight; you're on your own Tanner."At this point Tanner is stripped of his protective covering and stands alone against Valdez, and he painfully knows he can't beat Valdez in a draw. He's lost and so takes the only reasonable option, paying the $100.This works better than merely killing Tanner as he would never be able to live down such a masterful humiliation. With numerous witnesses to spread the word, Tanner would die a thousand deaths.Rejoice the victory of the righteous, humble man.

Spikeopath Valdez is Coming is directed by Edward Sherin and adapted for the screen by Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel from the novel of the same name written by Elmore Leonard. It stars Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Jon Cypher and Frank Silvera. Music is by Charles Gross and photography by Gábor Pogány. It's out of United Artists and shot in DeLuxe colour. Plot finds Lancaster as ageing town constable Bob Valdez, who after being forced into killing an innocent man, attempts to get compensation for the dead man's widow out of the townsfolk responsible for the events leading up to the shooting. This is met with a less than favourable response, particularly from crooked rancher Frank Tanner (Cypher), who although he is the most guilty party, takes umbrage to the suggestion and has Bob tied to a wooden cross and hounded out of town. But Bob will be back, he may be old and gentile in nature, but he's an experienced Indian fighter and a crack shot marksman. Watch out, Valdez is Coming.Solid if a little too ponderous at times, Valdez is Coming is sort of like an amalgamation of an American Oater and a Spaghetti Western. Filmed in southern Spain, at locations where master Italian director Sergio Leone shot many of his European Westerns, the film is the silver screen directing debut of Edward Sherin, who made his name as a director in American theatre and television. Whilst the direction is competent and the acting from Lancaster adds a complexity to the story, the picture almost seems to be trying too hard to make Leonard's source material work. The bigotry of men card is played very early on and from then on in everything is just too predictable, in fact were it not for Lancaster's screen presence the piece would fall well under average. The Christ-come-avenging angel motif is subtlety played by Lancaster, but tension is in short supply and action sequences few and far between. Somewhere in the cramped mix is a good film, one with something to say, a film desperately trying to make a dramatic thrust courtesy of a decent man on a mission narrative. Sadly it doesn't all come together, but thanks to Lancaster and a neat ending, it's not one to dismiss completely. 6/10Footnote: British cuts of the film offer a version missing some violent moments, suffice to say that if seeking the film out one should choose carefully.

dmgrundy Like Martin Ritt's 'Hombre', made a few years earlier, this was adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel, and, like 'Hombre', it presents as its hero someone from an oppressed minority who is forced into a confrontation against heavy odds, due to the violent actions of some unscrupulous characters who hold him in racial contempt. Happening across a shooting party, Mexican lawman Bob Valdez is forced into a confrontation with an innocent army veteran, a black man accused by the rancher who's leading the party of a murder he didn't commit. Stricken with guilt at having killed the man, Valdez tries to get the rancher to give him $100 to compensate the dead man's Native American widow; however, he's met with contempt and physical violence, and the main part of the film sees him taking his revenge. (Although one should note that it's not straightforward revenge, as Valdez is acting as much to prove a point – to make the rancher accept his guilt and show some concern towards the oppressed – as he is to avenge a personal slight or injury.) Less downbeat and more unbelievable in its development than 'Hombre', this is nonetheless a film I wanted to like, and one which certainly has something to lift it above your average western. It's not a 'message' picture, as was the vogue at the time ('Little Big Man', 'Solider Blue' et al); rather, its revisionism is gentle and easy to miss, often just a seemingly throw-away line (asked when he hunted Apache, the titular hero replies "before I know better"). The fact that Valdez is a Mexican also runs counter to the usual western clichés of those 'over the border' being either caricatured bandidos (Calvera from 'The Magnificent Seven' and General Mapache from 'The Wild Bunch') or poor, oppressed farmers, essentially innocent but often incapable of defending themselves without the help of white mercenaries (again, we can turn to 'The Magnificent Seven' and 'The Wild Bunch' for examples). Indeed, an exchange between Valdez and his old friend Diego, where Valdez impersonates the rancher who will prove the villain of the piece, nicely captures the mix of scorn and idealisation which characterises the white man's view of the Mexican: "well, you're a good greaser, Diego. As long as you're a good greaser, I treat you fair and square – yes sirree, Diego, you people sure know how to live: singing, dancing, screwing – you don't worry about nothing." It's one of the best moments of the film, in part because it's so understated, yet underlain with a certain dramatic tension: having begun wryly, ironically, Lancaster delivers the final line with what is almost a sigh; a shift to a new, quiet seriousness and determination which is signalled by the faint rattle of Morricone-esquire percussion on the soundtrack, and which sees him ride out on his horse for his near-fatal second encounter with the rancher.Given all this, it's unfortunate that the Mexican is played by a white man in make-up, although I'd accept that, back in the 70s, there were less bankable Latin stars of the kind who crop up in Hollywood films today (one can imagine Benicio del Toro playing this role, for example). Not that Burt Lancaster's make-up is particularly bad; and, after all, the fact that he played the hero of Robert Aldrich's 'Apache' in similar 'brown-face' didn't prevent him from giving a very fine performance in a very fine film. His blue eyes do look a little out of place here though, and the henchman character, 'El Segundo', looks like a pantomime villain, with hair that sprouts in huge, wild tufts on either side of his head, and dollops of face-paint which make him look like Laurence Olivier's Othello. Indeed, several of the protagonists also look distinctly like 70s TV characters: I'm thinking primarily of the woman Valdez kidnaps, and her man, the villain of the piece.Particularly in the second half of the film, 'Valdez is Coming' threatens to become a rather tedious revenge/chase movie, though the plot is slightly more complex than this. Nonetheless, there is something rather pulpy about the way that Lancaster turns from put-upon minor lawman to brilliantly competent guerrilla fighter, shooting a man from a 1,000 yards, easily picking off the numerous armed riders sent after him, and sneaking into the heart of the enemy camp without anyone noticing. It's particularly noticeable partly because of the understated, resigned quality that characterises his performance in the initial stages of the film: moving slowly and speaking carefully, almost deferentially, Valdez is a character not exactly resigned to his lot (which is being treated with open or concealed contempt by his white neighbours) but understandably cautious about being too outspoken. From the moment he pulls his old army gear from under the bed and starts to growl, "Valdez is coming," he is suddenly athletic, hyper-alert, and a crack shot who never misses the target. Imposing such a cliché on what could have been a reasonably realistic look at life in the Old West means that the film fails to live up to its initial promise. The end result is a rather uneasy compromise between action-movie set-pieces and something more thoughtful and interesting. Still, it's worth an hour and a half of your time – even if that's for what it could have been more than for what it is.