Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

The Appaloosa (1966)

Average user rating

1 review

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Brando, virtually repeating his morose, vengeance-driven characterisation from One-Eyed Jacks, plays a lone wanderer who rides back to his home town with some hard-earned cash and a valuable Appaloosa stallion, planning to fulfil his dream of settling down. But a crazy Mexican bandit (Saxon) first humiliates him, then steals the horse, sparking a protracted running duel which allows Brando his regulation bout of suffering (after losing an arm-wrestling match, and paying the penalty of being stung by a scorpion). Being the good guy - you know this because he is kind to Mexican peasants - Brando comes out on top in the end. The film has its moments, but is rendered virtually unwatchable by Furie's mania for weirdly mannered camera angles (you spend half the time peering round, over or under obstacles behind which the action is strategically placed) and enormous, pointless close-ups.

Author: TM

Time Out Film Guide

Bookmark

User reviews of this film

john@johnmulvihill.com said...

Posted on Apr 20 2008 01:15 Darn it, you're pretty nearly right. It's horrible mostly, but for a few brillaint scenes between Brando and Saxon. Saxon was reaching for his moment, and Brando was putting him in his place. Which for Saxon was the defining performance of his career, and for Brando, a phone-in performance. For a moment, though, there was chemistry. Which for me, being non-Mexican and therefore not offended as much by this film's patronsing of same, worth a watch or three.

Report as inappropriate