Cuando el alba se tiñe de rojo

This movie is like a lot of others made at the height of the Vietnam War - I swear Hollywood was chucking out really bad movies just to take people's minds off the war (check out Burt Lancaster in "The Swimmer" some time.) Number 1: bad songs. This is a trademark of movies made between '65 and '71. Number 2 (or 1b): use of the harpsichord. Again, a key instrument in American movies made between 65 and 71. Then, there's the anti-hero (or two of them here.) I guess by 1968 / 1969, all the good western stories had been done. (Until Josey Wales, Dances with Wolves, and Unforgiven, that is.)

This movie's writer and director must have said to themselves, "let's take the worst of the 1960's and put those characters in the 1880's." Let's imagine the Woodstock generation faced with a range war.

A watered- down remake of 1955's "Man Without a Star." And this one lacks the 'star' power (Kirk Douglas) of the original. The routine stroy of mentor and young tender-foot seems just that-routine. Franciosa lacks the 'chutzpa' to bring this one off...watch the original instead.

I won't say it's a bad western but what is useful to produce this remake? It looks like a tV western, especially if you see it in pan and f...scan. This is boring, cheesy, not crap but so useless. This is a bad late sixties - early seventies stuff. I expected some kind of gloomy, brutal, downbeat movie, not this kind at least. Cast seems OK but the characters bland, not convincing at all. I hardly fought against sleep till the end of this oater. The King Vidor's version also hardly interested me. OK, I admit that the relationship, the psycholigical link between Franciosa and Sarrazin can be a bit worth the view. But ONLY THIS. Not that bad ending too.

a western. with the ambition to be more than one of ordinaries examples of genre. and this desire is far to be extravagant. because it propose a seductive story of lost, friendship, form of fatherhood and spirit of youth. and the great surprise remains Anthony Franciosa who has the best occasion to do a role in which the nuances are real important. Michael Sarrazin gives , more than a credible character, a lovely portrait of an age. it is a special story. about success and grow up, about love and seduction, about illusions and lost causes, about heroism and about ...women and the force who defines the words. short, more than a good western. because the classic story has deep roots. and an inspired director.

At least I'm pretty sure i was made for TV. I thought i was a fine, tightly directed little Western about a down-on-his-luck cowpoke who's lost his herd (or ranch; it's been awhile since I've seen it)and goes to work for a woman ranch owner. I wish I could find a copy of this movie somewhere. It's left a lasting impression. I liked it more than Man Without a Star, its nominal predecessor. Anthony Franciosa, an actor of limited range, is at his best here. Michael Sarrazin as the would-be gunslinger he takes under his wing also is fine. An episode of The Virginian TV series, perhaps one featuring the character Steve,was derived from Man Called Gannon/Man Without a Star.