Breakheart Pass

One thing I do like about Breakheart Pass is that absolutely nobody is who he pretends to be. For the first time viewer, 90% of the fun is figuring just who the good guys and bad guys are on this train to Fort Humboldt in the Rocky Mountains. It's not revealed until about 75% of the film is done and when it is revealed the action steps up considerably.

A special train is being sent to Fort Humboldt with medical supplies and a relief force as cholera has broken out there. The territorial Governor Richard Crenna is taking personal charge of the operation, the troops are commanded by cavalry Major Ed Lauter. Along for the ride is U.S. Marshal Ben Johnson, Doctor David Huddleston, the Commanding officer's daughter, Jill Ireland. The engineer is Roy Jenson, the conductor is Charles Durning. Governor Crenna travels in style with a private car with a cook, Archie Moore and a server Victor Mohica. As you can see Breakheart Pass has a good cast.

Marshal Johnson arrests a fugitive, Charles Bronson, before the journey starts and circumstances force him to take Bronson along. People start getting killed on this trip, even before the train leaves and as I said no one is exactly who he seems to be.

Alistair MacLean for a non-American writer managed in this story to get the western ambiance down pretty good. Breakheart Pass combines the best elements of a western and a mystery and I wouldn't miss it if I was either a western or a mystery fan.

The movie is a little too long, the plot isn't the greatest, and it "drags" here and there, but all the actors are excellent - Richard Crenna and Ben Johnson in particular. Charles Bronson does what he does best - be Charles Bronson. It has good stunts, and plenty of action - what you expect from a Western. To me the main item of interest is that Yakima Canutt, the first great movie stuntman, and later a great stunt coordinator, was the 2nd unit director. It was his last movie. He died the next year - 1976. He started in silent movies, worked with John Wayne on many occasions, and staged the chariot race in the nine-Oscar winning "Ben Hur." It's fitting that his last movie was a Western.

Alistair MacLean spent most of his novelist days writing wartime suspensers or twisting, turning thrillers. The one book that he wrote which doesn't fit either of those descriptions is Breakheart Pass, a western set aboard a train. This film version of it is surprisingly enjoyable, and features the added bonus of an expressive, colourful characterisation by Charles Bronson.

The train is travelling to a fort in the Wild West with medical supplies to cure an outbreak of a nasty disease. However, some of the soldiers aboard the train are mysteriously disappearing, and anyone who's ever seen a film like this will figure out straight away that there's a murderer on board. Furthermore, the train must make its journey across hostile Red Indian terrain, where a fearsome ambush or a sabotaged stretch of track is only a spear throw away.

Bronson plays a mysterious outlaw who is held prisoner on the train, though there are plenty of clues that he may not be exactly who he says he is. Other well delineated characters are played by Richard Crenna, Jill Ireland, Archie Moore (yes, the boxer!), and Ed Lauter. One truly amazing sequence involves a rooftop scuffle between Bronson and Moore.... indeed most people who have ever seen the film remember it for that sequence more than any other. All things considered, Breakheart Pass is one of the better adaptations of a MacLean novel, admittedly not quite in the same league as Fear is the Key or Where Eagles Dare, but definitely worth seeking out, especially on DVD.

This movie was made at the height of Bronson's career. He had just done Death Wish a year before and Hard Times and Breakout were the other two to follow. It must have made a packet and its easy to see why. A train heading for a destination where Indians await and mysterious murders happening along the way. Many characters make this movie seem alas Hitchcock/Christie and the music by Jerry Goldsmith is one of the best of the 70's. His music captures the mood of every scene whether it be high pitch as the train moves along or dark as the shady characters go about their business in the carriages. Some of the location shooting is breathtaking and i actually felt cold watching it. The acting is solid as expected. Bronson, Crenna, Johnson, Lauter, Durning and even Jill Ireland are all good while not giving much away to their character. The action explodes at the end and gunfire a plenty making this one of the most entertaining action films of that era.

8/10

entertaining but ludicrous western mystery, starring charles bronson at the height of his career, with beautiful outdoor scenery, a familiar cast and an uneven but at times memorable score from jerry goldsmith.

bronson plays an alleged arsonist and murderer who is being escorted to trial by a state marshall, on board a train that's also on a rescue mission to an army camp beset by disease. nothing is what it seems, and there are plot twists galore, several of which make no sense. most ridiculous development sees murder suspect bronson allowed to roam the train at will, as he figures everything out.

but the taciturn star has his roughneck charms, the railway sequences through the wintry, mountainous terrain are lovely, and there's an incredible, lengthy fight atop the rolling train that is eyepoppingly good -- no special effects here -- and escalates to a jaw dropping climax as the train rolls over a high wooden bridge.

nothing special, but an entertaining diversion.