Flechas Ardentes

This is the second "Winnetou" western I've seen, and though I have yet to see more of the series, I'm getting the feeling they are more or less the same. Stewart Granger actually makes a good hero - though starting to age, he has both a charm and a heroic presence that fits this particular "Hand" hero he plays. Other than that, it's more of the same - nice scenery, but bogged down by a leaden pace, blatant padding (especially toward the end) plus comic relief that's both utterly unfunny and childish. There is some interest in seeing a young Terence Hill, several years before he became a European superstar, and there is some amusement to see HIM being the one slapped and punched around for a change!

I must admit I am not really a fan of foreign westerns- and as an American- why should I be!? ..but this one really takes the cake- I could not even finish watching this rotten tomato...totally fake voices, poor audio dubbing, actors that are the fakest excuse for Indians I have ever seen..an almost blatant disregard for a coherent plot..constant injections of idiotic scenes which have little or nothing to do with the story...lousy script, terrible actors..just FAKE, FAKE , FAKE in every respect...how I made it through an entire hour I do not know..How in the world these other people can give this movie a good review is beyond me- but it just goes to show that the vast majority of these reviews are from people who would not know a good movie if it walked up behind them and bit them in the gluteus maximus

This film opens with a ruthless conman known as "the Oil Prince" (Harald Leipnitz), who tries to convince a banker, "Mr. Kovacz" (Gerd Frickhoffer), that he owns land rich in oil. Meanwhile, a wagon train of German settlers approaches the same region, hoping to persuade the leaders of the local Utah and Navajo tribes to grant them that tract of land in exchange for developing it for the benefit of everyone involved. To assist in this endeavor, they are led by the renowned scout "Old Surehand" (Stewart Granger) and his trusted friend, the Apache chief "Winnetou" (Pierre Brice). What neither Old Surehand nor Winnetou realizes, however, is that the Oil Prince is aware of their plans and is willing to do whatever it takes to convince the Utes and Navajos to give him the land instead. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will simply say that I didn't particularly care for this movie, largely due to its meandering plot and lethargic acting from all involved. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a bad movie necessarily, it just didn't interest me all that much, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

Surehand and his Apache sidekick Winnetou endeavor to capture the outlaws who killed their friend the wagon master. The unscrupulous oil prince has concocted a large-scale fraud: he is about to sell a non-existent oil source to the president of the Arizona Commercial Bank. However, the plan goes awry at the last minute, as a group of settlers discover the road to the lake and take possession of the area. In order for the plan not to be revealed, the oil prince kills the leader of the settlers and puts his own man in his place. Fortunately, Winnetou and Old Surehand see through the deception and rush to the aid of the settlers. The enraged oil prince forges a diabolical plan: he kills the son of the chief of the local Navajo tribe and shifts the suspicion to the settlers...

This entertaining and imaginative Euro western is given a much joyful boost by Stewart Granger, who plays Old Sure-hand. His unique brand of charm and elegance adds to the character. The cinematography is superb, the location - European setting replacing the American terrain - is well-captured and the story is told really well with a touch of zest. The action is fine, especially the waterfall scene. The villain is a standout and is quite a menacing character.

RAMPAGE AT APACHE WELLS played theatrically in the US and used to get a lot of TV play as late as 1991. Its popularity is not hard to understand. Like all of the German-made westerns from the "winnetou" cycle, based on the literary works of Karl May (this one from his novel The Oil Prince, which IS available in an in-print English translation for those so inclined), this is well-mounted, beautifully photographed, beautifully scored, and well-acted. As I remember, Lex Barker made SIX films in the role of Old Shatterhand, Stewart Granger made two in the role of Old Surehand, and Rod Cameron made one in the role of Old Firehand (and I have not seen the latter...). As rugged and manly as Barker was, Granger also does well with the role, bringing his own unique humor and elegance to the character. If only he had made more of these! One surprising appearance here is Terence Hill (under his real name, Mario Girotti) as a complex, not-really-admirable character who grows throughout the film and sees the error of his ways. Hill plays the snivelling role convincingly, and he will be a surprise to those who only know his later heroic and comedy roles. Another interesting aspect of this film (more evident in the novels than in most of the films) is the details about German immigrants in America. As I live in South Texas, I live near some of the German settlements of the 1800s and have learned about the history of Germans in Texas-- it's interesting to see particularly German qualities in some of the settlers instead of just making them generic Anglo settlers. Of course, I don't go to films like this (or any film) for detailed history, but the particularity has a interesting flavor to it. The late Stewart Granger was a man with real star quality, with a charm and wit and elegance that is seen in every frame. While he camps it up in some of his European work of the 1960s (although always in an entertaining manner!), he certainly took the role of Old Surehand seriously. He is a nice mesh with Pierre Brice's warm but stoic interpretation of the Winnetou character. The film also has a full array of colorful supporting characters. Overall, while this may not have the depth or philosophical profundity of the finest Italian Westerns, it is a satisfying, impressively mounted Western that fires on all cylinders and deserves wider fame.