Madron

A talky imitation spaghetti western shot in the Negev Desert in Israel and released shortly after 'Two Mules for Sister Sara'; a bit too soon for it to be a straight copy. It probably owes more to 'Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison' and the Dollars trilogy, with good girl Caron joining forces with bad & ugly brigand Richard Boone against a rugged backdrop and a sub-Morricone guitar score by Riz Ortolani. Pedestrianly directed by Jerry Hopper after several years away in TV, his occasional zooms are a poor substitute for Sergio Leone's frenzied cutting and clashing close-ups.

Boone of course is as usual good in the title role (although Caron didn't like him). Caron's smooth gamine features remain far too unblemished by exposure to such a harsh climate (likewise her long flowing, well-conditioned hair when allowed loose). But I'm not complaining...!

I majored in film in college which means I have watched a lot of movies ... all types of movies made by all types of people in all types of places. I have a very open mind towards movies. But Madron left me speechless. Madron could possibly be the worst film I have ever seen, and I have seen some really bad stuff. The best way I can describe Madron is that it's like a 70's porn film, but without the porn. It's poorly constructed, numbingly boring, and crude. Each scene seems like a repeat of the last. Sometimes I like bad movies, because they are so bad they are funny. Madron is not funny, it's sad. The talent has been in other good films though ... so I'm going to have to blame this feature-length mistake on the director and other behind the scenes folks.

I would say the one redeeming characteristic of Madron it is that this film has made me appreciate good movies that I had started to take for granted.

The movie is enthralling, it has deepness, it is the hard core gunfighter who has lost all hope on mankind, including himself, and trapped by circumstances in a desert with a beautiful pure woman...and slowly regains hope in mankind, in himself, and ultimately falls in love...his last love...and sacrifices his life so that she may live...all enshrined in the nostalgic spell of the award winning score...a beautiful movie...

MADRON is your typical kind of western with one twist: it was shot largely in Israel, in various sun-scorched desert locales which do a good job of standing in for the Old West. Otherwise, it's a middling kind of film that doesn't really have a lot going for it, as the production is kind of sloppy. The photography never really brings out the best of the surroundings and the characters are rather flat.

The protagonist is Leslie Caron, playing an uptight nun who survives an Indian massacre at the film's opening. She's rescued by Richard Boone's titular gunfighter, and the two then go on a trek through the land, fighting off various bad guys all the while. A handful of cheap action scenes prop up MADRON, but they're quite poorly conceived and lacking in excitement. Boone is the best thing in this and is reminiscent of Bud Spencer at times. Paul L. Smith (Bluto in POPEYE) has a minor role. The famous Italian film composer Riz Ortolani supplied the music, but that opening song really has dated in the worst kind of way.

Jerry Hopper's Israel-set, savagely sun-baked spaghetti western 'His Name was Madron' (1970) is an amiable adventure with grizzled, gun-happy brigand Madron (Richard Boone) and kindly, but ever resourceful nun Sister Mary (Leslie Caron) making for an engaging ill-matched pair of travellers, fractiously bound together upon their increasingly desperate journey to a save haven beyond the ever encroaching threat of mercilessly vengeful Apache Warrior Sam Red!

Comparisons to Siegal's beloved 'Two Mules for Sister Sarah' are inevitable, but the delightful Riz Ortolani score, and his memorable theme 'Till Love Touches Your Life' certainly lends 'His Name was Madron' some additional appeal. The burly charismatic character actor Paul L. Smith makes the most of his all-too brief cameo, and while the amorous sparks never fully ignite between hard-bitten loner Madron and his nun sexier companion Sister Mary their lively performances are likeable enough, with the tall, crag-faced Boone making for a convincingly capable, sharp-shooting outlaw whose calloused trigger finger is fatefully softened by Mary's healing hands! As a scintillating aside, Leslie Caron's dazzlingly lustrous, delectably dark chestnut hair is a truly ravishing sight; Hell!!?? It's more than enough to lead a God-fearing man like me off the path of righteousness! Amen!!!!!