A Crista do Diabo

One thing I like about THE DESERTER is that it pulls no punches. No political correctness here to take your eye off the prime considerations of survival and revenge.

Captain Viktor Kaleb, convincingly played by the largely unknown then Yugoslav actor Fekim Behmiu, finds his wife skinned and otherwise tortured by marauding Apaches, and he kills her to end her misery. After doing that, he returns to base only to be threatened with court martial by the unsympathetic and bureaucratic Major Brown (played by Crenna, in a largely thankless role as ineffective fort commander).

Kaleb decides to desert the army and go on on the path of revenge right in the heart of Apache territory.

By all accounts, Kaleb is more successful on his ace than Brown's entire troop of misfits that include a lieutenant blandly played by Brandon de Wilde (a child star in SHANE who lost luster as he grew older and sadly died at 30); a chaplain who is a dynamite expert (Chuck Connors, possibly in his most memorable supporting role after THE BIG COUNTRY); Jackson, the Afro-American who hates Kaleb for no particularly clear reasons; the extremely reliable British actor, Ian Bannen, as guest officer of the Imperial Majesty's Army; and Kaleb's only friends, Tattinger (played by the always interesting to watch Slim Pickens) and Natchai (Ricardo Montalban, with a superlative minimalist performance).

And then you get John Huston as Gen. Miles. Montalban and he steal the show. Miles sees the need to use the revenge-driven Kaleb to hit at Apache Chief Durango, who's weaving nefarious plans to overrun the fort from his hideout in Mexico. Behmiu, always accompanied by his trusted wolf, has no sense of humor: he is out to do a job, picks the men for it, and heads them across territory that CHATO'S LAND would seem inspired by, two years later.

Thus Gen. Miles gives Kaleb the mission to strike at Durango and his marauding braves. Kaleb picks a team of men that he knows will test and undermine his authority. He knows that he will have to prove himself and his leadership capacity every step of the way. He and his lone wolf will do it in a relentless atmosphere of desert sand, sun, sweaty men, struggle for survival. Everyone knows the odds are very much against.

THE DESERTER is no masterpiece but it has the great merit of never seeking the easy way out and it certainly avoids any type of hypocritical political correctness. These are human beings pushing against the elements and against a barbaric enemy. No quarter given, none taken. Even children are no saints here.

Footnote: I found it interesting to see Behmiu close the eyes of the lieutenant played by de Wilde. There is something premonitory about that scene: de Wilde would be killed in a car accident in Denver just over a year later.

This cavalry-Indian western has a great veteran cast, an international flavor, beautiful scenery and plenty of action. An army captain discovers his wife tortured and murdered by Apaches and deserts but is later persuaded to train soldiers to undertake a seek-and-destroy mission against the Indians. Old antagonisms and resentments resurface as the special unit sets out on its mission, and there is as much fighting among the the soldiers as there is against the Apaches in this graphic, violent film. Bekim Fehmiu isn't bad in this adventure but his character is one-dimensional in his vengeance quest against the Indians. The film has beautiful western vistas, even if it was filmed in Europe and great character actors put the movie over the top in this wild but interesting film.

Totally acceptable Italian western utilizing many American character actors. My only gripes are the weirdly inappropriate score, and Indians who look suspiciously like Europeans. John Huston easily steals every scene as the Calvary General who doesn't mind sending Bekim Fehmiu and his band of misfits on a suicide mission. The desert scenery is exceptional, the acting passable, and the action strong. This film has some very sharp editing, thus eliminating scenes that would do little to move the story forward. It is also one of the least predictable westerns I have seen. Put this all together and you have a rarely viewed film, that deserves far more attention. - MERK

Bekim Fehmiu had got a lot of exposure in _The Adventurers_, so here's Hollywood wondering if it should keep him around as a leading man. He gets a good director and a dream cast of character actors to support him. And there's a line in the script to identify him as a Serb in case you need an explanation of his accent, but the line isn't necessary; his English is fine.

Still, the burden is too much for Bekim. The film is a particularly dark Western. Writer/directory Kennedy, whose other films display a lot of warmth and humor, has given the star little to work with but grief and righteous resentment. You wish the hero well, but he doesn't engage you, and Bekim can't draw the missing sparkle forth from his own personality... not for an American audience, anyway.

We're left with a B movie, a movie that can command your attention but not your love.

Chuck Conners,Albert Salmi,Woody Strode,Pat Wayne,Slim Pickens,Ricardo Montalban.Sound like a good show?How about throwing in a little Richard Crenna and John Huston.Mix it all together with international star Bekim Fehmiu and you have the "Deserter".You have seen it before and if you take time, you will see it again.A worthwhile oater that is very watchable(The gatling gun scene that has the cast looking right at you),and enjoyable.I have to agree w/previous comment of the film being too short and not getting to know the charactors very well(they were good and could have been great!).This however was a Dino de Laurentis production,and he doesn,t do westerns very well.Check it out anyway.