Valdez

Life's full of coincidence, no? This is true: just a few weeks back, I happened to pick up another novel from Elmore Leonard called 'Valdez is coming'. After reading it, I said to a close friend, 'Hey, this is a great story – and it'd be another great movie..." So, when he told me it already was, I just had to get it and have a look.

Leonard is prolific: not only one of America's premier authors, he's responsible for some of the most talked about films ever, among them being Get Shorty (1995), Mr. Majestyk (1974 ), Jackie Brown (1997 ), Pronto (1997 ) and many others. So, when you get wind of another one from this master storyteller, you sit up and take notice.

Leonard's heroes tend to fall into two camps: the tough guy who's got heart when needed, or the guy with heart who gets tough when pushed. In both cases, you get a character who's the type of guy you'd always like to have as a friend, but never as an enemy...

Bob Valdez (Lancaster) is the local constable who gets caught up in a stand-off between an alleged killer and a vigilante posse led by Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher). After being forced to kill the accused murderer, Valdez tries unsuccessfully to persuade the towns' leaders and Tanner to kick in some compensation for the man's Apache widow. They refuse, of course, and, in the process of asking Tanner again, Valdez is cruelly treated: Tanner orders his men to tie a wooden cross to Valdez's back and then forces him to walk back to town – some fifteen miles.

Unhappily for Tanner, he picked the wrong guy to bully: Valdez is a retired scout and Indian fighter who knows how to exact revenge. He returns to Tanner's spread and kidnaps his girl friend, thus forcing Tanner to pursue both of them into the high sierra – the very place that Valdez knows better than anybody. That sets up the final confrontation between the two men, but preceded by Valdez picking off eleven of Tanner's men with better tactics and better firepower. And, for a western, the final scene is unique: you'll never see another western with an end like it. Bar none...

Filmed in Spain, up in the sierra, the cold terrain and air are overwhelming, almost. The music sound track is adequate and doesn't intrude as others have; the editing is just a tad too quick in a couple a places, but the photography is just stunning. Lancaster gives a solid performance as the Mexican constable, with just the right amount of lilt to his affected Mexican-English, and his tacit subservience to the bullying Americans; Cypher is excellent as the cruel and near-sociopathic trail boss and landowner; Susan Clark is competent, but not outstanding, as the kidnapped girlfriend; and a special mention for Barton Heyman as El Segundo who finally learns what true loyalty means. In sum, a stellar cast for a well-produced and very intelligent western.

If you like the western genre, in my opinion this one ranks in the top ten for that genre. So, if you haven't seen it yet, I give this one my highest recommendation.

I've watched this film over and over. There is perfection in it's brevity, assuredness in performance, outrageous make up, good costumes, peculiarly effective non-classical western camera-work and Burt! Perhaps one day I will write that piece on Burt's political stance demonstrated in his movies, but for now will add my name to the list of Valdez supporters. I particularly admire the taut structure and tone, the minimal but highly emotional exchanges between the players and the curious fact that none of the Mexicans are played by - Mexicans. I do not agree with the associations made by some commentators about the Leone connection. This film came from a completely different camp. This is Lancaster territory not Leone's. I would love to talk to Edwin Sherin about this film or any of the surviving cast and crew. Any offers?

At the summary states, this film truly made an unusual casting decision by casting Burt Lancaster as a Hispanic man. At first, this made me groan, but after a short time I realized that he did a pretty good job with the accent and there are many light-skinned Mexicans, so it wasn't too hard to believe this. The only negative about this is that the film is in many ways about race prejudice and you wonder if maybe casting an Anglo in such a role that it might be undermining the central message. Regardless, the film is several notches above the usual Western.

It begins in the Old West with sheriff Lancaster being called in to arrest a man holed up in a shack with his odd woman. The man inside is killed by Lancaster and then it's discovered that the man was NOT the wanted man, but totally innocent. Lancaster feels bad about this and tries to take up a collection to help the lady but no one seems to care. In particular, the rich land owner who insisted the guy in the shack WAS guilty felt no compunction to help at all. This angered Lancaster, but the rich guy said that he could care less since the dead man was Black.

The rest of the film consists of Lancaster spending the rest of the movie trying to force the rich guy to contribute his share. However, the rich guy responds by having Lancaster beaten and humiliated--and in the process unleashing retribution from Lancaster, who begins killing off the land owner's posse as they chase him across the Southwest.

Despite the simplicity of the plot, the film never got dull nor did it seem overly preachy. Also, the film ended very well, though I don't want to spoil anything by saying more about it. An intelligently written script, good acting and direction make this film a winner.

The opening scene begins like a Sunday picnic/Turkey shoot: well-dressed couples in period costumes milling around, young boys plunking away with their new rifles. It takes a minute or so to realize that this is stand-off with a man sealed inside a log cabin. A few racial epithets later and we realize the man is (a) black and (b) possibly innocent of the crime he is accused of.

Director Edwin Scherin lucked into a fine script co-authored by Elmore Leonard, one of the pioneers among popular writers to take up the subject of racism in best-selling detective and action novels. He uses Burt Lancaster, the title character, judiciously at first, having him enter inconspicuously and a little awkwardly, like a man who knows he is out of place. But soon Lancaster assumes control of the deadlocked situation, and but for the interference of a trigger-happy shooter (Richard Jordan), almost manages to end it peacefully.

This scene sets off the plot events that follow, as Valdez tries to obtain money to compensate the man's Native American widow. Most of the action - except for the bizarre humiliation of Valdez at the hands of a wealthy gun-runner - follows standard formulas, but Lancaster underplays his role so well that the clichés turn to his and the movie's advantage. Add solid supporting roles by John Cypher, Susan Clark, and an offbeat ending, and you have a surprisingly engaging Western that delivers what we expect and then some.

Valdez is more a symbol of conscience!

Burt Lancaster—at that time 57 years old—in fact dominates the film by a mystic presence, rather than actually being on screen for any length of time…

The bulk of the film constitutes a battle of wits and guns between Valdez and an extremely stubborn leader of a band of trigger-happy gun-slingers…

So when Frank Tanner (John Cypher) provokes a shoot-out which results in the death of an innocent man, Valdez asks $100 compensation from Tanner to provide financial support for his pregnant widow… Tanner not only refuses, but humiliates Valdez and orders his hired gunmen to beat him hardly, to tie him to a cross, and to drive him out of his place…

Again Spain locations represented the American frontier for this revenge tale about an aging former cavalry man who dusts off his old uniform, straps on his old guns, takes plenty of ammunition, and erupt a one-man army against a greedy, rotten, evil rancher and his henchmen to enforce justice at any cost…

As the pursuers forge deeper into the wilderness, the situation shifts around with hunters becoming the hunted…

Susan Clark (Gay) sides with Valdez without falling in love with him, while Barton Heyman (playing the chief henchman "El Segundo") provides his character with warmth and quality at a pivotal time