User reviews

I rate this mid-60's Brando Western a 6, but it really wasn't accepted at the time. Marlon is incredible as always, Anjanette Comer is a stone fox, great supporting cast, and John Saxon as Chuy Medina is a worthy adversary to taunt Brando. Beautiful Southwest and Mexican terrain in this Sidney J. Furie flick that is well worth the trip. Similar to Joe Kidd (also with Saxon).

Best performance = Marlon Brando. Westerns of this type were on their way out by 1966, but with Brando it still makes the grade. Rafael Campos is believable as always in the most authentic way. This one is easy to find so give it a shot!

Yet another film from Brando's lean years; now, I only have THE UGLY American (1963; also included in Universal's "The Marlon Brando Franchise Collection") to watch from this period – but, all in all, it's an underrated phase for the celebrated method actor. Incidentally, it was nice to see such long-term Universal regulars as composer Frank Skinner (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN [1939]), editor Ted Kent (BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN [1935]) and make-up man Bud Westmore (ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN [1948]) still involved in high profile productions such as this one after all those years. Anyway, Brando made only three Westerns in his career – the others being the self-directed ONE EYED JACKS (1961) and Arthur Penn's THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976) – but they're among the more intriguing, if pretentious, from their respective eras; having said that, the film under review is easily the least rewarding of the three.

The simple plot finds aspiring rancher Brando falling foul of small-time Mexican tyrant John Saxon over the former's appaloosa stallion (later on, Saxon's girl, Anjanette Comer – who does what she can with a basically underwritten role – becomes the object of contention between the two); beaten up by Saxon's men and his prize horse stolen, Brando follows in pursuit – ignoring the advise of friend Rafael Campos and a goat herder (Frank Silvera), he encounters on the way. Reaching the town where Saxon lives with his band of cut-throats, Brando tries to pass himself off as a local (by affecting a silly Mexican accent whose inspiration seems to have been Speedy Gonzales!); it doesn't take long for Saxon to discover his ruse and, when he does, challenges the star to a game of arm-wrestling (with a sting in its tail)! Brando loses and is beaten up again, after which Comer – fed up with her own way of life – takes him to Silvera's place to recover; catching up with the latter, Saxon's men kill him because he won't reveal the rancher's whereabouts but they're eliminated soon after by Brando himself. Finally, a showdown between the two parties takes place in the mountains.

Thematically, THE APPALOOSA - which celebrated film critic Pauline Kael had dismissed as "a dog of a movie about a horse" and whose title was, understandably changed to SOUTHWEST TO SONORA for its British theatrical release – doesn't really cover any new ground despite Brando and director Furie's attempts to respectively infuse meaning into every gesture and shot. The latter was known for his flashy camera stylistics, and he really goes overboard here (placing characters in the extreme foreground when the main action is occurring in the remaining part of the frame – including the very last shot – or choosing bizarre angles – such as a tilted shot during the arm-wrestling bout from the POV of a scorpion!); with this in mind, I had become even more interested in checking this one out after learning how Italian B-movie exponent Enzo G. Castellari drew on it for his impressive latter-day Spaghetti Western KEOMA (1976) on the Audio Commentary of that film's R1 Anchor Bay DVD. All of this – plus Saxon's enjoyably hammy, Golden Globe-nominated performance (with an exaggerated Mexican accent to match) – keeps one watching, even when the pace flags or the plot turns dreary.

Brando is said to have agreed to do this principally because he needed the cash to pay in alimony for his two ex-wives and that he quickly lost interest in the project (to the consternation of his producer and director); consequently, his contribution is atypically understated – thus allowing co-star Saxon to walk away with the film! Nevertheless, the confrontation scenes between their two characters constitute definite highlights (and the climax is nicely handled – kudos, in fact, to Russell Metty's cinematography throughout); otherwise, Silvera and popular Mexican actor/director Emilio Fernandez (perhaps still best-known for playing General Mapache in Sam Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH [1969] and here appearing as Saxon's right-hand man) are notable among the supporting cast.

I'd seen this film years ago, and rented the video last night. Brando was at the zenith of his career:

strong, vital, and fit. His understated, controled acting along with his easy interaction with the other actors made this film a delight to watch. Especially moving was his relationship with Paco (Rafael Campos)-a close bond which was a major force in the film as revealed by the amazing speech relating Mateo's (Brando) growing up in the household of Paco and his family. The scenery was magnificent. A fine western, with qualities that would cross over into any genre.

Interesting but slowly paced Western follows Brando's attempts to recover an Appaloosa horse stolen from him by Mexican villains . Being based on a novel by Robert MacLeod and screenplay by also filmmakers , James Bridges and Roland Kibbee . Set in 1870s , Southwest to Sonora where rules the lawless , lustful and violence arrives a man who returns from war and tries to recover a horse (the appaloosa of the titles) stolen from him by a Mexican bandit called Chuy (John Saxon who received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and hoodlums (Emilio Fernandez) . As a Mexican-American named Matt Fletcher and outlaws to live on the edge of violence . When the bandits steal his horse , he sets out in pursuit the thieves . Meanwhile Matt falls in love for the Chuy's girlfriend named Trini (Anjanette Comer) .

This strange Western contains drama , action , colorful outdoors , shootouts but is paced in slow-moving and often tiring . Violent and moving at the ending in which Fletcher/Brando single-handedly, contends the whole nasty band . Good interpretation by the mythical Marlon Brando , he carries out a method-acting , brooding approach to the main role , though according to co-star John Saxon, Marlon Brando's relationship with director Sidney J. Furie got to the point where Brando, when getting ready to do a close-up, would be reading a book , he would only lower the book when Furie yelled "Action" ; when he yelled "Cut", Brando would raise the book again . Also according to producer Alan Miller, appalled at his star's lack of interest in the film and his lackluster performance, pinned a bit of doggerel about Marlon Brando . Glimmer and luxurious cinematography in Techniscope by the classical cameraman Russell Metty filmed on location in St. George, Utah, Lake Los Angeles, and Wrightwood, California . Sensitive and evocative musical score by maestro Frank Skinner .

This slight motion picture was professionally directed by Sidney J Furie , a veteran and prolific director , still today making films . British Furie has directed all kind of genres , though mostly action . In 1999, Sidney J. Furie's espionage thriller The Ipcress File (1965) was included at number 59 on the BFI's list of the 100 greatest British films of the 20th century. Stanley Kubrick was a big fan of The Boys in Company C (1978) and cited Sidney J. Furie's war movie as the direct inspiration for Full Metal Jacket (1987). In 2009, director Martin Scorsese placed Sidney J. Furie's The Entity (1982) on his list of the 11 Scariest Horror Films of All Time. He also directed Superman IV: quest of peace (1987) , originally had a budget of $36 million dollars , just before filming was to begin, Cannon Pictures, which was starting to suffer financial problems, slashed the budget and was a flop . ¨The Appaloosa¨ resulted to be an acceptable Western that had moderated success at the box office . Rating : 6 , passable . The picture will appeal to Marlon Brando fans and Western buffs .

See it – "Next time you point a gun at me you better pull the trigger. Cuz' I'm gonna blow you into so many pieces your friends will get tired of looking for you." Can't you just picture Marlon Brando saying that to a bad guy? This is a great south-of-border revenge western. It is a very clever film, and actually has kind of a spaghetti western feel to it. My favorite scene is the arm wrestle that involves scorpions. If you've seen it you know what I'm talking about. Also, a bit of trivia…the milky beverage everyone drinks is called pulque. It's a Mexican beer that's made by fermenting agave juice. And I would know. I checked…online. 3 out of 5 action rating

Matt Fletcher (Marlon Brando) is returning home with his beautiful Appaloosa horse intending to start a horse ranch with it. Powerful bandit Chuy Medina (John Saxon) steals his horse. Matt decides to pursue his gang into wild hostile Mexico. Chuy's brutalized girlfriend Trini helps him.

The villains are mustachio Mexican bandits. Yet John Saxon plays the lead Mexican and he does it with a fake accent. This is a spaghetti B-western except it has Brando. It's not well made and slow moving. The story meanders and lacks excitement. It does have Brando. He's the only interesting thing in this movie.

I caught this on television and loved it. It's Brando's spaghetti western. Lots of fantastic landscapes. close-ups and acting. Not very violent, but extremely effective. Great soundtrack, would be awesome in surround, but mono track was terrific. John Saxon was a great bad guy ( a Mexican, no less) and character actors are authentic. Well worth seeing. Sidney J. Furie shows real skill as a director even though he was only thirty three at the time. There's elements of John Ford, Howard Hawkes and Sergio Leone. Sometimes it was hard to buy Brando in this role, it's more an Eastwood type of role, but he's such a great actor that he becomes convincing. John Saxon playing a Mexican bandit is a terrific performance, even though it's a white guy playing a Mexican. Hollywood at it's best.

E.Forster Toronto, Canada

Marlon Brando's career was almost as comatose as his performance when he made this spaghetti western wannabe. Don Corleone was still six years ahead of him and the bloated epic Mutiny on the Bounty, his last sizeable hit, four years in the past. Age was catching up with him, too: at the age of forty-one he was starting to fill out. Perhaps, by embracing a genre that was huge in the mid-sixties, he believed he could kick-start a career that looked as if it was fizzling out. If that was the case, he was sadly mistaken.

The story concerns a reformed criminal's (Brando) efforts to recover the eponymous appaloosa stallion stolen from him at the outset of the film. The thief is Chuy (pronounced Chewie, like Han Solo's sidekick) Medina (John Saxon), a local crime lord who attempted to buy the horse from him to save face after his 'wife' stole it in an attempt to escape her husband. The appaloosa, of course, is a symbol. Matt (Brando), after a life of crime, plans to start a horse ranch from the horse's seed, so its theft is both an emasculation (and its circumstances an equally damaging humiliation) and a theft of his chance of redemption. For Medina, the horse represents the power he can now wield over those who had held back his people for so long. The struggle for Trini (Anjanette Comer) is a parallel struggle and, strangely enough, it adds a dimension to Saxon's character rather than Brando's. Although Saxon's accent is of the Speedy Gonzales school of diction, there is a brooding darkness to him that is hinted at rather than explored, which is a shame because, for all its symbolism, this movie doesn't have a whole lot going for it.

Judging by this effort, director Sidney J. Furie, whose career peeked around this period (when he was only 33) is something of a style sponge. Either that or he's just a plain old copycat, because he couldn't be more obviously trying to emulate Leone if he had Clint Eastwood walk on in his poncho. For every straightforward shot, he feels completely to supply us with a shot of the action filmed from behind the brim of one of those outlandishly large hats that Mexican cowboys wear, or from behind Brando's fingers, or from behind a horse's arse, so we get four-fifths of the screen filled with hat/fingers/arse and one-fifth action. Plus, of course, we get the obligatory close-ups of sweaty, sneering faces possessing bad tombstone teeth and giant pores. Nothing wrong with paying homage, Sid, but you've gotta add a little originality and imagination at the same time. And a little pace would be a bonus. Otherwise, your career is going to go… well, you know where your career is going to go.

Pluses: some nice photography (when not obstructed by Brando's arse, horse's fingers etc), a good performance by Saxon – even with the silly accent, and a bang-on arm-wrestling contest in which the loser's hand will be pushed onto a rather angry scorpion. And Comer looks nice, although she isn't really given that much to do. Although, given that she is the sole reason that Matt finds himself in the situation he does, you can't help wondering whether he would have been so nice to her if she hadn't looked so hot. But then perhaps, in a way so obscure it is almost invisible, that ties in with the general theme of the film.

when you consider that this movie was released in 1966,in the midst of the Sergio Leone-Clint Eastwood western trilogy and the same year as the groundbreaking-action classic"The Professionals","The appaloosa" is a dated film.Sergio Leone and Richard Brooks were exceptionally good film makers and could tell a good story.Sidney J.Furie made top notch spy thrillers with Michael Caine in the Harry Palmer films,but Furie seemed to out of his league making a western."The Appaloosa"is a slow moving ponderous film with little excitement.the novel by Robert Macleod is superior. the first two or three chapters of the book take place at "the battle of adobe walls"-a real life incident that took place in 1874 in which a small group of buffalo hunters held off a large band of Indians.this entire sequence was not included in the film due to Marlon Brando refusing to be in a movie where his character was killing Indians.in addition,Brando did not like Indians being portrayed as nothing but savage killers.or at least, this is what i have read.one positive addition that the film has that the novel does not have is the arm wrestling contest between Brando and John Saxon -with an added-creepy danger to the contest.also in the film's favor- both Brando and Saxon are good.Brando is low key and brooding while Saxon hams it up-also Anjanette Comer is very lovely.the film deletes the Indian wife of Brando's character and the role of the town sheriff in the novel is reduced to one quick short mini scene.the novel is a rugged western with good action.the movie is not.they should have been more faithful to the book-it would have made a better movie.still, the movie is worth a look and has a fine music score and some nice photography in addition to some solid performances, but it lacks excitement.

The Appaloosa (1966)

** (out of 4)

Rather bizarre Western has Matt (Marlon Brando) having his horse stolen by Chuy (John Saxon) so he sets out to get him back. The two men had previous run-ins over a woman (Anjanette Comer) who will come into play as the story plays out.

THE APPALOOSA is a film that Marlon Brando didn't really want to make but the paycheck was good so he took the role. When production started he realized that he really didn't want to do the film so the shooting was somewhat of a disaster with the legend battling director Sidney J. Furie. The end result is a fairly forgettable film that tries to be something different than your typical Western.

The biggest problem with this movie is the story. In all honesty even by Western standards the story here is quite weak and would barely fill up one of those 50 minute "B" films from the 30s. We basically have the two men running into each other a couple time and the film tries to be psychological and it fails pretty bad. There are really bizarre and weird camera set-ups that are meant to be deep or to bring you into the mental state of the characters but it just doesn't work. Whatever vision director Furie was trying to bring just doesn't come across and we're left with a pretty boring movie.

The always entertaining Saxon manages to be the best thing here. With his thick Mexican accent and the paint on his face, Saxon manages to make for a fun villain but it's too bad more wasn't done with the character. I thought Corner was also good in her wasted role and especially early on when she fears for her safety after trying to break free from Chuy. As for Brando, I don't think he's bad here but it's certainly not into what he's doing. He ends up mumbling more than anything else and just doesn't bring any energy or passion to the part.

A Marlon Brando western. Not the best use of Brando's considerable talents. Plot is so-so: not really original nor profound. Direction is OK.

Brando gives a solid performance. You wouldn't think that western's would be his ideal type of move, but he gives a very convincing performance.

Supporting performances are less satisfactory, varying from OK to cringeworthy.

Overall, an average western, and really only worth watching for the presence of the great Marlon Brando.

Brando was coming to the end of his mid-sixties accommodation with Hollywood when he brought his trademark lop-sided smile and mumble to this good-looking Universal imitation of a spaghetti western.

Dismissed by Pauline Kael on its first appearance as "A dog of movie about a horse", inevitably it doesn't hold a candle to Brando's own 'One-Eyed Jacks'; but is handsomely photographed by veteran cameraman Russell Metty. While director Sydney J. Furie has visibly studied the operatic visual style of Sergio Leone, filling the screen with enormous close ups, sombreros, scorpions, arm-wrestling and sundry violent action.

Reformed sinner Matt Fletcher (Marlon Brando) plans on building a ranch with his adopted family only to have villainous Chuy Medina (John Saxon) steal the titular stud-stallion on which his plans rely. The film is languidly paced and the climactic showdown a bit predictable (and implausible) but there are some good moments (such as the revered/reviled arm-wrestling scene), and the cinematography is generally impressive. Brando's low-key near minimalist performance is OK and a contrast to the more melodramatic (or flamboyant) heroes that were showing up in the evolving genre. John Saxon is almost a stereotype of Mexican stereotypes (a big hatted bandito whose verbose faux-courteous dialogue is delivered with the teeepical accent when he's not laughing). His 'brown-face' character will likely offend some contemporary viewers but he is given some lines that defend his/his people's criminal behaviour towards 'greeengos'. All in all, not particularly good nor bad but also not particularly interesting.

The Appaloosa (1966) is a movie I recently watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi. The storyline follows a man that returns to some friends and agrees to help them turn their home into a ranch that thrives and they can be proud of. On his way to see them some Mexican bandits try to steal his horse unsuccessfully. Unfortunately for him, one drunken night the Mexican bandits come to the house and steal his horse anyway. The man puts his life and the future of the family at risk when he hunts down the bandits to get his horse back.

This movie is directed by Sidney J. Furie (Iron Eagle) and stars Marlon Brando (Fugitive Kind), Anjanette Comer (The Baby), John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Emilio Fernández (The Wild Bunch), Miriam Colon (Scarface) and Frank Silvera (Hombre).

The storyline for this movie is pretty straightforward but fun to watch unfold. Brando is awesome and he's eccentric but not so eccentric he seems awkward, just more unpredictable, which worked in this genre. There's an arm wrestling scene in this that's fantastic and cinematic gold. The horse stealing sequence at the end is very good and intense, especially the pin down scene where Brando has to make some tough decisions. The entire final shootout is pretty good.

Overall this is far from a western classic though it has some western classic elements. I would score this a 7/10 and recommend seeing it once.

For decades, Marlon Brando has been considered one of the foremost actors of the age. There was a real aura about him and his later performances were real events--as securing his services for films had become very expensive and fraught with difficulties. Brando had become VERY difficult to direct and he regularly refused to learn his scripts or prepare--preferring to work as little as possible and use cue cards (this is according to directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Arthur Penn). Yet, despite this, he still was adored by critics. As for me, I just never understood all the hubbub about his acting. However, recently I decided to watch a few more of his films--and give him a second chance. As my wife pointed out, after seeing about 10 of his films recently, his performances seemed to either be very, very subdued or rather 'out there' and over-the-top.

"The Appaloosa" begins with a Mexican bandit (John Saxon) and his men stealing Brando's prize horse. And, for the rest of the film, Brando tracks down the guy to retrieve his animal. How all this transpired was a bit odd--but that really is the plot--along with a subplot involving a woman who hated Saxon and wanted to leave him.

The film comes off very much like a Spaghetti Western version of the plot for "Winchester '73"--though not as good as the original film. There are a few neat elements in the film but also some very silly ones (such as the scorpion scene and the use of too many spurs' sound effects). Overall, the film isn't bad and Brando underplays the part a bit. He wasn't bad--but his character did seem curiously muted considering the role.

"The Appaloosa" is a superior low-key western with a great performance by Marlon Brando and very good ones by John Saxon and Anjanette Comer. Brando plays a white man raised by Mexicans who returns from the Civil War tired of killing and ready to build a ranch around one Appaloosa stallion. Brando has the misfortune of becoming a tool for Comer to escape the clutches of Saxon. Saxon retaliates by stealing Brando's stallion, and Brando follows Saxon into Mexico to reclaim it. Director Sidney J. Furie ("The Ipcress File," "Iron Eagle") extensively uses extreme close-ups of faces, in the same manner as Sergio Leone, but not for the same purpose. Furie uses these close-ups to establish intimacy between the characters and the audience. This works beautifully in "The Appaloosa," particularly so since the story is so unremarkable and low-key and Brando's character is by no means a superman. Most of the violence is of the "G" rated variety, with the notable exception of a hand-wrestling contest played with the addition of scorpions.

While the ending of "The Appaloosa" is as abrupt and unremarkable as everything that precedes, intimate moments in the movie linger long after. As examples:

o Brando's confessional o The little girl telling Brando he smells like a goat o The goat herder telling Brando about Saxon's gunmen killing his pet goat o Comer telling Brando her fate if he doesn't help her escape Saxon o The hand-wrestling contest

There are many more unremarkable but somehow memorable moments in the sublime "Appaloosa." It is too insignificant to be great, but it most certainly very good. I give "The Appaloosa" an "8".

This ritualistic Western must be one of Marlon Brando's least-seen films, and no wonder. The plain story moves very slowly, and Brando himself never fully slips into his role (and the Western environment). The film's few highlights include a tense armwrestling match, in which the defeated man will be stung by a deadly scorpion, and the final showdown between Brando and John Saxon (who's quite good). (**1/2)

The Appaloosa is a film that was made at a time when Marlon Brando's career was in the doldrums. Either films were not money makers though critically good like Reflections in a Golden Eye or they were outright duds like this one.

It's not a horrible western, just not a terribly good one. Even Brando's One Eyed Jacks with a whole lot of posing was more interesting than this one.

Brando plays a Confederate veteran come home to his Texas border town and the Mexican family that took him in as an orphan. He's got himself a nice Appaloosa horse that he hopes to breed as the start of a horse ranch.

He also manages to come between bandit John Saxon and his woman Anajette Comer. Saxon gets his back up over it all so he steals the Appaloosa, leaving Brando to cross the Rio Grande into Mexico and track him down.

All this over a horse, seems hardly worth the effort, we're not exactly talking about Trigger here.

Brando and Saxon have a great old contest in trying to top each other in overacting. I leave it to your own judgment, but personally I think Saxon won the prize.

Not Brando at his finest by any means.