L'Homme de la Sierra

"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".

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 .

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 would display masochistic tendencies in his sixties parts.His self-directed movie (excellent in other respects),"one-eyed jacks" featured a very long scene where he was whipped by his "Streetcar named desire" pal Karl Malden.In the underrated "reflection in a golden eye" ,he was humiliated by his wife (Elizabeth Taylor).And I will not even mention his beating up in Penn's "the chase":it has to be seen to be believed.

"The Appaloosa " features this kind of scene :it's John Saxon's turn to play the torturer this time.And if it is not clear enough,the movie begins with confession and penance in a church.

The plot of "the Appaloosa" is very simple probably too simple for its own good.Saxon steals Brando's horse and the latter who was about to start a clean brand new life has to fight against that cruel Mexican -Saxon's face and voice desperately try to sound Mexican- whose favorite pastime is arm-wrestle over a scorpion.And he treats his woman bad ,a woman who used to dream of a romantic wedding with priest and walk down the aisle.

The landscapes are nicely filmed but the story is never really exciting.This era was a hard time for Brando whose career seemed shriveled.But it wasn't of course.

This film seems to be caught between the 1950s western movies and the Spaghetti Westerns later in the 60s. While the 1950s hero drawn into conflict was 'minding his own business and wanted to be left alone', once crossed the bad guy found he woke a sleeping giant. Perhaps this style was how America saw itself after Pearl Harbor.

"The Appaloosa", on the other hand, has a different style. While Brando was minding his business before being drawn into conflict, the theft of his horse occurs while he is drunk and unable handle the situation, and he seems to be inept. It is a long scene and one that ends in humiliation for Brando's character. Even if a 1950s hero was caught off guard while being drunk, he wasn't humiliated. A 1950s hero would not appear inept, just that he had made a mistake that allowed the bad guy to get the upper hand.

There are other instances in the film where Brando's character doesn't act as a 1950s hero: his ridiculous Mexican accent, his initial plan at the gang's hideout to leave with his horse, his arm-wrestling scene, his reluctance to take revenge. Brando's character was more in style of the 60s make-the-hero-more-realistic and less larger-than-life. He doesn't win all the battles. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as you interested in watching this.

I was fine with it. I did like the final gun battle as it was different from the usual face-to-face shootout.

I had problems with Brando's mumbling. His character didn't seem laconic, but someone who couldn't express himself. While he did have some good lines, other times he seemed to ramble.

The "in disguise at the bar" scene should have been cut. The conversation left me confused and the fake Mexican accent was irritating. This scene only served to introduce one of the outlaw gang members and could have been done another way.

I enjoyed the scenery, that Brando's character was a religious man without it being central to the movie, his intelligence in the final gun battle, and the motivations being believable for the conflict: the bad guy's pride and standing before his gang, and Brando's need for this horse in his future plans.