After the opening scene the story has a flavor of "The Most Dangerous Game" going for it. Pardon Chato (Charles Bronson), instead of being hunted by a determined posse, looks more like the hunter in this revenge Western filmed in Spain. That should have been more than apparent to Captain Quincey Whitmore (Jack Palance) and his bunch even before Chato took his first victim, it was easy enough to determine that Chato was leaving a trail for his pursuers to follow.
What disappointed me here was the Jack Palance role in the latter part of the story. Captain Quincey was given ample opportunity to be a stand-up guy in a number of situations and he backed down each time. You could sense the Captain was wrestling in his own mind over what to do about the rape of Chato's wife for example, but he gave the vicious members of his posse a pass to follow their own will. I would have expected a more principled leader to stand in opposition to the thugs, thereby setting up a more momentous confrontation against the Apache half breed they were trailing.
Even so, Quincey's death scene after getting shot by Jubal (Simon Oakland) was pretty interesting. I believe it's the only one which I've seen where the guy who's about to die is still talking when his body gives out. And speaking of dying, is there a more ignominious way to go than the way Jubal got his? Man, three rocks to the head seemed pretty gruesome to me, but the guy had it coming.
As for Chato himself, Bronson didn't need a whole lot of dialog to portray the cunning Indian. Other reviewers here have commented on Bronson's physique in the film, quite impressive for his age and naturally ripped from whatever training regimen he might have followed away from the set. Bronson got to put his body on display in any number of vehicles, and as a contrast, I would point to two guest starring roles he had in TV shows a decade apart. He portrays a boxer in an episode of The Roy Rogers Show from 1952 called 'The Knockout', and again in a One Step Beyond Story from 1962 titled 'The Last Round'. The difference in his appearance is notable in that he's a lot more muscular and heavier in the latter vehicle, looking almost as if he might have been using steroids. All conjecture since I have no way of knowing, but here, another decade later, he has that natural looking physique toned by a rigorous exercise schedule.
What disappointed me here was the Jack Palance role in the latter part of the story. Captain Quincey was given ample opportunity to be a stand-up guy in a number of situations and he backed down each time. You could sense the Captain was wrestling in his own mind over what to do about the rape of Chato's wife for example, but he gave the vicious members of his posse a pass to follow their own will. I would have expected a more principled leader to stand in opposition to the thugs, thereby setting up a more momentous confrontation against the Apache half breed they were trailing.
Even so, Quincey's death scene after getting shot by Jubal (Simon Oakland) was pretty interesting. I believe it's the only one which I've seen where the guy who's about to die is still talking when his body gives out. And speaking of dying, is there a more ignominious way to go than the way Jubal got his? Man, three rocks to the head seemed pretty gruesome to me, but the guy had it coming.
As for Chato himself, Bronson didn't need a whole lot of dialog to portray the cunning Indian. Other reviewers here have commented on Bronson's physique in the film, quite impressive for his age and naturally ripped from whatever training regimen he might have followed away from the set. Bronson got to put his body on display in any number of vehicles, and as a contrast, I would point to two guest starring roles he had in TV shows a decade apart. He portrays a boxer in an episode of The Roy Rogers Show from 1952 called 'The Knockout', and again in a One Step Beyond Story from 1962 titled 'The Last Round'. The difference in his appearance is notable in that he's a lot more muscular and heavier in the latter vehicle, looking almost as if he might have been using steroids. All conjecture since I have no way of knowing, but here, another decade later, he has that natural looking physique toned by a rigorous exercise schedule.