Behold a Pale Horse (1964) User Reviews

Underrated gem

[hitzzen · 8/10 · 13 August 2005]

This excellent film tells the story of a stubborn Spanish republican, Manuel Artiguez, who refused to give up the fight when his side lost the Spanish civil war to the fascists in 1938. The film takes place twenty years later, when after many successful raids, Artiguez has lost the will to continue. However, his adversary, a Spanish police chief called Vinolas, has not yet given up on capturing or killing him and sets a trap for him. The trap and the question of whether Artiguez will fall into it it will keep you on your seat for most of the movie. Three men caught between Artiguez and Vinolas, an informer, a priest, and an idealistic Spanish exile boy, add a rich psychological and moral dimension to the film, following themes of idealism, revenge, and the uses of violence.

"Behold" is a great thriller with highly complex characters and a profound moral sensibility. The idealism of Spanish republicans like the boy is on the one hand supported by the oily and hypocritical Vinolas, and on the other hand undercut by the rawness and violence of Artiguez. Neither of the adversaries is vindicated, but neither are they equivalent to one another. The ending will set you thinking for hours, if you're so inclined.

Performances by Peck (Artiguez) and Quinn (Vinolas) are great. Peck is less stuffy than usual. I'm not generally a fan of earnest, wet-eyed Sharif (the priest), but his performance here suits the movie quite well. I can still hear his voice saying "Did the informer escape? Is the bandit safe?"

My only complaint is that for all of its thematic complexity and richness of character the film is at times somewhat melodramatic and the dialogue is sometimes a little clunky. And for some reason its parts, good characters, good plot, good actors, all excellent, do not quite add up into a perfect whole. Nor is it as good as some of the movies it slightly resembles: Guns of Navarone, Battle of Algiers, Wild Bunch. However, it is definitely worthwhile for fans of 'thoughtful thrillers'.

Sensational film that was banned in Spain dealing with a Republican war veteran who returns Spain

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 1 August 2010]

Intelligent and magnificent film by the great director Fred Zinnemann . It deals with "Manuel Artíguez" (Gregory Peck), he is a popular "maqui" or partisan who after the Spanish Civil War, left the country such as hundreds of comrades to take refuge in France. Twenty years later, "Paco" , a 11 years kid , and son of his best friend passes the Spanish border to ask him for return to Spain and murder the Captain of the Civil Guard, "Viñolas" (Anthony Quinn), in revenge for the death of his father. Artíguez, a resident in the city of Pau is nowadays retired and ignores the request of the boy . But, "Pilar" (Mildred Dunnock) mother of "Artíguez" falls seriously ill, and "Viñolas" decides to prepare a trap that allows capture "Artíguez" . Although a good priest (Omar Sharif) advises Manuel that he's being double-crossed by Carlos (Raymond Pellegrin), Manuel determines to return at whatever cost.

Picture inspired by the novel "Killing a mouse on Sunday" by Emeric Pressbuguer in which the personages undergo a physical wage war and ideological battle in post-Spanish Civil War . At the beginning displays frames of the documentary "Morir en Madrid," with opening montage by courtesy by Frederic Rossif. The film was shot in Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France and Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France . There was built a Spanish street that followed once time was terminated the shooting . Pressburger's novel was loosely based on the last raid of real-life anarchist guerrilla Antonio Sabate who was murdered in an ambush in 1959.

This film is almost unknown since it was banned in Spain for its politics issues until subsequent exhibition in 1979. The movie was prohibited in Spain, which was still commanded by Generalissimo Francisco Franco (deceased in 1975), the victorious General of the Spanish Civil War . And it was scheduled to be telecast on a major American network, but was canceled at the last minute, allegedly at the behest of the Spanish government. Fortunately today we can enjoy this splendid masterpiece , a motion picture masterfully realized and played with a top-notch list of first players . The performers hand perfectly their respective characters . The "Manuel" role in his bitterness and deception is awesome , as well as the "Viñolas" in his toughness and rudeness . Furthermore , a large secondary cast formed by veterans as Mildred Dunnock and Paolo Stoppa ; and brief roles by Daniela Rocca ,Jose Luis Villalonga, Claude Berri , Michael Lonsdale, Christian Marquand and Rosalie Crutchley as the ill wife.

This is an interesting and thought-provoking thriller well produced by Alexander Trauner ( also production designer) and Zinnemann . It packs tension , high intrigue , political events and is slow-moving ; however is pretty entertaining . In spite of the fact that the runtime is overlong, is neither tiring , nor dull , but thrilling . The motion picture is stunningly directed by Fred Zinnemann who had a lot of experience from his former classic films as ¨High Noon, From here to eternity, Man for all seasons ¨, among them. Rating : Very Good , better than average. In spite of being such fine movie the picture had a minor success at the box office . Rating : Above average . Essential and indispensable watching , valiant try by all.

Totally Forgotten...Reasons?

[ewarn-1 · 8/10 · 11 April 2006]

This is a film which has almost faded into total obscurity, and that's tragic, because it's well worth seeing. It's sort of a thinking person's suspense movie, better appreciated if you know some details about the intricate historical background in which it is set. Even so, it can be appreciated for its dramatic settings and characterizations. It has a complicated plot, to be sure, but the story rolls right along...not a lot of action until the end, but the tension builds steadily. I'm no fan of Peck, but his role here really drew me in. He looks beaten down by a hard life and way too much unhealthy passion. Quinn doesn't have much screen time, but I liked some of the minor characters best...their faces were great. The credit sequence, meshed together perfectly with newsreels, shows a long line of defeated soldiers, their faces reflecting defeat and confusion... a great tracking scene.

Here are some reasons I think the film is unknown: 1. The main character is an atheist communist anti-catholic guerilla bandit. Not a popular icon in American movies. 2. Complex historical background. 3. Knowledge of political situation in Spain a minimum requirement. Not a priority on many American's lists. 4. Black and white photography in 1964. (Hey, I liked the scenery...but you always wonder how it would look in color...and this was a late date for a black and white feature film.) 5. Civil War movies (even Spain's) always run a risk...you might alienate half the audience.

BEHOLD A PALE HORSE (Fred Zinnemann, 1964) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 15 July 2007]

I had been looking forward to this one for some time, due to its rather imposing credentials; it's certainly well-made and acted but also heavy-going, slow and excessively talky.

Gregory Peck is even stiffer and glummer than usual as a washed-out guerrilla fighter; Anthony Quinn is generally more subdued than is customary for him, being effectively cast against type as Peck's nemesis (though his character is completely absent from the film's mid-section); after a belated entrance, Omar Sharif manages to steal the acting honors from under the nose of his more experienced companions by giving a moving portrayal of a conflicted priest. The excellent cast is rounded out by Paolo Stoppa, Christian Marquand, Daniela Rocca, Mildred Dunnock, Rosalie Crutchley and Michel Lonsdale.

Ultimately, the film lacks the touch of greatness – but the unusual subject matter (adapted from an Emeric Pressburger novel) and the surprising but affecting child's eye view it takes of events keep one watching. Furthermore, the climactic assault on the hospital is both suspenseful and exciting and the ever-reliable Maurice Jarre contributes a subtly effective score.

Gregory Peck Doesn't Believe In Surrendering

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 17 February 2007]

In 1939 like John Wayne's Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, Gregory Peck does not believe in surrenders. When all the others give up their weapons and go home, Peck conspicuously keeps his and keeps up the good fight. Of course twenty years later, Peck's become nothing more than a common bandit with the barest trappings of the revolutionary ardor he once had for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War.

His rival, his Pat Garrett to Peck being Billy the Kid, is the local captain of the Guardia Civil in Anthony Quinn. Peck's constant raids into his border area from France are a source of embarrassment to him and block his chances for advancement. At one time Quinn was a hardened Falangist, but now he's just a policeman.

Twenty years as made a lot of changes in both men. Quinn a devote Catholic who probably joined the fascist forces because of the anti-clerical attitudes of the Republican government now observes the form of religion, but he's got a mistress on the side. When he goes to pray it's not for anything profound, just please let him get Peck so he can advance.

Peck is as anti-clerical as he was during the Spanish Civil War in the late Thirties, but now is really into it a lot for violence's sake. He also knows his cause is long lost, but needs the excuse for what he's now doing. He also gets quite a surprise in finding a priest like Omar Sharif going to warn him about an informer in his crew. Catholics do come in all shapes and sizes.

Although Peck is somewhat miscast as a Spaniard, still he does a good job as does Quinn and Sharif. The strength of Behold a Pale Horse is that it presents both Peck and Quinn as flesh and blood people, neither of them all good or all evil from your point of view.

Behold a Pale Horse was made in 1964 and eleven years later Francisco Franco in whose service Quinn was in died after being dictator of Spain for 36 years. When I visited Spain in 2001 the thing that struck me was how there was very little evidence of Franco's reign. Spain has now settled quite nicely into a constitutional monarchy with a functioning parliament. And the Catholic church which rode as high in Spain as it did during Philip II is rapidly losing influence.

Kind of makes you wonder just what Peck and Quinn were fighting about.

A psychological confrontation in an historic background.

[grcame · 7 April 2003]

When the Spanish War was finished, winners devoted to go after anybody who reflected the red light of the communism or any other color they dislike. On the other hand, few guerilla fighter continued his actions against the winners. But their strength was lower every time. One of this guerrilla was Valentin González "el campesino", which figure is portrayed in this film in a free form (not in an historical form).

Twenty years after the Civil war conclusion, the Spanish police has a good option to capture one of these ex-combatants, who was in exile in France. The description of the methods and day-to-day life of the Spanish police could be the reason which explains that the Spanish Government forbade any more Columbia's film in Spain.

You need no knowledge about the twenty Century Spain's history to understand the film, although you can enjoy more it if you know something. In fact, the film put in a specific political situation the psychological confrontation between two men. It could be a good exercise to understand the motives which impulse his actions.

"Look at the way I live"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 13 September 2011]

There have not been many English-language movies made about the Spanish Civil War, and those that have been made (with the exception of Land and Freedom) tend to shy away from both politics and action, often slow-moving, contemplative affairs. In that vein Behold a Pale Horse, based on a novel by Hungarian screenwriter Emeric Pressburger, is a meditation on loyalty, trust and faith, not in religion but in religious institutions and individuals. The Spanish Civil War, or rather its aftermath, are the backdrop for these themes. But despite this ruminating premise the picture just about manages to save itself from terminal dullness.

A lot of this has to do with director Fred Zinnemann. Zinnemann was not exactly a dynamic director but he had a certain way of drawing us into a story and holding our interest. During the opening credits his camera tracks along a line of nameless faces, encouraging us to look over every line and notice every blink, introducing a quietly human picture. And yet he is also placing people within their context, showing young Paco dwarfed amid the houses of Pau, mirroring the mountains from which he has descended, or panning down from the figure of Christ to a reverent Anthony Quinn (shades here of Zinnemann's other Christian-themed pictures A Nun's Story and A Man for All Seasons). Above all Zinnemann is a master of tension without over-manipulation. Events seem to unfold in real-time, with a sprinkling of point-of-view shots to draw us into the unfolding action.

It is interesting to see Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn playing the hero and villain. Both men are possessed of dark hair and sharp, stony features. Both have a stern bearing and charismatic presence. One can imagine them playing brothers; a good twin and a bad twin perhaps. They are both very good here, but the best performance I feel belongs to Omar Shariff, grappling with some kind of a conscience, refusing to make the meek priest into a stereotype. Italian character actor Paolo Stoppa, familiar from a lot of European co-productions, is very good too. Finally, watch out for a brief but typically mesmerising bit part by Rosalie Crutchley as Quinn's wife.

A strong cast and thoughtful direction are enough to keep this picture moving. Also of note is the Maurice Jarre score. This was by now an era in which you didn't have to have a blaring orchestral score (and thankfully those irritating free jazz scores of the late 50s were going out of style). Behold a Pale Horse features sparse and staccato Spanish guitar, fitting for both the location and the nervous and somewhat melancholic story. This is far from being a war movie, but it is a picture of great solemnity, atmosphere and touching humanity.

How to Not Surrender

[Eaglegrafix · 7/10 · 1 May 2008]

I really liked this film but think that if fell very short in several things. The story is of two old adversaries who can not give up the fight and a third that is thrust into the middle of the feud. Grudges are hard enough to give up but commitment to causes that cost blood are all but impossible. That is what this movie does so well as it tells this story. The three principals, being the kind of actors they are simply did what they always did and put the stamp of their own character on the role they played. It is so easy to transpose almost any character played played by Gregory Peck or Anthony Quinn between the different movies they act in. Omar Shariff does a lot better taking on the role rather.

The ending is without adequate support in my opinion and seems more meaningless than it was intended to be. Peck's character seems to want to make some grand statement but there is no real motivation for it.

The boy Paco who is so important in the movie is unfinished and unredeemed. Marietto plays Paco very well and Paolo Stoppa outshines most of the others.

An excellent movie

[rnraoin · 8/10 · 12 August 2007]

I watched this movie, and like most of the people have already expressed it, must say that this is truly a classic. The acting crew is excellent with Peck, Shariff and Quinn giving some very intense performances. But the surprise package is the boy who crosses over to the French part where he goes in search of Manueal to ask him to avenge his father's death at the hands of Vinollas. I often read comments that Peck is stuff or wooden on occasions, but I find him one of the most intense actors because of his ability to convey through his eyes. Like most actors, he is gifted of conveying a lot more through his eyes than his body might suggest. He conveys the frailing Manuel artigez here very well. We know that Manuel is tired and wary of the struggle he has pursued so passionately. Full credit to Peck for portraying that very effectively. Omar Shariff is also brilliant as the confused priest. Quinn is natural and we feel a certain angst against him, I do not know why. The end is excellent which again, conveys the human side of Manuel very well. All in all, an excellent movie worth watching on a calm Sunday afternoon.

With This Assemblage of Talent, Why Wasn't It Better?

[kayaker36 · 7/10 · 11 August 2008]

It wasn't all hysteria. There were Communists and Communist sympathizers in the movie business. Several were involved one way and another in the making of this didactic film. This picture with its heavy political message about the backwardness and repression in Spain under Franco could never have been made in the United States although two American actors share top billing.

There is some fine acting here but not by Gregory Peck. He does not make a convincing European. Nor does the brutishness of his character fit the man of integrity audiences had come to expect this great star to portray.

On the other hand, the restrained performance by Anthony Quinn makes his **Guardia** captain the most complicated and interesting character in the movie. Unlike his adversary, this man has no illusions. He knows he serves a regime that rules by fear though he is outwardly courteous to everyone. A married man, the address and telephone number of his mistress are common knowledge at police headquarters. Yet he prays with apparent sincerity to the Virgin for success in the upcoming confrontation. You really wish there were more of him but he has little screen time--one of the movie's major faults.

Big, handsome Christian Marquand from Marseilles, France is outstanding as Quinn's able and tactful lieutenant, and as Pilar, mother to Peck's character and an unreconstructed, anticlerical leftist, American Mildred Dunnock is remarkably convincing in a small role. Having been brought **in extremis** to the local hospital, she sends a priest who has come to her bedside away with the suggestion he "go and bless the rifles in the firing squad".

The documentary footage of the pilgrimage site at Lourdes, France is a gratifying bonus, along with some impressive shots of the Pyrenees. In truth, the cinematography is first rate throughout, a Fred Zinneman trademark.

The shortcomings in the film center around the screenplay. There is too much talking as many others here have remarked, the movie is tedious in places and about fifteen minutes too long. The device of having much of the action viewed through the eyes of a child simply doesn't work.

Many have noted that Peck and Quinn had appeared together in the 1959 blockbuster "The Guns of Navarone". Along with composer Maurice Jarre, several actors from "Lawrence of Arabia" are reunited in this picture, also. There is Quinn, Omar Sharif as a priest facing a moral dilemma and in an odd bit of casting, Anglo-Pakistani Zia Mohyeddin. He plays a guide--the same role he had in "Lawrence" but this time he survives.

Boring and Miscast

[valdemir-fernandes · 5/10 · 11 June 2022]

Gregory Peck is miscast as the Spanish rebel. Tony Quinn should have played the leading character.

Fred Zinnemmann has directed a lot of very good films (From Here to Eternity, among them), but he is very bad in this one. The screenplay does not help it anyway, Gred Peck has the same face 20 years past and 20 years ahead. To be a Spanish rebel is the secret of youth?

The soundtrack by Maurice Jarre reminded me of Lawrence of Arabia.

I give 5/10 just for Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif.

The film is not good, not the genuine and good brand of Fred Zinnemann´s, and the proof of that is that the film is now on complete oblivion. Fred should have done better if he portrayed the Civil War, not afterwards.

A great surprise!

[Shaater · 8/10 · 29 August 2003]

I get surprise when see that only a few people see this film because I think that it is one of the best zinnemann film.The story which is about alone man that is far from of best years of his life and right now is desolate and subsist in very hard condition(spiritual)is so nice.Peck,Quinn and Sharif all are in their best. Scene that vinolas(Quinn)pray in church is unforgettable.

A film about death

[JuguAbraham · 7/10 · 31 March 2020]

Revelations 6:8 in the Bible quoted at the start of the film refers to death in the form of a pale horse.

If one reflects on the film, written by Emeric Pressburger (who wrote and directed films) and scripted by the interesting J. P. Miller, the film is considerably about death more than the Spanish politics. Only two major characters die in the film; yet the film is all about death of unseen characters. The young boy Paco crosses the Spanish border to France to avenge in his own way his father's death. A priest, Francisco, (played by Omar Sharif), became one after his father was killed in Lorca. When queried about which faction killed his father, he replies rhetorically, "Does either side have a right to take his life?" Even the dying Pilar (Mildred Dunnock) who is an agnostic, responds to the priest Francisco on her deathbed when he philosophically states "The Lord giveth and taketh" with an acerbic repartee "Mostly taketh." Even Vinolas (Anthony Quinn) who plays a negative character and laughs at his secret lover's religious fervour to visit Lourdes as a pilgrim, goes to a church to pray that he succeeds and comes out alive after he sets out an elaborate trap to catch Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck).

Zinnemann's direction of the film gives one the foretaste of his future work "The Day of the Jackal" in exciting the build-up to the finale. The film belongs to Zinnemann, Pressburger and Miller even though all the major actors do a commendable job.

Watchable Bore by Cinema Greats

[dcurrie623 · 5/10 · 24 December 2018]

This was a flop on it's initial release despite the talent that contributed to it. After a few minutes of it's opening I got that unmistakable feeling of "Uh oh, this is going to be a long slog." Luckily it wasn't as long as I initially feared. The subject matter, that depressing B & W film look from the era - the heavy darkness and deep shadows that were considered appropriate for depressing and hopeless subjects is here. I saw this on a DVD and the entire film seemed like a 'Day for Night' shot - no matter the time of day. ( I assume that in theaters on a large screen the gradations of light would be more apparent.)

The actors of course do their best with what they have to work with and Omar Sharif stands out if only because his part has more than one dimension. The other actor who stands out is the boy playing Paco who gets the story going. (He stands toe to toe with Anthony Quinn and Gregory Peck just as he did in In 'It Started in Naples" with Clark Gable and Sophia Loren. Wow,.)

The problem with the film is that the story is not particularly interesting - an aging Spanish Civil War partisan wants to go back and visit his dying mother in Spain 20 years after the War ended, while an old enemy lays a trap for him. A much better film on similar subject matter came out he next year from France - "La Guerre est Finie" with Yves Montand. That one is recommended.

Underrated but uneven Zinnemann thriller

[tieman64 · 23 September 2014]

In the early 1930s, Spain kicked out its monarchs and attempted to form a "democratic Republic". As is common in history, the leftist government which ousted the monarchy didn't last long. A coalition of centre right and far right parties, fascists, monarchists, the Catholic Church, European and Western powers and eventually dictator Francisco Franco, crushed the rag-tag assembly of leftists and took power themselves. Franco himself would rule from 1933 to 1973. He received tacit support from the French and British establishment, who preferred fascism over socialism. Deeply demented, Franco rallied people to his cause under the guise of removing a "threatening infestation" of "Jews", "Marxists" and "Masons". Anyone who violently opposed his rule was deemed a "terrorist" or "anarchist".

Fred Zinnemann's "Behold a Pale Horse" deals with one such "terrorist". He is Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck). The Spanish Civil War has ended, but Artiguez is still in hiding. His arch nemesis is Vinolas (Anthony Quinn), a police captain whom Artiguez fought during the War. After decades of separation, the duo's feud is about to be reignited.

"Horse" opens with Artiguez learning that his mother has been hospitalised. Vinolas, knowing that Artiquez will visit his mother, erects a trap to catch his prey; the entire town of Saint Martin, where Artiquez's mother is housed, is now crawling with hidden solders, snipers and Vinolas himself. When Artiguez arrives, he will be killed. Artiguez knows this. He goes anyway.

Ambitious political thrillers (Costa Gavras, Pontecorvo, Martin Ritt etc) were the norm in the 1960s. Zinnemann's film itself strives for both greatness and complexity. Unfortunately, it can't quite get there. "Horse" drags badly at times, Gregory Peck is as wooden as ever, and the film's climax lacks a few minutes of extra thrills. Still, there's much to admire. Zinnemann's procedural-like tone is gripping and the film climaxes with an impressive sequence. Zinnemann's location photography, cinematography and script are also fine, and the film's plot is intrinsically pregnant with tension.

But it's on the level of allegory that "Behold a Pale Horse" works best. For most of the film, we're unsure whether Artiguez is driven by honour, revenge, sheer stubbornness, political ideals or a suicidal urge for death. It is only in "Horse's" last act that things become somewhat clearer. Here Artiguez spares Vinolas' life and instead kills a friend who has turned traitor. This traitor's breaking of his word, his pledge of honour, is mirrored to the actions of a young priest (Omar Sharif), who risks life and limb to abide by a promise made to a dying woman. Climaxing with Artiguez dead and his body riddled with bullets, "Horse" offers, not only Spanish Republicans as being forever tainted by the failure of defeat, but the Civil War itself as being compromised by betrayal and traitors; men who'd sell out their fellow-men for status and lucre. "In the most mean, cowardly, hypocritical way the British ruling class did all they could to hand Spain over to Franco!" George Orwell once wrote. But such a "selling out" applied to whole swathes of society – the ruling class and the ruled - even within Spain herself.

Hollywood largely avoided films set during or immediately after the Spanish Civil War. Three of the more famous ones were "Blockade" (1938), "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1943) and "Behold a Pale Horse". "For Whom the Bell Tolls", of course, was based on the 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway would criticise the film for eschewing the political complexity of the war and ignoring the motivations and ideals of its participants. In an infamous rant about the film, which criticised it for containing not a single reference to "fascism", "falangism", "demoracy", "socialism", "communism" or "anarchism", Hemingway would say: "Why not use the word Fascists? We are at present engaged in fighting a war against the Fascists. Throughout the picture the enemy should be called the Fascists and the Republic should be called the Republic!"

Released two decades after "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Behold a Pale Horse" is similarly petrified of offending. Who and what its characters "really are" and "really represent" remains tactically vague, and history is carefully obfuscated. As a result, "Horse" could take place almost anywhere and anyplace. This allows the film to work well as a noirish, revenge thriller, but Zinnemann's aesthetic - slow and serious - clearly has other intentions, intentions which the film's actual content betrays.

7.5/10 - See "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" for this material handled better.

Zinnemann made some exceptional suspense films--sadly, this is only okay.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 21 June 2009]

Wow, this film has some odd casting. Although the people in the film are supposed to be Spanish, none of the major actors in the film are from Spain. The weirdest casting was Gregory Peck. Gregory Peck?! At least Anthony Quinn kinda looks Spanish (heck, he's played just about every nationality there is plus half his background is Mexican). And having Muslim-convert Omar Sharif playing a Spanish Catholic priest...! All this is really strange and it's a shame they didn't let any Spaniards play these roles. Now part of this could be because Franco did NOT like the film and probably wouldn't have allowed anyone living in Spain to be in the film. But surely there must have been some expatriates or at least people who seemed more Spanish than Gregory Peck. He was a wonderful actor, certainly, but here he was badly miscast...as was Sharif.

The film begins with a quick summary of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. At the end, when the Republican forces lost, the surviving fighters are shown turning in their arms and immigrating to France. However, Peck's character refuses to give up the fight and apparently spent the next 20 years making violent incursions into his native land. For this, he is now a wanted criminal--not just an ex-Republican soldier.

Now, after 20 years, Peck is living in France and his mother back in Spain is dying. Police chief Quinn now plans to use this approaching death as a chance to lure Peck into a trap. Now considering that Peck has killed and robbed rather senselessly since the war ended, he does deserve to be captured, so in some ways you actually are rooting for the Fascist police to capture him. An interesting twist, as Americans in general were pro-Republican (or ambivalent).

The problem is that when Peck doesn't fall into the trap right away AND his mother dies, Quinn needs to keep this a secret--otherwise the plan will come to nothing. But, unknown to Quinn, young priest Sharif has inexplicably agreed to take a message to Peck from his mother in the hospital that warns him of the trap. Now considering that the woman had refused the last rights and cursed God, it is confusing why a priest (and they were mostly pro-Nationalist/Franco) would take the trouble or risk to help. This is, by far, the biggest flaw with the film. His motivation for this was confusing--helping an Atheist to send a message to her Atheist son who is a wanted criminal and killer. Plus, what if priest-hating Peck just decides to kill him?!

As far as Peck goes, as least his role is interesting. He is not sympathetic (considering his post-war record) and he's incredibly nasty at times to the young boy in the film. He slaps the kid and tells him to get lost. This is NOT Atticus Finch (TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD) or Ezra Baxter (THE YEARLING)!! I can commend Peck for being willing to play such an unlikable guy. And, the film is interesting in how it takes this child's hero-worship of Peck and quickly erodes it.

The problem is, for many, with the Franco government (they're bad, m'kay?!) and a violent criminal who lost sight of his once commendable cause, you are left wondering who to root for in the film. For some, this isn't a problem and for others, like myself, I really didn't care about the characters so I was left feeling disconnected and ambivalent.

Now it is well made and well directed, but it's still a film I'd rather have not seen. With so many films out there, I could have easily done better.

God, it's been twenty years. Give me this victory.

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 21 April 2020]

This film of Fred Zinnemann, adapted from the novel by Emeric Pressburger, begins with gripping newsreel footage of the Spanish civil war and imperceptibly switches from real people to actors. Thereafter I'm afraid, it is all rather lifeless.

It is not exactly helped by the monotonous score of Maurice Jarre and the curse of post-synchronisation. Most of the supporting cast including Paolo Stoppa, Christian Marquand, Raymond Pellegrin and Daniela Rocca have acquired American accents. I find this not only irritating but alienating and if it fails to annoy fellow viewers to the same degree then I envy them.

As for the plot, twenty years after the end of the Spanish civil war police chief Vinolas, the excellent Anthony Quinn, has made it his mission to capture the Manuel of Gregory Peck who fought for the Republicans and is still a thorn in the authorities' side. When Manuel's mother is taken seriously ill Vinolas has her moved to hospital and uses her as bait to entice Manuel. Add to the mix Father Francesco played by Omar Sharif, here using his soulful gaze to great effect, who becomes unwittingly involved by his desire to the right thing and you have the elements of the drama.

I'm glad to say that after a very slow start the film really gathers momentum as Gregory Peck takes centre stage. His is a brilliant characterisation and he gives one of his best post-Oscar performances. The range and excellence of Fred Zinnemann's output guarantees his place among the first rank of directors but can this be classed as 'essential' Zinnemann? In the humble opinion of this reviewer, no. It is the riveting presence of Mister Peck that carries the day and makes this film worthwhile.

The pain in Spain

[tomsview · 7/10 · 4 April 2021]

Many of the key people involved in the making of this film, Fred Zinnemann, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn were of that generation of young men that had their imaginations fired by the Spanish Civil War.

You can sense the disappointment in Zinneman's statement when the film bombed at the box office, "The point simply did not get over. I took too much for granted. I thought the Spanish Civil War was still with us, but apparently it is dead".

Of course, between The Spanish Civil War and 1964 there had been WW2, which tended to overshadow just about everything.

The story is full of driven men. Francoist Guardia officer, Captain Viñolas (Anthony Quinn), is driven in his pursuit of Manuel Artiguez, a legendary, but aging Republican guerilla fighter played by beret wearing, Gauloise puffing Gregory Peck. Viñolas uses the illness of Artiguez' mother to lure him into a trap, but Francisco, a priest played by Omar Sharif is driven by his conscience to defy the authorities and warn Artiguez.

It's a sombre story; there aren't many light touches, and that may have been part of the problem.

However, this is also a brilliant looking film that is well worth a viewing. For film buffs it seems that Zinnemann gave a nod to the classic Italian Neorealist style of the 1950s. The film was shot in B/W on location; it is bathed in light and shade.

For a modern audience, it helps to have some knowledge of the Spanish Civil War to understand the underlying tensions and hatreds in the story, especially the animosity Artiguez initially shows toward Father Francisco. Thousands of priests and nuns were executed during the war as a backlash against the church's influence in Spain over the centuries.

I came to the film recently after reading "The Battle for Spain" by Anthony Beevor. The thing that hit home was the savagery of the war, and the scale. It was huge, and it was cruel, with massacres all over the place.

Others have pointed out the similarities between David Lean and Fred Zinneman. Here Zinnemann cast Quinn and Sharif, two of the stars of "Lawrence of Arabia", but also Lean's main music man, Maurice Jarre. For those who love soundtracks, you may pick up themes that Jarre later developed more fully in "Doctor Zhivago".

In Lyn Haney's biography of Gregory Peck, she tells how as a student at Berkeley, he contemplated joining the Abraham Lincoln Brigade composed of Americans fighting on the Republican side. About 600 of the 3,000 who served were killed. If he had joined, Eldred Gregory Peck may never have become Gregory Peck the actor.

A Flawed, but Worthy Effort

[dglink · 7/10 · 15 August 2007]

This 1964 Fred- Zinneman-directed film begins with documentary footage of the Spanish Civil War. However, the verisimilitude is abruptly interrupted when the familiar face of Gregory Peck is glimpsed among a line of partisans who are fleeing across the Pyrenees from Spain into France. While the black-and-white cinematography and location filming among the snow-capped mountains and in the picturesque French city of Pau evoke realism throughout, the questionable star casting of Peck, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif undercuts those efforts. Peck, especially, seems miscast as a crusty Spanish Republican fighter who has gone into exile in Southern France. Quinn as Peck's nemesis, a Franco Loyalist soldier, is on firmer acting ground, and his efforts to trap Peck when he returns to see his dying mother propel the story. Sharif, the third above-the-title star, plays a Spanish priest with a message for Peck, but he has little to do other than flash his doe-like eyes and look appropriately solemn.

Unfortunately, "Behold a Pale Horse" which begins well and promises much, tends to unravel and wind down as the plot unfolds. The cat-and-mouse premise that pits the aging partisan against the womanizing soldier is intriguing and holds the viewer's attention for most of the film. However, motivations become vague and coincidences become facile plot devices in the second half. The film seems to end on an abrupt note and leaves the viewer without a satisfying conclusion. Although not completely successful, "Behold a Pale Horse" is a noble effort by expert filmmakers and merits viewing. Despite his miscasting, Peck makes a valiant effort and earns his star salary, while Quinn can always be relied upon to entertain, even if at times he seems to be playing Zorba in a Spanish police uniform. The lesser-known European supporting players are more effective, and the film would have benefited from a full cast of unknowns. Despite the casting quibbles, a disappointing second half, and a tendency to talkiness, "Behold a Pale Horse" offers an often gripping and suspenseful tale that unfolds during a seldom-portrayed period of the Franco era.

Behold a Pale Horse

[davidauth · 10/10 · 2 November 2009]

I first saw this black and white movie when I was only 19, and it made a big impression on me. I have always rooted from the underdog, as for example, the role Gregory Peck plays to perfection. Although Anthony Quinn is supposedly the enemy, Peck is really still fighting a lost war, which is a much bigger issue for him than one police chief. This, of course, is why he kills the informer, formerly his close and trusted friend, rather than Anthony Quinn, the police chief. The greater enemy for Peck is the Catholic Church, which sided with Franco and the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, just as it did in Nazi Germany, against the Jews. The pivotal revelation and internal conflict for Peck's role is that a simple parish priest has obviously come to his personal aid (the role played by Omar Sharif), rather than that his friend has turned informer. With the Catholic Church on the side of the Republicans, the civil war may have had a different outcome. Of course, under Franco, the dictator-church bond continued and even got stronger. This is why the Franco Government got upset with Columbia Pictures, not because Anthony Quinn has a mistress in the movie! What this shows is that most movie critics know nothing about the Spanish Civil War. This reflects badly on them, rather than on the movie, a great and beautifully filmed example of never giving in to defeat in the face of tyranny.

Behold a Pale Horse

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

Although this does definitively conclude, there is something almost unfinished about this story based around the aftermath of the Spanish Civil war. We start with "Miguel" (Gregory Peck) joining a long line of defeated republican freedom fighters leaving their country to exile in France. Meantime, his nemesis - police captain "Viñolas" (Anthony Quinn) is scheming up ways to entice him back... An opportunity occurs when the man's mother becomes seriously ill, and so every effort is made to get a message to her son to tempt him back. What now ensues is quite a poignant story that Peck, Omar Sharif as the priest "Francisco" and an effective Raymond Pellegrin as the young and vengeful "Carlos" deliver strongly. Fred Zinnemann take his time to develop the characters and the relationships, to illustrate the manipulation and betrayal - as well as the love, honour and loyalty. There's a little bit of police brutality and religious conflict and the writing leaves us enough space to come to our own conclusions about this developing scenario. Peck was good in these sort of loner, brooding roles, as was Quinn in the rather sinister ones and this is an enjoyable to watch meeting of two character actors making the best of a solid story.

notes on some reviews already posted

[mlumiere · 4/10 · 10 June 2009]

As I said on the message board about this film, I agree with those who felt that Peck was miscast as a European. My view of Peck is that he is a STAR, one who is effective really only in parts that suit his very American, warm hearted, leading man persona.

As for the reviewer who complained that 1964 was a bit late to be making a feature in black-and-white, actually, no, lots of features continued to be made in black-and-white for another three years, at least. By 1967, it was a lot rarer to find one, even from the more arty or new wave directors in Europe, where black-and-white had been de riguer, for the most part. Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" and "Paper Moon" were retro glories by the early 70s. (I think he used a red or infrared filter to get those great darks in his b&ws.) Forgive the digression. I found the film to be a failure by Zinneman - too many parts don't fit well, and too long.

Great Movie

[Bluesradio62 · 9/10 · 25 March 2019]

Movie came out when I was two, but even know it stands the test of time...Great seeing a movie with powerful acting and great writing...Though he knows he is running a great risk, this Spanish hero wants to go back to see his Mom one last time...The ending definitely is a Sad ending, but a Powerful one about the love of a Son even in Political hard times and during War...Definitely think this is a truly great movie with a good cast...Check it out if you can...

A history lesson is always nice, but sometimes there's just too much to cover.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 3 September 2023]

Great actors and a fantastic director don't always create a great movie, and this is one of those films where the creative team was so certain of its importance that they were stunned that it failed to meet expectations. Fred Zinneman took on an ambitious project that wanders so much around the Spanish countryside and other locations that it easily gets lost, and after a while confusing and uninteresting.

The main focus is the search for fictional Spanish revolutionary Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck), sought after along with priest Omar Sharif, by young Carlo Angeletti with the help of Anthony Quinn. Peck's aging mother (Mildred Dunnock) is contacted by those wanting to force Peck out of hiding, and when he's finally found, more convoluted conflicts are formed.

This is the type of film that probably would have done better with a Spanish, French or Italian director, in Spanish, as well as a European cast with Sharif, Quinn and Dunnock remaining. Only Peck seems out of place here, trying hard to create a fully rounded character, and he seems to be aware he's facing a losing battle. It's the type of film where the viewer wants it to be better than it is, beautifully filmed and scored, but perhaps too self assured to really come together.

Delayed Gratification and Worth the Wait

[jstock426 · 9/10 · 8 July 2013]

Criticisms of the slow-pace of BEHOLD A PALE HORSE fall in line with complaints of the lack of twist-off caps on fine bottles of wine. If patience has no virtue, you won't enjoy this film. Zinnemann's nuanced layering of mood, theme, and character requires appreciation of things developed over time.

A vintage rarely tasted these days (to further exploit the wine motif), Zinnemann shot this film in black-and-white, and it only enhances the shading of elements. The effect gives it a look concomitant with its complex characters who go through the angst of spiritual and emotional transformation. And the cast had to delight in Zinnemann's decision to let them exercise their art: acting. Imagine Atticus Finch telling Jem to shut up and then slapping the lad "upside the head." Yet here's good-guy Peck abandoning type and stepping into the character of Artiguez, an angry man who delivers such a blow to a boy (about Jem's age), knocking him down onto the street.

BEHOLD A PALE HORSE delivers so much more than most films in that it compliments the entire palate of the viewer's intellect. That makes for a very good film. That takes time.