Breakheart Pass (1975)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Set in 1873 aboard a train carrying vital medicine panniers along a long rout across snowy mountains and narrow passes . Then , the people on the train start dying mysteriously , one by one . The obvious suspense deals with a bandit who is detained by a Sheriff : Ben Johnson , as he is a mysterious outlaw : Bronson , as a killer under arrest . The mystery man results to be the main suspect but things go wrong . Then , at the Breakheart Pass -a location in Nevada's Rocky Mountains through which trains must pass- takes place moving and violent happenings . Stirring , exciting and consistently enjoyable Western , being an agreeable combination of mystery movie , Western and whodunnit ; including thrills , violence , shootouts , a lot of killings and inherent dynamism as opposed to weightily set up action pieces . Aficionados of this sort of stories will know that's too easy , but the main problem is that , as soon as someone comes under suspicion , quickly gets bumped off . The action pieces are well paced , and filmmaker keeps the fast-movement tumbling across the screen . It includes spectacular pursuits on the train in which the pursued protagonists cross impressive wood bridges , landscapes , rivers and mountains ; in addition , being set in Nevada ; however , the film was actually shot in Idaho . This is a typical adventure with all the usual failings : minimal characterization , too much script , twists and too little real events . This one arranges to mingle essential ¨Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians¨ with murders on a train ¨a la¨ basic Orient Express¨style¨being set in the old west . Based on a novel by bestselling writer Alistair McLean ; this American film packs habitual combination included on his books , as foolish as well as terrible dialogue , moving action , breathtaking locations and colorful characters . This film is particularly emphasized for some fight images aboard the train between two-fisted guy Charles Bronson and the hunk Archie Moore ; it was performed without stunt doubles. Other films based on his novels are the followings : ¨Force 10 Navarone¨, ¨ Guns of Navarone ¨, ¨ Puppet on chain ¨, ¨ When the eagles dare ¨ , ¨Operation Polar Zebra¨ , ¨Station 3 Ultrasecret¨ and this ¨Breakheart pass¨ , among others . As always , Charles Bronson performs a tough and silent man in lame manner , as he plays an outlaw with a dak secret . This is one of a number of westerns that Bronson made during the mid- to late 1960s and early 1970s . These include westerns made during the seventies such as : Red sun (1971) by Terence Young , Chato (1972) by Michael Winner , From noon till three (1976) by Frank D Gilroy , Nevada Express (1975) by Tom Gries and White Buffalo (1977) by J. Lee Thompson , being most of them produced by Dino De Laurentiis . Bronson is well accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : his wife Jill Ireland, being ne of many films in which Charles Bronson co-starred with his early deceased spouse , Ben Johnson , Charles Durning , Ed Lauter ,Bill McKinney , David Huddleston , Robert Tessier , Roy Jenson , and a previous light heavyweight prizefighter boxing champ turned-actor Archie Moore, among others . Superbly photographed by Lucien Ballard on spectacular snowy outdoors and defiles from Camas Prairie Railroad, Lewiston, Idaho, Kalibab National Forest Arizona (Doubling for Nevada) and Williams, Arizona, USA . This cameraman when he's given the chance is awesome . Special mention for the rousing as well as evocative musical score by maestro Jerry Goldsmith , composed in his peculiar style . Goldsmith charging along to some of the best film soundtracks has ever written . The motion picture was professionally directed by Tom Gries , helped by his experienced second-unit aide Yakima Canutt , though flopped in theatres . Tom was an expert director of Western as this ¨Breakheart pass¨ also titled ¨Nevada Express¨ , ¨100 Rifles¨ , and ¨Will Penny¨ that is the best work ever made ; Gries also directed other successes as ¨Breakout¨, ¨The glass house¨ , ¨Helter Skelter¨ and TV series as ¨QBVII¨ , but he also made some real duds . His later output in other genres was routine.

Any film with Charles Bronson, for me, it's a continuous joy, I watch them cyclically with great pleasure. I grew up with this actor, he's very dear to me and it will be how long I will live. I've seen almost all his movies, and all I've seen, I've seen them many times. I think he is also the coolest and very funny actor. Not fun in Charles Chaplin style, more like Buster Keaton style, but without looking for the comic effect at any price. "Breakheart Pass" it's a decent action movie, in which we have several distinguished actors, Ben Johnson in particular, Richard Crenna, Ed Lauter, Charles Durning. Although it has many of the elements of a Western, train, railway, weapons, bad guys, Indians, horses, I would not call it a Western, but Mystery-Thriller. Fantastic Cinematography by Lucien Ballard, great stunts, very inspired music signed Jerry Goldsmith. Tom Gries, very good director, has done with Bronson also "Breakout".

From "The Lady Vanishes" to "Murder on the Orient Express", heck even "The Cassandra Crossing". There's something about hearing a train whistle, the sound of the wheels rolling over the track, smoke coming out, and the country side flying by. As long as the train isn't heading to a concentration camp, I am in heaven by the visuals of trains in the movies, even lavish toy train sets.For this movie, it's basically just an o.k. action film, but for a Charles Bronson movie, it's an above action movie as he's out to find a killer and avoid becoming a victim, after being exposed as a fraud wanted for billing gamblers out of their money by using a crooked deck of cards. Along the way, he meets up with pretty Jill Ireland, a young woman involved with a crooked governor (Richard Crenna), and she agrees to help him when he reveals his real identity, and it's as much a surprise for the audience as it is for her. The conflict erupts between Bronson and marshal Ben Johnson who has some shady activities going on as well. The scenery and action sequences are fantastic, with a runaway train sliding off the tracks over a huge cliff, and continuously sliding down the embankment as you hear the people inside screaming. A fight between Bronson and another man on top of the train as it passes over a very high snowy train trestle is quite intense. An OK script slugs along here and there, but there are moments of excitement that will have your eyes glued to the screen. I can see young boys fascinated with trains loving this, not for the story by Alistair MacLean, but for everything that happens when those wheels rolling along the tracks take over the screen.

At the peak of his popularity, Charles Bronson appeared in this very appealing romp. While the movie certainly can be called a western, it's quite different than most westerns. Much of the movie is a mystery, for one thing, with a lot of investigation along the way. Some action fans may be disappointed that there isn't a terrible amount of action for a Bronson movie. But I found the movie entertaining all the same. The mystery of the multiple murders is intriguing, and will have you wondering who is behind it all. The movie also looks great, from its ample production values to the scenery. And Bronson makes an appealing hero, using his brains more than his fists and guns for a change. The only real flaw of the movie comes after you watch it - when you think back on what you've seen, some details don't make complete sense. But before that point, the movie does entertain from start to finish, without a single boring or tedious moment.