Valdez Is Coming (1971)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

best movie i've ever seen.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Burt Lancaster is terrific in this well directed movie.Even with his pale blue eyes, he comes across as a believable character of the results a mixed relationship. Even though the storyline is typical of the era, wrong being righted against over powering odds, Lancaster pulls it off in believable fashion. The movie gets better and better as I age into an old man. With all the computer generated garbage being put in theaters today, it's good to be able to turn on the western channel and see some real acting again.

Although the Title, in 2016, could be a Warning coming out of a Donald Trump Rally, in 1971 it was from the Pen of Elmore Leonard's Social Consciousness along with Soul Traveler and Actor Burt Lancaster.It is an Underrated and Little Seen Western and a Product of its Era to be sure. Liberal in its Leanings and Message, it is the Tale of Oppressed Minorities, Blacks, Mexicans, Women that is Set in a Time when Whites Overtly Flaunted Their Privilege and Took Advantage. Valdez, an X-Calvary Apache Hunter ("Before I knew better.") and current Lawman, goes on a One Man Crusade Against Injustice.Almost Crucified and Killed, He is Determined to see some Humility and Compassion, from a Gang Leader, along with a $100 Compensation for an Indian Widow. It's a Gritty Western, in the Spaghetti Tradition of Stylized Realism and Mythical Overtones. It has been Lost in the Ether of Leone, Peckinpah, and Eastwood, but is a Solid and Enlightened Entertainment than can Side with its Betters because of its Message and has an Effective Low-Key Performance from Burt Lancaster.

Probably a very low budget film but a great script and a good job of acting by many of the cast. I came away with a deep appreciation for this film.Burt delivers a surprising well covered Mexican character portrayal as do many of the cast. This is a story about power and ego. The plot centers around justice in a wild west and who has the power can be quite corrupt. The story deals with a last stand by Valdez to make right a wrong. A bit of David and Goliath with Valdez proving that he still has his finally tuned talents from his years of Indian Scouting. I truly liked this movie because it was believable and honest about the pride of a man determined to make things right.Perhaps somebody in Hollywood has the good sense to try a remake, since that seems to be common play these days. I'd like to see what modern movie industry could do.

Fundamentally a revenge Western, not too badly done, but with considerable built-in illogic. The humble, wheezing old local sheriff, Lancaster, is tricked into shooting a man by the evil boss man Jon Cypher. The deferential Lancaster begs one hundred dollars from Cypher for the innocent dead man's window. Cypher and the gang laugh at him and shoot holes in the wall against which he's standing. Lancaster pursues the matter and Cypher's gang beat him and tie him to a crucifix and send him off stumbling through the forest to die. Well -- he doesn't die. How COULD he die? If he did -- or even if he were merely disabled for life -- the title of the movie wouldn't be "Valdez is Coming." It wouldn't even be "Valdez is Going." As it is, Lancaster recovers from his near-death experience with the help of humble Mexican farmer Frank Silvera and his taciturn family. Then, Cypher and his group had better look out because Valdez is definitely coming. He digs out his old uniform and weapons from the time he was a cavalry trooper, hits and runs, kidnaps Tanner's girl friend, Susan Clark, and finally get the one hundred dollars for the widow.Frank Silvera's part isn't a big one but he's great at playing Mexicans. He was the gunslinger who finally offed Paul Newman in "Apache." He's played African-Americans and Tahitians. He LOOKS ethnic. His father was a Spanish Jew and his mother was Jamaican. A marvelously reassuring performance.Susan Clark is fine. She has deep-set blue eyes and thin but sensuous lips, the upper one the same shape and size as the lower one. I wouldn't mind kidnapping her myself.Lancaster is Lancaster. He was fifty when this was shot and still running and hopping around doing some of his own action scenes. My God, he was fit. His Spanish accent isn't bad but he really ought to stay away from dialects.I don't know who is responsible for casting and make ups but the director should really have brought some of them up short. The head of Cypher's gang is played by Barton Heyman. His appearance is ludicrous and he's on screen often. First, his face is too dark for a Mexican or Mestizo, emphasizing his startling blue eyes. Next, he's balding and yet make up has given him the kind of long bushy hair combed back that was fashionable among rock stars in 1970, when this was shot. And they've topped it off with a set of mutton chop whiskers that turn him into a simulacrum of Frank Zappa or somebody. I don't like to carry on about what ought to be a minor problem like this but every time the guy appears, it's as if a gong had been rung and a big red sign flashed on the screen -- "1970".At the end -- lookout, a spoiler -- Cypher and his gang have trapped the unarmed Lancaster and his captive Clark. Clark has decided to abandon Cypher and leave with Lancaster. Cypher orders the gang to shoot Lancaster. One of the gang has developed respect for Lancaster and refuses. Bart Heyman grins through his ridiculous mustache and hollers, "She is not MY woman!" Cypher himself hasn't the guts to do it. Lancaster gets his one hundred dollars.It's not a bad movie. It's merely rather routine. But it is fun to see Lancaster unlimber his Sharps carbine and shoot half a dozen bad guys at a distance over a mile. Those bad guys were colleagues and friends of Heyman's gang -- you know, the gang that refused to kill Lancaster because they had no motive for doing so? Cue the deus ex machina.