Don't Believe the Hype

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Apparently - (As the story goes) - 1954's "Vera Cruz" was a major influence on Italian director, Sergio Leone when it came to his visual-style and direction (a decade later) of the brutally violent, Spaghetti Western "A Fistful Of Dollars" (1964).If you have seen both "Vera Cruz" and "A Fistful Of Dollars" - You will, of course, recognize the striking similarities between these 2 films that, literally, glares at you as plain as a day in the hot, searing Mexican sunshine. (I'm not talking here about these film's stories. No. It's all about their overall presentation that's so alike, such as - camera angles, staging of actors, story setting, and so on)Yep - Mean. Ornery. Cutthroat. Antagonistic. Trigger-Happy. Rough. Tough. (Etc., Etc.) - IMO - It's almost like these 2 films-in-question were, undoubtedly, Siamese twins, joined right at the hip.... (And, in passing - I certainly won't forget to mention Burt Lancaster here, repeatedly showing us all every tooth in his big, grinning mouth).

In Mexico 1866, ex-Confederate officer and southern gentleman Ben Trane meets Joe Erin, a ruthless outlaw whose winning smile could be the last you'll ever see. After a close brush with Federal troops and a near-fatal first encounter with Erin's gang, Trane manages to get them hired as mercenaries for the Emperor Maximilian. Rebel factions led by General Ramirez have amassed a force of peasants to be reckoned with. Expressing deep concern for the safety of Countess Duvarre, the amiable Marquis Labordere briefs Trane and Erin's men they will be escorting the lady in a regal coach to the port city of Vera Cruz. Her coach could be attacked by Rebels. Trane is suspicious that something else besides the safety of the alluring countess is at stake.The two stars playing poles-apart characters is exactly what starts the fireworks. The intriguing plot, the double-crossing, sleazy, elegant, back-stabbing, playing-the-angles crew, all working amidst a major rebellion keeps you on your toes. Beautifully filmed western with a great climax!

The trivia page for this film on IMDb captures three essential elements of this movie that makes it a true precursor to virtually countless modern thrillers and spaghetti westerns: 1) The SuperScope process predates the Techniscope process of the Leone Westerns by nearly a decade. 2) The quick cuts and full frame closeups adds incredible momentum to the action and suspense and predates Dr. No and the Connery Bond films by more than half-decade. I mean I cannot think of later Hollywood pics until the Europeans made the Bond films and the Leone westerns that actually used fast cutting and terrific banter between the hero and anti-hero to such great success (For a great example of an older movie, I would offer Carol Reed's The Third Man). 3) And as mentioned the pacing and the character build up and the final showdown predated the showdowns in the Eastwood/Leone westerns. For comparison watch Hang 'em High for the Hollywood western of that era that starred Eastwood following his three outings in Italy. Stylistically Hang 'em High is a snoozefest even though it had a compelling revenge motif and a brutal hanging to enliven the pace.So what we have here is a wonderful western with Lancaster playing the charming but utterly sociopathic antagonist--quoting one Ace Hanna-- for life's hard lessons and Cooper playing an equally resolute good guy with a sense of humour and world weariness and smarts to see through Ace Hanna aphorisms into Lancaster's heart of darkness. The dialogue is razor sharp witty and the supporting cast of thespians playing their part perfectly. And at 94 minutes it is one heck of breathless ride. I love this movie!

First and foremost the technicolor was a smart choice for the film because it made the environment more realistic and beautiful. It made me wonder how amazing the movie could look in HD. Black and white would have done the film an injustice. The camera was placed in all of the right places and really captured some amazing things. There were high up shots that would capture the wide area of land that they were working with. It looked strikingly authentic. Especially when the camera is put up on a pyramid like foundation. Another time was when the camera was put way back behind an arch during the ball, i noticed it because it was such a different take on what was happening. A lot of the scenes looked very organized and planned out. As the characters would ride by with their horses they were very aligned with what ever was around them . It was nice not to just have to focus on the characters through it all and really take in that they were traveling. The Mexican cultural elements was one of my favorite things because not only does it make the movie more enjoyable to watch it made the movie more well rounded.