It must have seemed sensible enough on paper and I imagine the main ingredients of revolution, conscience and betrayal must have ticked boxes when it fell into the hands of Robert Shaw noted actor of stage and scteen, author, playwright with profound Left Wing republican ideals and sympathy for the underdog.
I would have loved to see his reaction to the final cut!
With a plethora of stars and memorable scenes and moments this is up there with Captain Apache for watchability and due to its level of violence and almost saidistic brutality possibly more current. Above all the director creatively plays with the whole spaghetti (paella - it was shot in Spain?) western and its codes. The unforgettable drunken bar scene introducing the nefarious people's traitor Paco, played by Michael Craig, to a furious and diabolical up tempo Southern ditty has lived in my imagination since I first saw the film.
If a film can have that effect and a director can execute something as mesmerising as that then it rates highly in my book. One could bemoan the squandering of such spirited actors on what appears smallish stereotyped almost "bit" parts: but the overall effect is greater than the sum of its parts.
Throughout alternate flashes of Shaw's psychopathy and turning on the boyish Irish charm offer continuity against a bewildering, and fast moving bizarre montage.
Did he know what he was getting into?
I would have loved to see his reaction to the final cut!
With a plethora of stars and memorable scenes and moments this is up there with Captain Apache for watchability and due to its level of violence and almost saidistic brutality possibly more current. Above all the director creatively plays with the whole spaghetti (paella - it was shot in Spain?) western and its codes. The unforgettable drunken bar scene introducing the nefarious people's traitor Paco, played by Michael Craig, to a furious and diabolical up tempo Southern ditty has lived in my imagination since I first saw the film.
If a film can have that effect and a director can execute something as mesmerising as that then it rates highly in my book. One could bemoan the squandering of such spirited actors on what appears smallish stereotyped almost "bit" parts: but the overall effect is greater than the sum of its parts.
Throughout alternate flashes of Shaw's psychopathy and turning on the boyish Irish charm offer continuity against a bewildering, and fast moving bizarre montage.
Did he know what he was getting into?