Review: Villa Rides!

Yul Brynner stars as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa who somewhat violently fights for his peoples’ rights, whilst his chief rival Huerta (Herbert Lom, in fine scoundrel form) is plotting his downfall. Stuck in the middle are the naive president Madero (Alexander Knox), whom Villa trusts more than anyone else, and a gringo, washed-up bombardier & pilot (Robert Mitchum). The latter becomes Villa’s personal bombardier, despite grumblings from his trigger-happy chief lieutenant Charles Bronson, and Mitchum’s own initial misgivings about Villa’s honour and morals. Frank Wolff plays a chief nasty Federale (who rapes a woman and executes several men pretty early on, so he’s one royal bastard right off the bat), Fernando Rey a well-meaning firing squad leader, and there are inexplicable cameos at the end by John Ireland and Mrs. Bronson, Jill Ireland, which appear to have come from another film entirely.

 

Uneven, but very watchable 1968 Buzz Kulik (“Riot”, “The Hunter”, “Brian’s Song”) film supposedly chronicling the exploits of famed revolutionary Pancho Villa. Unfortunately, the film shoves a bored-looking Mitchum in our faces, as a gun-running pilot who meets Villa and forces Villa to be a co-star in his own biopic/spaghetti-ish western. That’s a shame, because the film has some strong moments, as Brynner (with hair!) is ideal in the title role. Despite the diminished role he plays in the story, Brynner’s Villa is an interestingly shaded, often unlikeable character. There are also outstanding supporting performances, notably an intimidating Bronson, who nearly steals the show himself. However, the wrong-headed focus of the film prevents it from being entirely successful.

 

With an interesting but confused screenplay by the usually reliable Sam Peckinpah (director of “The Wild Bunch”) and Robert Towne (“Chinatown”), this western biopic should’ve been better. Still, for what it is, it ain’t bad at all.

 

Rating: C+