In the late ‘60s, a desperate Hollywood tried to join the youth rebellion bandwagon, but couldn’t drop old habits. Hence, this bio-pic on Mexican Peasant Revolutionary Pancho Villa stars Yul Brynner as Pancho. A stretch even with a full head of hair. (On the other hand, the new generation is repped by Robert Towne and Sam Peckinpah on script.) Brynner led to Omar Sharif in next year’s CHE!, and the year after that to Stanley Kramer stumbling thru college campus riots in R.P.M. (Get it?, Revolutions Per Minute.) All three films D.O.A. You’d think the studio execs were permanently out to lunch. A bigger surprise on this Buzz Kulik film is what a lavish production it is. (Were they thinking David Lean? Great lensing by Jack Hildyard; lousy score from Maurice Jarre, both Lean regulars.) For commercial insurance, Robert Mitchum sticks out his considerable gut as a high-flying weapons dealer (sympathies moving from Federales to revolutionaries) while Charles Bronson always shoots first as Pancho’s top aide. The story not without interest has Pancho loyal to new President Madero (Alexander Knox), but unable to get on with the other Generals he outshines in the field. (Including a particular wily rival played by Herbert Lom amusing himself as a sort of Mexican Inspector Dreyfus.) The whole film simply too odd to hate. But you do wonder who took the blame.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: Pancho Villa really was a interesting case, and not the illiterate peasant stooge as usually portrayed. Try a print-the-legend version as seen thru an American reporter’s eyes in Hollywood’s VIVA VILLA!/’34 or from a Mexican POV in VAMONOS CON PANCHO VILLA/’36. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2024/08/viva-villa-1934.html https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2010/10/vamonos-con-pancho-villa-lets-go-with.html
