Chino (1973) User Reviews (41)

Good, enjoyable, and entertaining film

[Thomasco · 7/10 · 2 April 2006]

...with some touching moments. From the title you wouldn't expect much, but I liked this film a lot and wonder why it is almost never aired on TV. Bronson and Van Patten have a great chemistry and their on-screen relationship is very believable. The story is simple, with an interesting beginning and a good, plausible ending. The soundtrack is nice, too.

The only thing I would change in this film is to make it longer, add more scenes so we can get to know the characters in various settings, and delve into the background to the conflict between Chino and his neighbors.

I recommend this film, especially to fans of Charles Bronson. I will definitely watch this film again (finally saw it for the first time, after all these years!).

" what a man says and what a man does are often two different things "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 18 April 2010]

Some of the best films in which Charles Bronson stared in can said to have been the very best. However, there are a couple which are never off the mark. This is one of them. The movie is called " Chino " and in this reviewer's opinion is like a item of wet clothing, hung out to dry. Charles Bronson plays Chino Valdez a native America who has am isolated ranch in the New Mexico plains. One day a teen age lad named Jamie Wagner (Vincent Van Patten) arrives on his ranch looking for work. Reluctantly, Valdez hires him and set about to teach him the horse trade. At nearly the same time Valdex is smitten by an English woman called Catherine (Jill Ireland) who falls for him. Despite the rest of the town clamoring for Chin to stay away, thing on his ranch never do get off the ground as the Catherine's brother is someone who decides Chino is not the right man for his sister. Despite the Bronson presence and the fact that this is a John Sturges film, it lacks the magic of their combined efforts in other movies. Still, much can be garnered from this offering. In this case, Van Patton does add his youthful presence and conspires to ask the question, why does it end the way it does. This is very unlike Bronson. ***

Bronson struggles against enemies under professional direction of John Sturges

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 3 January 2006]

This Italian/Spanish co-production concerns upon a mestizo , Chino Valdez (Bronson at fifty-one years of age) , the Halfbreed , he's a horse breeder rancher who fights to maintain his way of life by facing off foes . 'The Valdez Horses' refers to Chino's equine herd . The half-Indian man lives solitary until the arrival a young (Vincent Van Patten) . Chino decides to take him in and teach him the art of rodeo , raising , breeding and round-up horses . The movie follows the Bronson's adventures and his imposing black stallion that represents the freedom and proud what the white men impede him to enjoy . Meanwhile , Chino has a sensitive romance , as he falls in love with the sister (Jill Ireland) of a wealthy owner (Marcel Bozzuffi) who doesn't approve the relationship and taking the subsequent vengeance.

It is a Spaghetti Western shot in Almeria (Spain) where by that time lots of Maccaroni/Paella Westerns were shot , and its source 'The Valdez Horses' , a novel written by Lee Hoffman (published in 1967) ; but being a little bit boring and slow-moving , although there are some shootouts , action , and emotion . Interesting storyline though monotonous and tiring by Clair Huffaker , he was a prestigious screenwriter who wrote several notorious westerns . Clair Huffaker is credited as the sole writer on American prints , though in the Italian ones is also signed by Massimo De Rita and Arduino Maiuri . There's a brief exploring about Native American Indians and dream sequences that tend to undermine the easy action . As always , Charles Bronson performs a tough and silent man in lame manner , he plays as Chino Valdez , he is mixed Native American Indian/white European genealogy , he's a horse breeder who breeds , tames , and trains ; while Jill Ireland (Bronson's real wife) , as his sweetheart , is enjoyable and enticing . This film is one of Charles Bronson's 70s westerns , his westerns made during the seventies include Red sun (1971) by Terence Young , Chato (1972) by Michael Winner , From noon till three (1976) by Frank D Gilroy , Nevada Express (1975) by Tom Gries and White Buffalo (1977) by J. Lee Thompson , being most of them produced by Dino De Laurentiis . Spectacular outdoors well shown by cameramen Armando Nannuzzi and Godofredo Pacheco , but the film-copy is a little worn-out . Set in New Mexico , USA , this movie was actually filmed in Almería , desert of Tabernas , Andalucía , Spain . Musical score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis is effective and evocative , they are composers of numerous spaghetti western soundtracks .

Weak though slick direction by John Sturges, , he previously made classic westerns as ¨Gunfight OK Corral¨, ¨Last train from Gun Hill¨ and ¨The magnificent seven¨ and his former Western film had been ¨Joe Kidd¨ with Clint Eastwood . Being fifth and ending film that filmmaker Sturges made with star Charles Bronson . This Italian/Spanish/USA co-production was premiered in Europe in 1973 but didn't open in the USA until 1976. In the Italian version appears credited as co-director Duilio Coletti . Duilio was a good craftsman who mainly filmed adventure genre such as ¨Captain Fracassa¨, ¨Il Fornaretto Di Venezia¨, The Mask of Cesare Borgia" , "Merchant of Slaves" and wartime genre , such as ¨Anzio¨ co-directed by Edward Dymitryck , ¨Divisione Folgore¨, "The Earth Cries Out" , "Hell Raiders of the Deep" , and ¨Under ten flags¨ . The motion picture is a Charles Bronson vehicle along with his wife, Jill Ireland , both of whom sadly deceased . Rating : Acceptable and passable.

Great Potential + Wacky Anachronisms= CHINO

[curtis-8 · 13 July 2003]

"Chino" had such potential. It was directed (partially) by the great John Sturges and its star, Charles Bronson, gives a wonderful performance, exuding the kind of quiet masculine strength that no one in Hollywood has these days. Most of the complaints about the film have to do with its atypically downbeat ending. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I thought the ending, though viscerally unsatisfying, was intellectually and emotionally appropriate, more along the lines of something you'd read in a novel than see in a pop movie.

But what really goofs the film up is the see-saw realism brought about by being directed by two different men, the ailing Hollywood icon Sturges, and Duilio Coletti, unknown in the states, who may have been even further down the slope of his career in Europe. Formalist Sturges strove for at least the inner-logic of "movie reality." Coletti's work had devolved into the worst of sloppy Eurowesterns.

Parts of the film seem to strive for realism, using natural lighting effects, etc. But as the film progresses, more and more glaring anachronisms pop up, such as perfectly square hay bales, only possible with baling machines. This break with even a third-grader's knowledge of the old west reaches its zenith when a character burns down a house, using a PLASTIC JUG of kerosene. A PLASTIC JUG in the old west! Hard to believe that even a European wouldn't know that there was no plastic in those days. I don't know what the circumstances were behind Sturges either quitting or being fired from the director's chair part-way through the filming of "Chino," but it certainly seems as though the scenes he left missing were shot by Coletti as quickly and with as little thought as possible.

The film is also hobbled a bit by it's international origins. The villian is obviously French while his sister, played by Jill Ireland, is obviously British. Ireland has a brief bit of dialoge explaining this, but it only leaves you scratching your head all the more. Otherwise, "Chino" has many wonderful segments, thoughtful and well-acted.

As a postscript: I wish someone would restore this and other of Bronson's more unusual Euro flicks and make them available on high quality widescreen dvd. The currently available vhs and dvd versions of Chino, Red Sun, Honor Among Theives, Cold Sweat, You Can't Win 'Em All, and etc, all suck bigtime. MGM? Anchor Bay? HELLO?

Minding one's own business... well trying to.

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 17 February 2008]

After directing Clint Eastwood in the western caper "Joe Kidd (1972)" (which I really like), the following year director John Sturges' helm the European western "Chino (1973)" that starred Charles Bronson. However these two films share very little in common. Sturges ably directs, but this one relies heavily on Bronson's presence and the unusual way things go on to play out in this very fragmented story. Nonetheless I didn't find it to be like your standard western / spaghetti item. It was broodingly slow, and the action saw very little to no daylight. It had a strange emotional and at times spiritual pull (like a stirring dream sequence) between the characters, that kind of made it unpredictable and primarily dreary. The material never sticks to one story, but moves about quite a bit in a typically mellow and subdued fashion. More often it focused on the convincingly growing relationship between Bronson and Van Patten, and their laboured effort on the ranch. Some of these plots don't add anything to the central idea, but still manages to compel (while not be completely satisfying) by giving the main characters some personality and weight. Bronson's performance bares someone who's genuine, and with a manner that still intimidates, but can show that warm side with not a care in the world to get into any sort of conflict. The unhinged ending beautifully paints that angle. Quite a curious turn on his part. Working alongside him was an exceptional show-in by Vincent Van Patten and his fellow squeeze at the time Jill Ireland provided some fire to the chemistry. Sturges simply knows how get striking location choices in the framing, and cinematographer Armando Nanuzzi formulates it accordingly with the on-screen action. Although the thing that hit me was Guido and Maurizio De Angelis' folksy casual music score of soothing attraction and swing. Creaky, but oddly intriguing little-known western.

Before The Pants

[Spuzzlightyear · 6/10 · 18 May 2006]

'Chino' is a surprisingly engaging western which stars Charles Bronson as the haggard central character, trying to tame wild horses, and the young protégé which sort of falls into his lap, played by 1970's stalwart Vincent Van Patten). Bronson tries to keep his business in order, when meanwhile, a guy with an impossibly long Italian name tries to fence him in! And to make things worse, he falls in love with impossibly-named Italian guy's sister (played by Jill Ireland). Amazingly, this actually is a bit of fun, because Bronson is well, Bronson, and it's fun to see a real life couple such as Bronson and Ireland blow sparks off of each other. The ending is verrrrrry 1970's, absolutely nothing is resolved, I mean, NOTHING! It's quite an interesting movie. Check it out!

Recommended for Bronson fans

[artroraback · 6/10 · 31 October 2002]

Chino is the story of the typical loner who doesn't fit into society. Typical Bronson film with an un-typical Bronson ending. Bronson plays Chino who breaks and sells wild horses. After taking a young boy in as a ranch hand things start to get better for Chino. He falls in love with a rancher's sister and things deteriorate from that point. Can recommend this film for Bronson fans.

A spaghetti western and Hollywood hybrid.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 November 2021]

"Chino" ("Valdez il mezzosangue", which translates to "Valdez the Half-Blood") is an unusual hybrid film. It's sort of like an Italian spaghetti western and a Hollywood film combined. Aside from the main characters, the actors are all Italians and the film was made in Spain....just like spaghetti westerns. But, unlike spaghetti westerns, the director is an American and the music, violence level and gentle pacing are not exactly like any Italian western I've seen.

The story begins with young Jamie (Vince Van Patten) coming to the ranch run by Chino (Charles Bronson). Chino is an odd sort...sort of a white man/American Indian combined. He also is a quiet man who prefers the company of horses over people...which is why his befriending the orphan Jamie is so unusual. At first, Jamie is just going to spend the night but soon Chino asks him to stay and mentors the boy....teaching him his gentle way of taming, not breaking, wild horses. Of course, there must be some conflict somewhere...as well as a romance for Chino...and to know about that, you should see the film.

So, is it any good? Well, I really liked it but know many who see it won't. This is mostly because of the ending. It seemed VERY realistic, but also was the sort of ending Bronson fans would hate. It's more true to the character but not true to the style film you'd expect. Overall, even with the downbeat ending (which I didn't hate), it's well worth seeing....and very atypical for the genre and for Bronson.

By the way, in a tiny scene near the beginning, you see a Native American funeral platform...something some tribes did practice. However, the skeleton on it was fully articulated...meaning the bones were all fused together like a prop skeleton. In reality, the bones would have simply separated from each other and NOT remained articulated.

He just wanted to be left alone with his horses

[helpless_dancer · 5/10 · 10 August 2001]

Not Bronson's best effort, but not a total washout either. An often used storyline where the big rancher wants to take over the entire range, forcing out the little man. Things are made even more tense when the little man falls for the big man's sister. Except for a "Chato's Land" type shootout and a couple of fist and knife fights, there wasn't a lot of action, and the tale was somewhat holey. Question: Why does the man always burn his house down when he decides to vacate his frontier home? How is it that stone houses burn so good? Where did Chino get hay bales in 1870?

Low keyed western

[jandg1 · 6/10 · 1 February 2002]

While this isn't one of Bronson's best I still enjoyed parts of this movie. I bought this video along with Diablo which I haven't yet seen. Chino was unexciting but Bronson did well in playing the man who just wanted to be left alone.

There Are Better Bronson Movies

[damianphelps · 5/10 · 29 August 2023]

There is not a lot for Charles Bronson to work with in Chino.

Its a stripped back tale around the isolated lives of those who whish to live apart.

Whilst Chino does touch on some of the struggles, safety and lonliness being two of them, it fails to deliver a deep dive into this kind of lifestyle.

Lacking depth the film of course has a chance to stoke the fires with some dog eat dog action as Chino fights for what he has.

Bummer really that Chino isn't overly up for the fight. There are a few action sequences but there is no sustained line in the sand, come get some, grit in the story.

So its just kind of meh :)

Not the typical western bloodbath

[asinyne · 8/10 · 7 November 2008]

I watched this movie a few days ago and at the time wasn't overly impressed. However, I find myself still thinking about it and therefore I can't deny it made a lasting impression. This is certainly one of the more unusual westerns you will ever watch and I would add this is definitely one of Bronson's better films. I watched a really bad print of this on VHS and wish I had something better to view this film again. I'm sure I would like it even better second time around.

I think that maybe the real genius in this movie is the way it accurately captured the isolation early pioneers actually encountered in the vastness of the old west. Bronson is a man living alone on a horse ranch and "living" is about it. Unexpectedly he befriends a young drifter and then even more unexpectedly falls in love with a very beautiful woman. Then his life really become complicated. However, all the while, you sort of sense that he expects things to work out wrong because that is just the way life goes for a man like him; someone who learns to mostly just depend on himself and just accept whatever comes as whatever comes. In a way its a sad film...but you have to realize that life out there on the frontier battling the elements, ruthless land barons, and loneliness wasn't exactly a bowl of cherries. The landscape, overcast skies, and the sets do a fabulous job helping create the somber atmosphere that is, in my opinion, the real star of this film. This is a spaghetti western but this time around the various elements of Italian films are brought out in their better light. This is a serious piece of film and worth watching for a number of reasons. It is not an action filled shoot em' up but rather a character study and realistic portrayal of how hard times and hard living were in the tough old west. Nicely photographed too. This movie reminds me of stuff like Will Penny, Tender Mercies, or even Monte Walsh. Not as good as those but pretty close. Yes, there are flaws but its still interesting and unique...and fun to look at I might add.

Good entertainment for Western devotees.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 12 September 2021]

Charles Bronson plays Chino Valdez, a reclusive horse rancher who takes great pride in his free-roaming mustangs; however, he's largely avoided by people in nearby towns for being a half-breed. Then into his life comes a runaway kid, Jamie Wagner (Vincent Van Patten, "Rock 'n' Roll High School"), and a relationship akin to that of a father and son dynamic develops. Chino falls hard for Catherine (Jill Ireland), the half-sister of an arrogant cattle baron (Marcel Bozzuffi, "The French Connection") who owns more of the local land than Chino realizes. Naturally, the bigoted Bozzuffi warns the horse rancher to stay away from his sibling. Things, unfortunately, only get uglier as the story plays out.

This Bronson fan quite liked this one, precisely because it wasn't the typical Bronson vehicle where we get to see him do many badass things. It functions as more of a straight drama that only gets a little more action-oriented and melodramatic in its final quarter. It's a slow, quiet, appealing tale, with a script credited to Clair Huffaker based on a novel by Lee Hoffman. It features some truly beautiful horses, and much lovely scenery as well (this was filmed in Almeria, Spain). The credited producer / director is the great John Sturges, of such classics as "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven", and the score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis is a delight. Bronson is in good form, Van Patten is appealing, Bozzuffi is an effectively unsubtle antagonist, and Ireland is endearing (especially as she figures in a lot of the lighter moments). So there are certainly fine ingredients in play here. It likely won't be to all tastes, and it refrains from giving us a conventional, "happy" ending, which may affect how viewers feel about the film overall. Still, it's worth a look for Bronson fans looking for a slight change-of-pace.

Seven out of 10.

Pretty pointless Western

[speedtest · 5/10 · 21 March 2018]

Boring and pointless story, the only good thing about the movie is Charles Bronson who seems to be a pretty good rider. The story is forgettable and stupid.

A Good Western

[chillinvillin81 · 29 April 2004]

I agree that the change of directors caused a change in quality of the film, but all in all this is one of my favorite westerns. It is thought provoking and realistic. Bronson's acting comes off as natural and he understood who Chino was. His relationship with the young boy seems odd, but not forced. The scenes with Jill Ireland are amusing and show the difference in culture between Europe and the old west. Filmed in Europe, there are a few quirks that sort of make you laugh, the Native Americans and the town seem a little hokey, but the film remains enjoyable. The ending bothered me, but thats what made this a good film. I reccommend this to anyone who wants to sit and relax to a good western.

Bronson dared in Spain

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 24 March 2017]

One thing is make a movie with big budge as Once Upon a Time in the West a super-production by Sergio Leone, another thing is make a low budge western even with great director as John Sturges like this!! Dares to goes to Spain making this flap movie, Bronson could be buried your career, but after this came Death Wish series and saved your skin, Chino hasn't a good plot, weak casting an average western. I did watch this movie in 1988, now on revisiting this movie in a bad copy from VHS transferred to an original DVD from a bad label, maybe with a good restoration the movie can be better, but l have my doubts if can be possible in near future.

Overall Entertainer : Theme of movie is very cool : Wild Horse & Ranches

[kunalbajaj272 · 7/10 · 7 June 2020]

Overall Film is a good watch for 1 hour 35 minutes.Its a light film, and romantic and not much of action. I really liked the movie for its awesome cinematography and great music score. You have good characters, and nice plot of runaway teenager wanting to grow up, and find a shelter at Chino's Ranch away from city.

A Tale of the Lone Rancher

[iizthatiiz · 7/10 · 18 August 2022]

Chino (1973) Charles Bronson as half-breed horse rancher Chino Valdez. Based on the novel, "The Valdez Horses", Chino was billed as an action western, but is much more a character study of a lone rancher in the end days of the old west as land barons encroached upon their way of life.

Valdez befriends a young teen drifter (Vincent Van Patten), whose circumstances are never explained, teaching him his way of life. Bronson's wife Jill Ireland is the unlikely love interest, their budding romance drives the storyline.

Filmed in Spain, this is hardly a spaghetti western, with high production values. Partially directed with longtime Bronson collaborator, John Sturges (his final western), Chino has few action sequences. Two fistfights and one gun battle. His valley ranch is beautifully photographed, as well as the surrounding landscapes. The herd of horses shimmer onscreen.

Some may find the ending unsatisfying, but it concludes the only way it can. A lone rancher is no match for the changing west.

Horse

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 23 November 2023]

I guess picking Chino for a month of Italian Westerns is a cheat, even if this is an Italian/Spanish production.

Based on the book The Valdez Horses by Lee Hoffman, it was released in Italy as Valdez, il mezzosangue (Valdez the Half Breed). It was directed by John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, Bad Day at Black Rock, The Great Escape) and Duilio Coletti, who producer Dino Laurentiis hired to do inserts and reshoots. Sturges was unhappy with the film, feeling that casting Jill Ireland as the love interest was a mistake. That said, once Bronson and Ireland got together, she was often his on-screen lover.

Chino Valdez (Bronson) is a horse breeder who suddenly has Jamie Wagner (Vincent Van Patten) in his life, an orphan who needs raising as much as the horses of Maral (Marcel Bozzuffi) need broken in. He also falls for the rich man's sister Catherine (Ireland), a forbidden relationship between an entitled white woman and a half-breed poor horsebreeder.

European film lovers will enjoy seeing Fausto Tozzi (Cry of a Prostitute), Corrado Gaipa (the Italian voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi), Melissa Chimenti (Papaya, Love Goddess of the Cannibals), Diana Lorys (Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll) and Annamaria Clementi (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals).

I was struck in this movie by the Spanish countryside, as well as the fact that despite being an expert on horses, Chino has no idea that Catherine would never leave her rich life to live with him in a shack with no money in the middle of nowhere. His idea of love - and even making love - are basic ones that he's taken from being raised in a harsh world of taming animals and surviving on your own instead being taken care of. He can make love to her, but he can never truly provide for all the other things she truly needs. Jamie understands that, even if he's barely a man.

At the end, after it all goes wrong, Chino realizes that if he can't have the life he wants, no one can have his work. He releases his horses into the wild instead of letting anyone else take them. Even his enemy Maral recognizes and respects that.

Kinda boring

[phantopp · 3/10 · 25 September 2009]

A horse trainer (the late Charles Bronson) lives with a runaway just outside an Old West town where he has a rough reputation.

His rough exterior is challenged when a woman (Bronson's real life late wife, Jill Ireland) comes into his life.

From what I remember of Bronson's movies, there is always a good amount of violence. There is barely any in here. There is at least one fist fight, which lasts seconds, and not much gun play.

The pace of the movie is painfully slow and deliberate. Sometimes the action on the screen was so slow, my eyes began to wander away from the screen. I found myself getting bored frequently.

This was not one of the best acted movies I've seen lately. I did not feel chemistry between most of the cast. I did feel some between the boy and Bronson.

The story was choppy at best. In fact, it was so weak that it hurt the storyline. The supporting cast was there to slightly advance Bronson's background story, and that's mostly it.

The music was purely Country and Western, and not memorable at all in this movie. I couldn't even recognize any singer on the soundtrack.

Some of the scenery was pretty good. However, there were no spectacular shots. In fact, the scenery was kind of boring. The town, and the horse trainer's property was placed in a sandy area without any color. Wardrobes were just as boring.

This one you can pass on.

John Sturges Final Journey West

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 8 February 2009]

John Sturges who created so many classic westerns like Gunfight at the OK Corral, Hour Of The Gun, The Last Train From Gun Hill, The Law And Jake Wade, The Magnificent Seven, so many good ones really gave us a let down with his final trip west in Chino. This was also the only western he did in Europe, in Spain to be precise.

Charles Bronson is in the title role as a mixed race horse rancher who dares to aspire to Jill Ireland as a wife. That's not something her family wants to see happen. Bronson's only real friend is young Vincent Van Patten, an orphan kid roaming the west looking for work and to grow up. He does both.

Bronson, his wife Ireland, and Van Patten are the only Americans in this cast populated by continental names. The action moves at a snail's pace, deadly for a western and the climax is quite unsatisfactory, especially those looking for some Bronson like heroics.

Sturges had only three more films to make in his career, all of them away from the western genre. Too bad he couldn't have finished his career in the west on a higher note.

Valdez, il mezzosangue.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 19 February 2014]

The Valdez Horses (AKA: Chino and Valdez the Halfbreed) is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by Clair Huffaker from the novel "The Valdez Horses" written by Lee Hoffman. It stars Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Marcel Bozzuffi and Vincent Van Patten. Music is by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis and cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi.

Chino Valdez (Bronson), half Indian, half Mexican, lives in solitude on his ranch and beavers away breeding and breaking horses. When one night a 15 year old stray youngster appears at his door looking for bed, board and maybe work, it signals a chain of events that will ultimately define the both of them.

It happens once in a while, a Western fan will observe the mixed notices for a particular genre piece and kind of dismiss it as being far from essential viewing, even if it happens to star an actor you greatly enjoy. "The Valdez Horses" is a beautiful Western, a thoughtful and reflective genre piece that seems to have been damned by those who got a completely different Bronson movie to the one they were hoping for. Regardless of the question of just how much directing John Sturges actually did on the picture (it's rumoured Italian Duilio Coletti did most of the work), the end result is a mature and engaging piece of entertainment.

It's a film that belongs in the company of "Monte Walsh", "Will Penny" and "Lonely Are the Brave", films that feature a macho male protagonist at odds with what is happening around him. In Chino Valdez's case, he's a loner, he likes a drink and he's constantly having to defend himself against the racists down in the town. He's at his happiest when it's just him and his horses, man and beast clearly understand each other. But when young Jamie Wagner (Patten) arrives in Chino's life, the equilibrium is upset, but in a good way, two lost souls finding a family foothold that both thought beyond them.

Yet there is of course a villain of the piece, Maral (Bozzuffi), an all domineering land baron who has absolutely no time of day for the halfbreed horse tamer. Things are further complicated when Maral's half sister comes to town, Catherine (Ireland) is prim and proper British, and immediately there's an attraction between her and Chino, there is just no way Maral is going to sit back and let a relationship develop there. A shame because Chino and Catherine benefit each other greatly, but the vile stink of hatred hovers over them like a black cloud waiting to unload its miserable cargo.

Some old reviews for the film claim its a series of un-cohesive scenes strung together! That really isn't the case at all, the trajectory very much builds towards the next stage of Chino and Jamie's life. Chino introduces Jamie to an Indian tribe, spending time with them and their way of life, even as he ruefully remarks to his young charge that they are a dying breed, there's a proud sheen to Chino that's most telling. Chino also takes him out for Xmas celebrations in town with the Mexicans, the young man clearly has never been so happy as he gets shown by Chino that not all the West is rife with bile. While elsewhere, all the scenes with the horses, the breaking in, the riding, the stare downs, are superbly filmed and emphasise the narrative's point of Jamie's further education.

There's some violence, it would after all be a shame to waste Bronson in that way, but this is no "Chato's Land" and newcomers to the film should be forewarned that it isn't a shoot em' up/fist fights rampage movie. In fact the ending is most unconventional and sure to leave some very frustrated. I know that I was initially, but a couple of hours later as I sat down with a glass of wine I pondered on how daring and poignant it was, a real bitter-sweet finale that deftly has you re-evaluating the whole point of the movie. Lovely scenery (Almeria, Spain) helps put the cherry on the cake, and with Bronson on fine form and his chemistry with Ireland and Patten set in stone, this is a far better picture than you may have heard it is. 8/10

John Sturges did this?

[Peach-2 · 3/10 · 22 November 1998]

I bought this film at a video store because I saw the names of Bronson and Sturges. I made a mistake. This movie is terrible, nothing like the John Sturges' pictures of the past. Even Bronson is bad in this one, so don't waste your time.

It coulda been A LOT better. SPOILERS.

[hunkyguys85 · 11 May 2002]

Spoilers. The beginning was good. An orphan comes to a ranch for food and shelter. The rancher happens to be Chino Valdez, a rancher who trains mustangs and lives alone. Chino eventually hires the kid, Jamie, and falls in love with his rich, nasty neighbor's half sister. From there the movie falls apart. People cause trouble, and all of a sudden Chino wants to give up. The movie would've been better had the last half been rewritten. The end dissapoints me greatly.

Awful, awful, awful...

[chas77 · 2/10 · 2 April 1999]

This is a loser-movie that makes very little sense. Bronson was riding high around the time this was made so I can't figure out why he did it -- unless it was as a favor to director John Sturges who was bottoming out in his career. It's hard to believe that the man who made "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape" made this. As for the plot -- something about a half-breed rancher fighting over land...falls in love with his enemy's sister (Jill Ireland)...gets beaten up and run out of town, drives his horses away first, then leaves. Not exactly the most uplifting film you'll find. Not exactly the most coherent one either. I hope somebody made their house payments with this one. A complete waste of time.