They Came to Cordura
by Robert Rossen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Gary Cooper, Richard Conte, Rita Hayworth, Tab Hunter, Van HeflinDirector: Robert Rossen
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 123 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of They Came to Cordura
Movie Review: An Intelligent Western
Summary: 4 Stars
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"What is courage? What is cowardice?"
Those are the questions posed in this impressive, intelligent western, set against the backdrop of the 1916 war against Pancho Villa.
Gary Cooper stars as a career Army officer, branded a coward, who is given the task of leading five Medal of Honor candidates to the military base at Cordura, Texas. His hope is to learn what prompted these men to act heroically under fire when he could not. Accompanying the group is Rita Hayworth, an American expatriate accused of aiding the Mexicans.
What makes this story interesting is that the group Cooper is leading is filled with men who are of low moral character and virtually no integrity whatsoever. On the danger-filled trek across the desert, these "heroes" panic, attempt murder, mutiny and rape.
A fine supporting cast includes Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, perhaps delivering the best performance of his career, Richard Conte, Michael Callan, Dick York and Robert Keith.
Robert Rossen directed screenwriter Ivan Moffat's adaptation of the Glendon Swarthout novel.
? Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Summary of They Came to Cordura
Called "an impressive and important film" by Variety THEY CAME TO CORDURA was hailed by critics as "the most disturbing war picture since The Bridge on the River Kwai." A Timeless story of courage and cowardice set against the backdrop of the 1916 war against Pancho Villa. The film stars Gary Cooper as Thomas Thorn a career Army officer given the humiliating task of leading five Medal of Honor candidates to the military base of Cordura Texas. Branded a coward during the battle Thorn hopes to learn what these men each of whom performed heroically under fire possess which he lacks. But as the grueling journey through the desert progresses the "heroes" panic attempting murder mutiny and rape as the quest for survival reveals their true characters. Rita Hayworth in a dramatic departure from her glamour-girl roles co-stars as the seventh member of the group an American expatriate accused of aiding the Mexicans. At first contemptuous of Thorn she gradually comes to appreciate his quiet integrity as he leads his mutinous charges through a desperate action-packed odyssey. Filled with both exciting battle scenes and finely-tuned drama their treacherous trek to the town of Cordura (which is also the Spanish word for courage) is a rugged and riveting tale of bravery far more enduring than the fleeting heroics of battle.System Requirements: Running Time 123 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?WESTERN/MISC. Rating:?NR UPC:?043396078765 Manufacturer No:?07876Gary Cooper's forte--the searching, lone figure beleaguered by conflicts over conscience, truth, and ethics--followed him all the way to the ambitious They Came to Cordura, his third-to-last feature. Cooper plays Thomas Thorn, a career officer in America's fading horse Army of the early 20th century. Thorn's alleged cowardice in battle has been papered over by superiors: He is to identify acts of bravery during an attack on Pancho Villa's troops and lead those designated heroes to a Medal of Honor ceremony in Cordura, Texas. Though Thorn tries to extract the secret behind courage from each man, he discovers a battle-hardened, bestial side to them as well. The Cordura journey becomes fraught with mutiny and near-assaults on a Yankee expatriate (Rita Hayworth). Thorn, reputation aside, redefines courage on his own terms. This widescreen drama (the DVD offers full-screen format as well) is suspenseful, morally complex, and visually rich, but Cooper's performance carries the day. --Tom Keogh
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