Vera Cruz
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Movie Reviews of Vera Cruz
Movie Review: A truly underrated western with great cast
Summary: 5 Stars
Vera Cruz is an excellent western that was years ahead of its time, serving as a blueprint for plenty of westerns made years later. The story takes place during the Mexican Revolution after the conclusion of the Civil War. A prologue states that many Americans went south into the country hoping to become rich by prospering off of the revolution. One of these men is Ben Trane, an ex-Confederate officer hoping to earn some money to help out the war-torn south. He teams up with cocky gunfighter, Joe Erin, to help Emperor Maximilian transport a countess to the port of Vera Cruz. Joining them are Erin's gang, a bunch of adventurers, mercenaries, criminals, and hired guns, and a company of French lancers. Ben and Joe find more than they bargained for when they discover the countess wants out and they are also guarding $3 million in gold. This is a great western full of action with plenty of double and triple crosses. What makes it fun is that you never really know what the characters are going to do. Will Ben and Joe steal the gold? Filmed entirely in Mexico, Vera Cruz is beautifully shot and looks great in letterbox.Gary Cooper stars as Benjamin Trane, the ex-Confederate officer who sees an opportunity to make a lot of money. He plays straight man to Burt Lancaster's Joe Erin, the amoral gunfighter who really only looks out for himself. Cooper and Lancaster are great together, with Burt stealing the show much of the time, but Cooper never lets him outshine him. Denise Darcel plays Countess Duvare while Sara Monteil plays pickpocket, Nina. Erin's gang includes Ernest Borgnine as Donegan, Charles Bronson as Pittsburgh, Jack Elam as Tex, James McCallion as Little-Bit, and Archie Savage as Ballad. The movie also stars Cesar Romero, Henry Brandon, George Macready, and Morris Ankrum. The DVD includes the widescreen presentation and a theatrical trailer. For a beautifully shot, underrated western with plenty of twists and turns and a great cast, check out Vera Cruz!
Movie Review: Cooper & Lancaster deliver!
Summary: 5 Stars
Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster deliver fine contrasting performances as unlikely allies in their quest for fortune. Top notch acting, good story, great character development -- fine entertainment. "Vera Cruz" is presented on this DVD in its original theatrical format! The widescreen compositions deserve no less. Thank you MGM for preserving and presenting this film on widescreen anamorphic DVD. The image and mono sound of this 1954 are clean, crisp and clear. The color looks like it was shot yesterday.
I bought this DVD because I like both actors' work -- have a look at the Cooper in "High Noon", "Friendly Persuasion" and "The Westerner". And Lancaster in "The Professionals", "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "The Train". Also, well, because I haven't seen a really good contemporary western since "Silverado" and "Tombstone". This fills the box-office void very well.
The Amazon summaries and the other four reviews here are right on target. Leone and Peckinpah MUST have seen this film. Highly recommended!
BTW, western fans will rejoice that several John Wayne classics are slated for release in the next two months, including "Rio Bravo", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "Horse Soldiers" and "The Sons of Katie Elder". It's about time!
Movie Review: JUST LIKE BEES TO HONEY, BEN, BEES TO HONEY
Summary: 5 Stars
What can one add to 31 other reviews that dissect and analyse this film? Nothing new I'm certain.
Just let me add that I first saw this movie shortly after its release at a drive in theatre at age 12. The movie always stuck with me and when the DVD was released bought a copy of the Western Legend version.
As I remembered the movie as very good I was not disappointed, the interaction between Coop and Lancaster is superb and the script does allow them to play it in a friendly, layed back manner that gives entertainment and at times humor to the viewer. The only small problem I had then (1955) was with Denise Darcel, true she was an actress placed in several roles at the time, but I could never really understand her English all that well. But in this film, with a French background of Maximillian's Mexico, she doesn't come off too bad. And as far as scruples go, Ace Hanna would have been equally proud of her and Lancaster in the roles they played.
If you want a light hearted, good old fashioned western as they used to make them before Hollywood went bust, check this gem out. Sure you will not come away disappointed.
Semper Fi.
Movie Review: FIRE AND ICE
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Aldrich's VERA CRUZ is a movie I watch every two or three years from my childhood on. Dubbed in french, in pan & scan or even in black & white on my first TV set, no matter in what condition I've seen it, the film stayed as a favorite of mine. Now MGM presents it on DVD with a trailer and different dubbings and subtitles as bonus features. Meager. Furthermore, sound and images are in my opinion no more than average.Coproduced by Burt Lancaster, VERA CRUZ gives to the actor the opportunity to present an extraordinary performance. Joe Erin is an outlaw with no morals, ready to cheat his friends. He is very fast with his gun and the two man-to-man duels of the movie are scenes worthy to stay in the annals of western movies.
Superb are also the scenes involving Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper, specially the evening at the emperor's residence or the first encounter between both men. I still can hear Lancaster say " Guess ! " with his overwhite teeth to a Gary Cooper asking him which horse belongs to him.
All in all, VERA CRUZ is a must for any movie lover even if the DVD presentation is far from being perfect.
A DVD for your library.
Movie Review: Vera Cruz 1954
Summary: 5 Stars
Legendary screen icons Gary Cooper (1901-1961) and Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) team up for a magnificent , action- packed Western from Director Robert Aldrich (1918-1983) and screenwriter Roland Kibbee (1914-1984) and James E. Webb (1910-1974). With Sweeping vistas and larger-than-life heroic, its a tale as bold and rugged as the characters it?s so brilliantly depicts . Cooper and Lancaster portray Benjamin Trane and Joe Erin , two daredevil mercenaries who journey to Mexico in search of adventure -and cold hard cash -during the 1866 revolution , But they get more than they bargained for when the weatly and beautiful Contess Duvarre (Denise Darcel 1925- ) hires them to escort her (and a fortune in gold) to Emperor Maximillian?s fighting forces inVer Cruz , The trails is fraught with danger , betrayal and murder..and when Ben is swept up the revolutionaires fervour , he and Joe find themselfves at odds with the Mexican Army -and each other ! . High Quality digital transfer . Recommended