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Valdez Is Coming | Year: 1971 Classification: Western Directed: - Edwin Sherin Actors/Actresses: - Burt Lancaster - Susan Clark Different kind of western This western morality play sneaks up on you as a leisurely-paced yet gripping tale of strong individual principle against cruel power. It gets more interesting with each scene. Burt Lancaster gives a nicely understated performance as an ineffectual Mexican 'lawman' who decides to revisit his soldierly past when a land baron humiliatingly refuses his request for $100 to compensate a widowed Indian. I found this a tough, believable, unconventional western and would not be surprised it if influenced Clint Eastwood in his classic 'Unforgiven.' 'Valdez is Coming' is almost an anti-western by Hollywood standards. It's not a world you'd want to step into. Vengeance is Valdez! Burt Lancaster gives an excellent performance as an ex-Cavalry scout and Indian fighter (until he knew better)who is reduced to the obsequious role of lackey-constable for a cabal of Arizona oligarchs and land barons. Or so it seems(they believe/wish)! VALDEZ is COMING explores in understated, incredibly compact Western-fable, themes of injustice, racism, revenge and ultimate reckoning. Bob Valdez is a gentle, humble lawman. He accepts his place in the "Guerro World" as "a good greaser" until a brutal act of conscienceless vigilante violence pricks his conscience and lights the fuse that explodes into el Guerrero, VALDEZ the WARRIOR. There are mythical qualities to this Western which soon transforms it from Cowboy movie to harsh, morality tale. There is a torture scene...a crucifixion, no less...that resonates through the film to imply what is really going on. There may be no justice for the poor and powerless in this world...depicted as a greed-ridden, self-loving bully-capitalist named Tanner palyed by Jon Cypher...who hires others to kill for him. But there may be "talon" vengeance. The eye-for-an-eye, blood-for-blood, bullet-for-bullet kind. This film reminded me very much of TOMBSTONE. "Justice is Coming!" its oriflamme proclaimed and Wyatt Earp proceeded to massacre the enemies of THE LAW. In this tale another lawman transforms into a merciless...but not quite...angel of wrath. Justice may not be served. There are ambiguities in this story...such as the fate of Susan Clark who plays a woman who murdered her husband for lust of Tanner and his wealth. But vengeance is served and it may be the only honorable substitute. Vengeance, in this stark "cowboy adventure, is the provoked honor of a man named Valdez... Watch it! Edited film I saw this film when it was originally released in the early '70s. I bought this DVD because I liked the movie and the book so much. I was very disappointed when I viewed this DVD and<BR>found that it had scenes cut out from the original. One missing scene shows Valdez in his room with his girlfriend preparing his<BR>guns and his shells. He asks her for beef tallow to hold the shot pellets together when the shells are fired. This whole 5 minute scene is missing. There are scenes where Valdez is lying in the dirt of an arid region from his pursuers, rises as they <BR>pass and shoots them. These scenes are also gone. I wrote to the<BR>distributors of this film and complained to them about the heavily cut DVD. They did nothing. Not even a reply. The acting is great in this film. The story is well scripted and follows the book by Elmore Leonard very closely. Too bad they chopped it up. When you purchase this DVD, you are buying a heavily cut up film. Buy Valdez Is Coming at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Valdez Is Coming Search with the Priority Search Engine on Valdez Is Coming This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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