Western or allegory of US third world intervention?

badajoz-1

The fifties saw a series of existential Westerns - whatever that means - and this is one. It is the story of a gringo with a past (Mitchum) who comes north over the Rio Grande to buy weapons illegally during Mexico's chaotic late nineteenth century for a warlord. he gets injured and has to stay while the guns go south and go missing. Up pops Julie London, smouldering trashy wife of the US Army major in charge of the area, and Mitchum becomes confused. But he has to hightail it south again when he shoots someone in self-defence. Cue long scenes of Mexico (shot in Durango which you will recognise from 'Major Dundee' and other later films!) and US dignitaries/industrialists trying to make profits out of the shifting sands of a country in revolutionary ferment. Yes, the film (Mitchum was Executive Producer) makes some heavy handed comment on US interventions in third world countries during the fifties, but it does not really satisfy either strand - Western or Satire. The pace is too slow, the direction stodgy, the characters almost Pinteresque in opacity, and symbolism too obviously to the fore. Mitchum was trying to do something different, but it was not remembered as one of his better efforts!

score 4/10

badajoz-1 28 March 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2773806/