SunnyHello Nice effects though.

GazerRise Fantastic!

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

spookyrat1 A curious little western with only three things going for it: Marlon Brando in the lead role, an energetic, though somewhat stereotypical supporting performance from John Saxon as his Mexican adversary (he went on to play further Mexican roles whilst not being of Mexican heritage) and the fine looking steed of the film's title (though oddly, it really only appears in limited scenes).Unfortunately the film ends up being quite dull with little action and interminably long and repetitive conversational scenes that annoy through the overuse of extreme close-ups of the characters' faces. Director Furie was obviously attempting to ape Sergio Leone, but fails miserably, particularly in his staging of the few "action scenes" in the movie. As he did in his previous film, The Ipcress File, he insists on filming at odd angles, long distances and behind other objects to virtually empty these scenes of any excitement they may have fostered, if handled by more talented directors.The film ends up being drained of all life and I for one can understand why Brando apparently had very little time for it. Be prepared for disappointment.

Spikeopath The Appaloosa (AKA: Southwest to Sonora) is directed by Sidney J. Furie and adapted by James Bridges and Roland Kibbee from Robert MacLeod's novel. It stars Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, John Saxon, Emilio Fernández and Miriam Colon. Music is by Frank Skinner and cinematography by Russell Metty.Plot finds Brando as Matt Fletcher, a Mexican-American buffalo hunter who returns to his home town of Ojo Prieto seeking to start a cleaner life. But when he is accused of a crime he didn't commit, he is harassed and humiliated by bandit general Chuy Medina (Saxon) who steals his horse - the appaloosa of the title - this puts in motions the wheels of revenge as he sets about recovering his beloved horse and lost pride.Few things are as divisive when talk turns to Marlon Brando as that involving his Western output. One person will often stand up to announce One Eyed Jacks as being near genius, the next guy will call it a garbled mess. The Missouri Breaks receives much scorn, but some, myself included, actually like the quirky nature of it. The Appaloosa is not a great film, interesting for sure, with the odd fleeting moment of inspiration, but otherwise it's a dull affair.Brando is actually darn great in it, Matt Fletcher calls for a brooding, almost morose like, portrayal, so who better than Marlon? Saddle him up with a vengeance driven motive and bingo! You got Brando lifting the picture to at least watchable heights. But Furie seems to think he is Orson Welles, and you sense that Brando thinks the director is as well. Up close and personal camera work and angled shots are clearly meant to infuse picture with sweaty claustrophobia and psychological smarts, but they just come off as being in the wrong film since story just isn't that interesting to begin with and many scenes just taper off into nothing.Metty's Technicolor photography is most appealing at what looks to me like Durango, Mexico, further adding irritants that the picture as a whole is not better. Rest of the cast are fine, with the Latino actors holding their own with their parts of an uninspiring script and Saxon turns in a good one as a bandido bastard. An arm wrestling scene over a scorpion is genuine class, and tension driven, while the snow capped final shoot-out is not without merit. But ultimately the highlights are rare and not even a brooding Brando can make this a safe recommendation to Western fans.Character's motivations and inspiration is strong. Film, however, is not. 5/10

Robert J. Maxwell Chuy Medina (Saxon) and his thugs steal the Appaloosa belonging to Brando. Brando chases them across the border into Mexico and after many tribulations brings back both the horse and Anjanette Comer.Somebody in movies like this is always racing across the border to escape justice or wreak revenge or retrieve a stolen horse or something. Mexico is "the other". It's usually "bad" in the way that California is a pipe dream of paradise. Both honor and treachery rule in Mexico. It's a Hobbesian universe. "No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." Brando's compadre advises him, "Trust no one in Mexico, Matteo." Brando can trust Anjanette Comer, though. She's truthful and entirely candid. Not that she looks anything like a Mexican woman though. She's groomed like a Hollywood actress playing a Mexican woman.That's the responsibility of Bud Westmore, who was in charge of make ups. He must have been asleep at the wheel. A hard-working rancher's wife is given a close up of her fingers fondling a crucifix, and her fingers are immaculate and her nails perfectly trimmed and polished. She could perform surgery without gloves.Westmore has also thoughtfully seen to it that the principal actors, the ones not wearing raggedy beards, have cheeks and chins as smoothly shaven as Anjanette Comer's, even if they've been recovering from scorpion venom. That would be Brando. He's been stung by a scorpion from Durango after losing an arm-wrestling contest with Saxon. (John Wayne could never have played this role because John Wayne couldn't possibly lose an arm-wrestling contest.) Actually, Durango is noted for its scorpions. They're not even called escorpio, at least not according to my Durango informant. They have a special name, alacran, and the people of Durango are generally known as Alacran de Durango.This was directed by Sidney J. Furie, who must be phobic for traditional movie shots. There are no more long shots than are absolutely essential to an understanding of the plot. Medium shots are invariably broken by objects in the foreground -- pillars, posts, pitchers, and in one scene all five of Marlon Brando's fingers block most of the camera's view. The close up are really CLOSE ups. A typical reverse angle shot, involving, say, two people conversing at a table will alternate chokers in which we see a person's features from his eyebrows to his lower lip. More than once, we see only a single eyeball. But there are plenty of teeth that are not just white but blindingly so, like arc lights, cleaned, polished, buffed, and in those dark, scarred faces they glow with an inner luminescence.Other director's tics: When people drink or eat, whatever they are drinking or eating tends to dribbled down their chins onto their clothing or gets clotted in their facial hair. A very artistic shot of Anjanette Comer's incandescent incisors squishing on a wedge of lime after a shot of tequila. And when someone walks, we don't see them walk. We see their jangling spurred boots moving step by step through the dust or snow.I don't know how much it cost to hire Marlon Brando for this Mexican adventure but he didn't put an equivalent amount of effort into the role. There was a time (and there would be a time again later) when he invested his roles with intelligence and energy, but by 1966 he seemed to be sleepwalking, tired, bored, resigned -- just another actor. Comer is miscast. She seems city bred. John Saxon does surprisingly well by the role of the local strong man. And Alex Montoya is given a novel touch of humanity -- shot full of holes by Brando, he looks agonized and cries, "Senor!", before collapsing.Nice location photography and a potentially interesting story, mostly ruined by superheated direction and a flat performance by the star.

Herowithgreeneyesandblue I'm being nice and giving it an even five stars just because the women and scenery are so beautiful. In Chicago there used to be a movie theater that ran Mexican produced westerns every weekend. They came out of a sardine can for the most part, when you got really lucky they had a special three banger like, "The Horsethief", "The Man Who Stole Horses" and finally, "That Man Stole My Horse!" Granted they were different movies but...Appaloosa seems to be an American adaptation of of of these movies but it's anybodies guess which one. These movies are fun though, I guess thats why they made so many of them. This one however should have been put in a tuna can. Marlon Brando is bored out of his mind. He perks up when he visits a married couple who are his friends. He flirts with the woman, lovely Mexican MILF Miriam Colon, but he's clearly more interested in her husband Emilio Fernandez.I can't pick on John Saxon, he's not the greatest actor but he earns his paycheck every time like the pro he is.Anjanette Comer is gorgeous but not in a steamy Mexican kind of way. She was perfect in The Loved One. Born to do campy sexy roles in short dresses. She's miscast here.Unless you can't get enough of your favorite actor, watch something else.