Elmore LeonardsValdez Is Coming is the second Western Ive read and the firstreal Western, since I gatherTrue Gritis properly considered more of an anti-Western, a self-conscious (if appreciative) tongue-in-cheek revision of Western tropes rather than a sincere instance of them. Of course, when he tries to do the honorable thing, he is treacherously dealt with, which leads to one of the most entertaining and compelling westerns ever filmed. The theme of personal revenge was certainly strong in Western (in the broader sense of occidental) literature at one time, from medieval tales like The Nibelungenlied and Njals Saga to Elizabethan revenge tragedies. Valdez (/ v l d i z, v l d z /; Alutiiq: Suacit) is a city in the Chugach Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska.According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city is 3,976, down from 4,036 in 2000. You have money, but you dont have a woman. Ahabs quest for revenge in Moby Dick is quixotic because it is conducted against a force of nature that is beyond human conceptions of guilt. A payback film that attempts, sometimes successfully, to be in the Euro-Western Sergio Leone mold. 1971 3 Reply xyww 4 yr. ago That Leonard grew up in Detroit and not Santa Fe or Laramie or Yuma is a bit disconcerting, because it seems impossible that he could write so well of those people without having been one of them his whole life. When it finally breaks, the jagged ends are driven into Valdez's back. And I think there's nothing more important in writing than getting it right, the way people sound. The big difference is that he abducts Tanner's trophy woman (Susan Clark of "Porky's") as a bargaining chip, and Tanner sends his best gunmen against him to no avail. At the summary states, this film truly made an unusual casting decision by casting Burt Lancaster as a Hispanic man. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. He sets her free, but by now Tanner's woman is sympathetic to his cause, feeling guilty because she was the cause of all the deaths so far. It is not as unrealistic as the former, nor is it as dour as the latter. After he survives a jaunt through the desert, the old Valdez digs into his trunk and dresses up like the sage cavalry scout that he once was and comes to collect. So when I became, for a time, part of the cast of "Justified," the FX TV series based on Leonard's work, I hoped that I would actually get to say some real Leonard dialog. It turns out Only Good Ones is in the collection of Leonards stories I do have (The Tonto Woman and other stories) thanks for the heads-up about its relationship to Valdez is Coming, as I hadnt really intended to read the whole volume. Thinking further in the 19th century, Poes Hop-Frog and The Cask of Amontillado largely fit my idea of the revenge plot. I've read more of his Westerns than any of his other stories, and I find him one of the most astonishing purveyors of authentic-sounding Western dialog who ever lived. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. My experience of Westerns is mostly cinematic, but the revenge plot seems pretty common to it, from straightforward versions like 7 Men from Now to more subtle variations like the ending of The Furies. Largely made. Valdez is coming! This film reminded me somewhat of Charles Bronson's first big box office hit, "Chato's Land". The film is a blast to watch. He knows the mountains and is a wily problem for Frank to solve. It always strikes me as odd when a well known and celebrated white actor is given a Mexican or Indian role in a Western. He said to himself, What is the sky to me? A few racial epithets later and we realize the man is (a) black and (b) possibly innocent of the crime he is accused of. a mexican sheriff versus a racist posse? By the end of the novel Valdez has killed over a dozen men, but even though by then things are more complicated than they seemed at first, theres no doubt that hes in the right, that we are rooting for him as he picks them off one by one in defense of himself but also of the code he cant quite articulate but follows without equivocation. Burt Lancaster shows he is an actor of such quality and class plus almost perfect as the quiet man; on a mission for bloody revenge. I've no doubt that even my great comrades on the writing staff of "Justified" would submit that Leonard makes imitation look easy, but that he deals in something more mystically elusive than just the brushstrokes. He finds an oasis blocked by two trees that he repeatedly tries to ram with the ends of the cross. Show All, 91mins Hombre? Regardless, the film is several notches above the usual Western. A few racial epithets later and we realize the man is (a) black and (b) possibly innocent of the crime he is accused of. . I think that spaghetti westerns have been way overrated. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. It takes a minute or so to realize that this is stand-off with a man sealed inside a log cabin. I dont know if the three short novels that make up Paul Austers New York Trilogy are considered anti-detective novels. The action is taut. Also "Valdez" ist auch mal wieder einer dieser Filme den man nicht wegen der Story schaut, die ist hier nmlich mehr als dnn und uninteressant. Good and violent Western with excellent performance by Lancaster, Burt Lancaster anchors this worthy Western, Despite odd casting, the film worked very well, Mexican gentleman takes on mob of old west gangsters, Interesting social commentary by rookie director, chases, ambushes, race, culture, humiliation, Leonard, Lancaster & New Hollywood EstheticUnderrated Western. He was shown from underneath, like a giant with a shotgun in each hand. Valdez Is Coming executive producer (uncredited) 1971 The Scalphunters producer (uncredited) 1968 The Unforgiven co-producer (uncredited) 1960 Take a Giant Step executive producer (uncredited) 1959 The Devil's Disciple co-executive producer (uncredited) 1959 Sweet Smell of Success executive producer (uncredited) 1957 The Bachelor Party He should have remembered the way the man got up with the cross on his back and was kicked down and got up again and walked away. By what name was Valdez Is Coming (1971) officially released in India in English? It seems odd that the alien race chose to save Caleb and Abby and raise two strange human children, but it was so the human race could start again. The opening scene begins like a Sunday picnic/Turkey shoot: well-dressed couples in period costumes milling around, young boys plunking away with their new rifles. The current Letterboxd image is not the poster that fascinated me. That leaves Tanner to do his own dirty workif he can. Two of essentially the most notable girls, who bore arms in opposition to the United States, have been Blanca Canales and Lolita Lebrn. Obwohl Valdez vom leben gezeichnet und wirklich fertig aussieht, ist er irgendwie doch zu weich fr diese knallharte Welt. Yes, Shelleys creature is probably more sympathetic; we at least see and feel his wrongs. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Thats a really good point about the fading of the widow from his mind: by the end she is the occasion of the whole catastrophe but no longer the reason for it. This western is gritty, tough, bloody, and believable. Valdez, while holed up in the mountain, kills eleven of Tanners hired gunslingers, and in the end faces Tanner down still demanding compensation as the remaining gunslingers refuse anymore to obey Tanners orders. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, or Moment of Vengeance, another Leonard story from that plump Complete Western collection). Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. And then they began to die . once again hollyWOKE forces its politics into the story. Easygoing, but crafty and resourceful Mexican constable Bob Valdez (a typically sturdy performance by the always reliable Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence in order to collect one hundred dollars from evil and corrupt rancher Frank Tanner (nicely played to the hateful hilt by Jon Cypher) as compensation for the pregnant Native American widow of a black man Valdez wrongly killed. Valdez Is Coming 1h 30m 1971 Overview Synopsis Credits Film Details Articles & Reviews Notes Brief Synopsis An honest marshal is the only man willing to stand against a powerful but ruthless rancher. Obviously I was aware of the likes of Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Rum Punch, which Tarantino adapted as Jackie Brown, and 52 Pick-Up, but I'm only now discovering films that I'd seen years ago without having an inkling of Leonard's connection with them. I like this idea about the similarity between detective fiction and western fiction. The badly injured Valdez is able to crawl to the ranch of his friend Diego (Frank Silvera), where he is nursed back to health. I think maybe part of the shame of liking Poe (there is some shame, I think) is the possibility that one does perhaps identify, or at least sympathize, with his narrators. Towards the end Valdez and the lady ride at each other, the horses clashing and falling. A Mexican-American sheriff (Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence against a powerful rancher (Frank Tanner, played by Jon Cypher) in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian Read allA Mexican-American sheriff (Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence against a powerful rancher (Frank Tanner, played by Jon Cypher) in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man.A Mexican-American sheriff (Burt Lancaster) must resort to violence against a powerful rancher (Frank Tanner, played by Jon Cypher) in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man. An angry Valdez has had enough, and is prompted to dust off his old army uniform, take up his musty Buffalo Rifle,his battered Shotgun and his haggard Winchester and raise Cain on Tanner and his men. Great unexpected ending! Thank you very much for the response! Valdez ends up killing the innocent man and desires all who fingered him to pay for the man's pregnant squaw to have passage home. Its enough to quote the pitch-perfectcover blurb: They were still laughing when Valdez came back. In Valdez is Coming, adapted from the co-titled Elmore Leonard novel, Leone's moralistically stark paradigm acquires a conscience and characters that, while as vividly drawn as the Master's, are discernibly more real. I just get the impression that he knew deep in his soul how hard-bark people sound. Unfortunately for Tanner, he has picked on the wrong man: Valdez is a wily, experienced Indian fighter and a marksman with a rifle. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. Lancaster is interesting to watch as he plays the idealistic outsider up against the bigoted majority. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. If I were try to come up with a strict list of requirements, Cask would probably fail because the injuries to the narrator are never shown or even specified, and not knowing for what revenge is being taken dulls its edge considerably. Actor: Killer's Kiss. Coming Soon. Clint Eastwood certainly portrayed the brutal, enigmatic hero as well as it could be done but the purity of Leone's form could probably have carried almost any actor with a similar type of charisma through the story. 'Valdez is Coming' was the first, then 'The Lawman' (which i have not seen) and of course the mighty 'Ulzana's Raid'. Valdez is freed by one of Tanner's henchmen (Richard Jordan) and, after convalescing, begins waging a one-man war against Tanner, picking off his men with his trusty Sharps rifle. Lancaster is interesting to watch as he plays the idealistic outsider up against the bigoted majority. What transpires is a valuable lesson for all. He gives new meaning to the word authentic. It should be something in your life you plan. If you are a Burt Lancaster fan, this is one of his last kick ass westerns. No Name. But the weapon smuggler Frank Tanner is greedy and impulsive. Since I am a western fan, I should give his westerns a try. Might have been better with a more experienced director. "The Tall T" is a Budd Boetticher film starring Randolph Scott with a screenplay by Burt Kennedy. Still Frank will continue to underestimate Valdez who knows the entire country all too well. When Sergio Leone's Fistful of Dollars was released, with its uncompromisingly vivid characterizations, sparse, almost symbolic backdrops, and evocative, minimalist scores, the Western was changed forever. Coming Soon, Regal May 19It might have been the 2007 fight between Georges St-Pierre and Matt Serra, won by Serra in a monumental upset, that lit the fire. Dont worry, it wont take long. Tanner and his men ride up. Released in 1971, "Valdez is Coming" is a significant Western that champions human dignity. He is a minor part-time constable, a man of honor, and this is where the romanticism lies. Most actors have to rely on dialog that only reveals plot or consciously explained back-story. 3) Hogwarts Legacy Game Review. The moments of brutal violence pack a pretty harsh punch and the ending is pleasingly ambiguous. I suspect, though, that youre just calling your course premises into question with your concern over the novels racial (and, it might be added, sexual) language. Though the story is predictable and unconvincing, the unrelenting character portrayal by Lancaster is impressive. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. The play's ending reveals that Sancho himself, rather than the Mexican stereotypes, is the true robot -- a comment on the soulless nature of his enterprise. When Valdez persists, in kindness and gentle-care, Frank to pay $100, he is is attacked and roped to a wooden cross..they send him into the desert this way to perish. I also have some hesitations about teaching it: it is full of racial slurs, for one thing, and while I think its pretty clear not just that they are historically and contextually appropriate but also that the novel as a whole rejects the attitudes they express, that does create some pedagogical challenges. It begins with an instinct for justice: Valdez kills a man for the wrong reasons, not without meaning to but certainly without wanting to, and figures that he and the others responsible owe the mans pregnant widow reparations. ", Another Memorable Elmore Leonard Western Adaptation, Often Overlooked Modern Western and Burt Lancaster Film. but honor was always priceless. Any author careful and thoughtful enough to give a damn about just things surely doesnt deserve the dubious honor of pulp a style defined by its willful indifference to good taste and sensitivity. Valdez is freed by one of Tanner's henchmen (Richard Jordan) and, after convalescing, begins waging a one-man war against Tanner, picking off his men with his trusty Sharps rifle. While the monster is portrayed sympathetically at times, I think his murders of the innocent put him beyond most readers willingness to identify and confirm his status as the fiend that Frankenstein terms him. A rebel explosion hurls the train off its track, killing Helen and compelling John to take his own life in the. It's a tale of the meek (not the weak) versus the arrogant. Old Mexican-American sheriff Bob Valdez has always been a haven of sanity in a land of madmen when it came to defending law and order. Bigoted majority well known and celebrated white actor is given a Mexican or Indian role in a fan! 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