The Bravados

To me, the height of Hollywood occurred in the 1950s, that decade was its golden era. Twentieth Century Fox was at it greatest, in my opinion. For the Twentieth Fox gold-colored logo and its accompanying fanfare to burst onto the screen means one thing: Hollywood movie entertainment. At this time Cinemascope, still a relatively new technology, was in vogue. In this decade, audiences attended movies shown in palatial theaters. Famous of this decade are a host of iconic actors, men, and women, who graced the movie screen, bringing to life characters of the stories in which they play.Despite a three-year war in Korea, though the U.S. cold war with the Soviet Union was heating up to the point of near mass public paranoia, and never forget the McCarthy hearings, this decade was America’s utopian dream come true, the decade of prosperity following a devastating war. It was good times for most people, especially if one was white, straight, and male. So it was the best of times for many people as it was the worst of times for other people. Amid all this, during this decade, great movies were made. One of those movies is this one, The Bravados, starring Gregory Peck and Joan Collins.The story starts out simple enough: A stranger, wearing dark clothes, rides his horse into a sleepy little, prairie town, one preparing itself for a hanging. So small this town, so unfamiliar the stranger, that his presence receives immediate attention. A once sleepy town now comes awake. It is the day before the hanging. We learn our hero, the stranger in town, that he is here in order to witness tomorrow’s hanging of four bad-guys. His manner is aloof, a man of few words, not icy but cool towards anyone friendly enough to extend a hand of friendship. Peck plays our hero, the protagonist, who will turn out to be somewhat an anti-hero. His character demonstrates dimensions of complexity as the story unfolds.Through prearranged plotting with an outsider, the criminals, the jailed criminals, are able to escape from the local jail. With stolen horses, guns, and with a local girl, kidnapped, they ride into the open country confident they will successfully escape.Well, that begins our hero’s journey. He with men of the town, in posse, ride off after the jail-breakers. Our hero has a vendetta to fulfill as we will learn with the story’s development. Upon its conclusion arises an unexpected irony making the story unexpectedly interesting.As a whole, this western story is very good. The scenes were shot in wonderful country settings, thinking maybe Yellowstone? The acting of actors in supporting roles is something left wanting. At times, the screenplay exposes it own story holes in the very story it is meant to convey. But Peck’s acting is very good, maybe remarkable. Joan Collins seen in her youth is a tremendous beauty. Her character is weak, partly not a fault of her won due to the scrawny screenplay writing with which she had to work, with which to flesh out a character, succeeding at portraying a very two-dimensional character.Without a doubt, this movie is entertaining. Its story interesting. The acting of the leading man is done admirably well. Movie cinematography is typical of that era, panoramic, vibrant with vivid colors, straight on filming, nothing fancy. The Bravados is an unexpectedly good western, recommended highly.

Henry King may be among the most symbolically quintessential American of American filmmakers. Compared to the likes of the stylized extrovert John Ford, King is a straightforward director and, thus, remains one of the underrated American symphonists (putting him in good company with forever underrated fellow American symphonists, such as David Diamond and Paul Creston). "Twelve O' Clock High", "The Gunfighter" and "The Bravados" are integral canvases of the American frontier landscape that King made with Gregory Peck, yet the latter two languish in near obscurity.King collaborated often with Peck, and in Peck King had his best collaborator. Gregory Peck was the real deal. With Peck, one does not have to separate the artist or the persona from the actual person (as one has to with John Wayne). Gregory Peck fit the iconic bill of integrity and nobility on and off-screen and, thus, personifies the best and most honestly masculine qualities in the western, which, along with jazz, is one of the two great American art forms.Together, King and Peck vividly imprinted these qualities into each film's characterization without flinching from the flaws, warts and frailties which flesh out and give resonance to that characterization. King and Peck had created their previous western "The Gunfighter" eight years earlier. That is a film which deserves all the accolades it has received. "The Bravados" has even less a reputation. It is a very different film than "The Gunfighter", yet it deserve a wider audience. While "The Gunfighter" was shot in stark black and white, "The Bravados" benefits greatly from Leon Shamroy's sense of composition and ethereal blue filters. On the surface, "The Bravados", at first, seems to be another standard revenge film, but it is the juxtaposition of faith and violence that gives this film its tensioned individuality. Here again, we have the authenticity of Peck, the off-screen man of a deep Catholic faith, that informs his role, imbuing it with a striking inner intensity. Peck conveys emotions with expertly gauged skill, acting with his eyes and internal hesitancy. He stops short of speaking several times. Peck makes this a remarkable role.Then, in direct contrast, is Joan Collins. As the old flame, Collins was still fairly early in her career, and it shows. Despite her reputation, Collins did sharpen her acting skills considerably, but that is not in evidence here. In several scenes, such as her initial reunion with Peck, discovering his past via a local priest, and her pleading with him to take revenge, Collins registers stiffness. Her part is underwritten and awkward, rendering it as, mostly, one of decor, which she does succeed in filling out. Still, Peck's attraction to her never registers.Future Stooge Joe DeRita is quite good in his eccentric characterization. His is a small role, but he fleshes it out with personality, making one wish he had gone this route instead. Of the four antagonists, only Stephen Boyd and Henry Silva have any real personality. Boyd vividly registers as a real, slimy threat. Silva employs admirably restrained depth when face to face with his hunter.The shifting, contrasting landscapes make for interesting, expressionist parallels. The rugged, rocky canyon terrain gives way to an ominous forest in which Peck both murders and escapes murder. A waterfall gives temporary sustenance. A small, claustrophobic cabin houses the ugly, terrible truth. The unrealistically large Catholic parish contains the vast possibilities of sanctuary and redemption, but that is only reached after revelation at the home of the good thief, where Peck is met with surprising hospitality and familiarity of family."The Bravados" is a harsh, brooding, tautly paced example of the 1950s western at its most adult. Despite some minor flaws, it is a stand-out in its genre, during the genre's greatest decade.

One of my three favorite non-John Wayne westerns. Anything with Gregory Peck is good, even made Joan Collins less annoying.

Great movie

THE BRAVADOS is a moody, brutal piece of work that in many ways predates the cynical moods of later Westerns of the 60s and 70s. Gregory Peck stars a man bent on revenge against the four men who raped and murdered his wife. The outlaws (Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Henry Silva and Lee Van Cleef) are in jail in Rio Arriba waiting to be hung, and Peck is there to witness the deed. The prisoners escape, however, and Peck becomes an obssessed member of the posse sent to hunt them down. This is another fruitful collaboration between Peck and director Henry King, who also made THE GUNFIGHTER and TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH together. This is NOT the Gregory Peck we know and love! He is moody, sullen, full of anger and relentless in his pursuit of the villains. The brutality of the film may come as a shock to viewers even now, but its harshness makes it a precursor to the Sergio Leone/CLint Eastwood films nearly a decade later. (The fact that Lee Van Cleef has a major supporting role makes the connection even stronger.) There is also a mean but logical twist in the tale that makes THE BRAVADOS one of the most entertaining of 1950s Westerns.

The twist in the tale subverts everything that preceded it, to give us a rather trite message at the end. The twist might have been more interesting without the message.

Excellent movie, made even more better due to this Twilight Time release. Gregory Peck at his best as usual. Highly recommended to all western fans.

A film about Revenge and Redemption.A Good film, with a surprise ending.1 hr 32 min 2.35:1 ratio language/subtitles 12 chapters No extras

Great. Thanks.

Great western. Interesting to see Joan Collins in one of her early roles.