The Professionals
THE PROFESSIONALS (PG)
D: Richard Brooks
Columbia/Pax (Richard Brooks)
US 1966
123 mins
Western
W: Richard Brooks [based on the novel "A Mule For The
Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke]
DP: Conrad Hall
Ed: Peter Zinner
Mus: Maurice Jarre
Western
Burt Lancaster (Bill Dolworth), Lee Marvin (Henry 'Rico'
Fardan), Robert Ryan (Hans Ehrengard), Jack Palance (Jesus Raza), Ralph Bellamy (Joe Grant), Claudia Cardinale (Maria Grant), Woody Strode (Jake Sharp)
The Wild Bunch before the The Wild Bunch (qv), Richard Brooks'
classic Western may not be as brutally violent as Sam Peckinpah's seminal movie, but it does have quality where it counts, especially in the powerhouse performances and handsome
cinematography.
The story concerns a group of vigilante cowboys who are hired
by a ranch owner to rescue his wife, kidnapped by a Mexican revolutionary.
For fans of the genre, this is up there with the best, but,
like the genre itself, has dated a little badly since its original release, but it's clear to see that this film had a huge influential impact on other films and TV series'.
7/10
