The Professionals [Blu-ray] [1966] [US Import]

For some reason I hadn't heard of this classic Western until recently. Stumbling across it and reading the enthusiastic reviews I decided to give it a go, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. It's a classic film, and a roaringly good 100 minutes of solid entertainment with a brain and a heart behind it.

Made in 1966, this falls between the psychological westerns of Anthony Mann and the deconstructive revisionism of Peckinpah and Leone. The story and characters are clearly influenced by the Mann template, and the way in which the west is depicted is clearly paving the way for Peckinpah's Ride the High Country and Wild Bunch.

It's a story of four men, men of violence who are very proficient and very professional. Hired by a rich Texan magnate to rescue his wife, kidnapped and taken to Mexico by an evil bandit. The four men set out across the desert, and along the journey we find out about them, their history and reasons for being where they are. The leaders of the group, Lee Marvin's impassive Rico Fardan and Burt Lancaster's roguish but heroic Bill Dolworth have been to Mexico before, and have a history with Jack Palance's bandit Jesus Raza. Throughout the journey, rescue and inevitable race back to the Texan border chased by murderous bandits loyalties are tested, friendships strained and they find out what is really important to them, leading to an ending that I really didn't see coming and was perfectly suited to the film.

It's a film shot in colour, but with many shades of grey. There are no clear cut heroes and villains, just men and women who today find themselves on opposite sides of the war, but tomorrow might be fighting alongside each other if circumstances so dictate. The study of the main characters is fascinating. There is also some nice philosophising, especially from Raza, that gets you thinking. Along with all the deep stuff there is plenty of action as the professionals get into and out of a variety of scrapes and fights. Burt Lancaster is especially impressive here, getting to show off his athleticism on various bits of scenery.

There is just one point in which the film fails a little. Robert Ryan's Erhengard and Woody Strode's Jake are essential characters, but are not explored to their full potential, especially Woody Strode, who is given little opportunity to do anything interesting.

In all it's a film that works on many levels. For those looking for straightforward gunfights and chases, they're here in spades. For those looking for a film with character development, interesting characterisation and a bit of brain behind it then you're in luck. And on top of all that there is a typically cool and magnetic performance from Lee Marvin, and Claudia Cardinale looking quite beautiful as the damsel in distress (just don't analyse her wandering accent too much...)

5 stars for this impressive Western.

The Professionals is a very good film with a good cast including some western legends such as Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster. It does not like many westerns have the usual good vs bad guys plot and also is set at a much later date than most of them. The film has a good mix of humour and action with some rather deeper thoughts and ideas which puts it above the usual film in this genre. All in all it is a very good film.

The Professionals comes out of Columbia Pictures and it is based around the novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O'Rourke. Written and directed by Richard Brooks it stars Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale. A Panavision and Technicolor presentation it features cinematography by Conrad L. Hall and Maurice Jarre scores the music.

One of the stand out Oaters from the 1960s that is often forgotten in light of what was to come from Sam Peckinpah three years later. Tho far more light hearted than Bloody Sam's Magnum Opus that was The Wild Bunch, Richard Brook's film has many similarities. Themes of friendship, loyalty, disillusionment and of course the changing of the Old West all get dealt a hand here. With Brooks and his team upping the action stakes in a ball of explosions, gun fights and verbal jousting. Hell the film is even a touch risqué with nudity, sex and a wife in distress that is not as saintly as one would expect.

Set in 1917 on the Mexican-Texas border after the Mexican revolution, The Professionals' only real problem is its thin story. But Brooks is not interested in going too deep with his plot, he's more concerned with playing it for thrills and back slapping camaraderie. Which works magnificently due to the impressive cast that has assembled for the movie. Marvin plays it restrained as Henry 'Rico' Fardan, the weary leader of the group sent into Mexico to "rescue" Claudia Cardinale's (sultry but some fluctuating accent issues) Mrs. Maria Grant from the clutches of Palance's (excellent) Bandido supreme, Jesus Raza. Lancaster is a whirlwind of testosterone as explosives expert Bill Dolworth, while Ryan and Strode are smooth background characters as the conscientious Hans Ehrengard & muscular tracker and bowman, Jake Sharp, respectively. The only complaint in the characters comes with Ralph Bellamy's Joe Grant, the apparently fraught husband who sets the men off on their mission. He's in the beginning and the end but it's just not enough screen time to grasp his make up and the character therefore is underdeveloped.

Hall's photography is exceptional as he shoots on location at Death Valley, Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The browns are smooth on the eye and the capturing of the odd rock formations a real treat. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work, as was Brooks in the Best Direction and Best Screenplay categories. The shoot actually suffered some serious problems such as dust storms and flash floods, thus causing severe delays. But the end result was worth it for the film was a success at the box office. The public promptly lapped it up, yes it's a bit close to the knuckle sometimes, but there's never a dull moment in it. It's basically a ripper of a good time. 8/10