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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
'You're the first friend I ever had,' grins flamboyant mercenary Burt Lancaster to lean, laconic Gary Cooper with a smile that suggests that he may be the last. They're a pair of Americans abroad looking to cash in on the Mexican revolution by selling their services to the highest bidder in this energetically cynical south-of-the-border Western. They meet cute, conning, robbing, and out-witting one another in a bit of one-upmanship that bonds the men in mutual admiration, and then team up to escort a royal convoy through revolutionary country. When they discover its secret stash of gold bullion, they revert to their old way, selling out anyone it takes to get the treasure for themselves, even each other. Played out as a seat-of-the-pants con game of shifting alliances and double crosses, this is a cheerfully ruthless tale that served as a veritable blueprint for the Italian spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s. Director Robert Aldrich has a real flair for turning rogues and opportunists into deviously riveting characters, and went on to work the same sort of magic on Kiss Me Deadly and The Dirty Dozen. The cast of character actors features Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Jack Elam in the gang, George Macready as Emperor Maximilian, and Henry Brandon as the martinet German captain Danette. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Childhood Revisited
From virtually the opening scene, this celluloid comic book will take you right back to Saturday afternoons with the smell of popcorn, flying paper cups, noisy things rolling down the aisles and the kid behind with his feet at the back of your head. This is NOT a "mature" western. The quick-draw, eagle-eyed feats of shooting have to be seen to be believed (if you're 10 years old), the story line, dialogue, and multi-colored ranks of Mexican federales who serve as targets, all provide an aura around ... Read More
Rating:  - JUST LIKE BEES TO HONEY, BEN, BEES TO HONEY
What can one add to 31 other reviews that dissect and analyse this film? Nothing new I'm certain.
Just let me add that I first saw this movie shortly after its release at a drive in theatre at age 12. The movie always stuck with me and when the DVD was released bought a copy of the Western Legend version.
As I remembered the movie as very good I was not disappointed, the interaction between Coop and Lancaster is superb and the script does allow them to play it ... Read More
Rating:  - Vera Cruz
A great western starring the great Gary Cooper & the versatile Burt Lancaster that takes place during the revolution of 1866. The film also has Denise Darcel as the female lead & Cesar Romero as a wealthy Marquis on the side of Maximilian. Robert Aldrich was the director & this is one of his better efforts.
Benjamin Trane (Gary Cooper) & Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster) are two mercenaries on the way to Mexico to participate in the revolution albeit for different reasons but mostly ... Read More
Rating:  - vera c ruz
I am not satisfied. You have shipped af film, that cannot be viewed on dvd maschines i Europe.
I bought the film Vera Cruz dvd version. You should inform customers about the issue
Kind regards,
svend-Erik Klein
Kolonnevej 11
DK-6400 Sønderborg
Denmark
email: sek@shs.dk
Rating: - Is this a toothpaste commercial?
Yes, those big pearly white choppers prominently displayed in Burt Lancaster's frequent sarcastic smiles tend to dominate most scenes in this fast moving complicated film. All the twists and turns in this story set in a Mexico in political turmoil provide an exciting and unpredictable drama, although you can almost bet the two stars will fight a duel in the finale. Cooper(Ben Trane) and Lancaster(Joe Erin) provide an interesting odd pair. Lancaster seems much younger than his 40 years, whereas Cooper ... Read More
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