Rating: 
Summary: He Goes Through Hell and High Water...
Review: ...to get revenge, one by one. To avenge the gruesome death of his parents over some missing gold..and in the end, he discovers it wasn't worth becoming as brutal as the bad guys. It may not be evvybody's shot of gin, but for me, movies don't come too much better than this...
Rating:
Summary: A Harold Robbins story, from the Carpetbaggers
Review:
Studio: Paramount Studio
Video Release Date: May 10, 1990
Cast: Steve McQueen ... Nevada Smith/Max Sand/Fitch
Karl Malden ... Tom Fitch
Brian Keith ... Jonas Cord
Arthur Kennedy ... Bill Bowdre
Suzanne Pleshette ... Pilar, Cajun Girl
Raf Vallone ... Father Zaccardi
Janet Margolin ... Neesa
Pat Hingle ... Big Foot, Work Camp Trustee
Howard Da Silva ... Warden of Work Camp
Martin Landau ... Jesse Coe
Paul Fix ... Sheriff Bonnell
Gene Evans ... Sam Sand Josephine Hutchinson ... Mrs. Elvira McCandles
John Doucette ... Uncle Ben McCandles
Val Avery ... Buck Mason, Bartender
Sheldon Allman ... Sheriff
Lyle Bettger ... Jack Rudabough
Bert Freed ... Quince
David McLean ... Romero
Steve Mitchell ... Buckshot
Merritt Bohn ... River Boat Pilot
Sandy Kenyon ... Clerk in Bank
Ric Roman ... Cipriano
John Lawrence ... Hogg
Stanley Adams ... Storekeeper
George Mitchell ... Paymaster
John Litel ... Doctor
Ted de Corsia ... Hudson (Bartender)
L.Q. Jones ... Cowboy
Strother Martin ... Strother
Jeffrey Sayre ... Roulette Dealer
Henry Wills ... Fitch man
Iron Eyes Cody ... Taka-Ta
Joanna Cook Moore ... Angie, Saloon Girl From a story by Harold Robbins, who wrote the Carpetbaggers, among other stories, in his rich career. The story is about a young half-breed Indian (Steve McQueen)whose mother and father were killed by three thugs. He learns the ropes, and how to use weapons, from a gun dealer (Brian Keith) and sets out on a quest to kill the three men responsible. This is the story of his hunt. The parts were all well-acted, and the story held together well, although it did not follow The Carpetbaggers, it did do parts of it justice. I recommend this film. Thankfully, it left out some of the odious details of how the boy's mother and father were killed. Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
Rating:
Summary: A Western Odyssey of Epic Scope.
Review: A must have in a western / Steve McQueen collection - a forgotten classic.
Rating:
Summary: A moral underpinning of forgiveness, retribution, and love
Review: A young half-breed, witness the after math of the death of his father and Comache mother. The Killer association of three soldiers was probably formed in the Mexican-American war. They arrival on scene was to collect of their 1/2 of the gold. The three soldier villains are play by Karl Malden, Martin Landau, and Arthur Kennedy. The father has a gold mine but hasn't struck gold. The father claims he does have any gold and the consequence is the brutal, gromesome murder to his head and his wifes aweful initial skinning which is surprisingly graphic. A statement is being made about the atrocities and treatment of the native American indians. Brian Keith is exceptional in his role as McQueen's mentor. His mentor tells him to go home because he doesn't have the resources necessary to fight such as food, money, and skill; telling him learning to shoot is only half the battle for he must learn to think like them, steal like them, sleep in brothels, eat garage from the trash, and kill. Sadly, Keith doesn't want Max Sand to become like the men he seeks to kill; but Max is determined and Keith decides to train Max to shoot; and with the last bit of advice being never back down from a challenge and choose when and where to fight. Good advice. Max uses the advice to kill the third killer.
Max can not read. Max gets a book on reading and learns to read and while reading a local newspaper learns the name of the second killer caught for bank robbery.
Max kills the first man in a knife fight after following clues such as a gray horse, a facial scar recollection. Max discovers the whereabouts of the first through a comache call girl after he gives her fives dollars for information. Max manages to kill the knife fighter but is badly cut up himself. Max is stitched up and the sheriff does want Max in town and forced to leave. Max recovers back to health in the girls tribe. The chief tells Max, the girl was a disgrace to their tribe but her return has some redemptive qualities and he should recover in the tribe and possibly between him and the girl, help each other to heal. She tells max it was her hatred that caused her to become a prostitute. She falls in love with Max.
Max recovers and leaves in search of the second man. He uses the mans name to lure him out telling people he is his brother and has a message to deliver. Some of the his men realize Max is not Flint and try to force the truth by dragging him by rope behind a horse. A priest intervenes and nurse him back to health. At departure the priest tells about his own family, immigrates meet death while crossing the wilderness and were scalped with him being the only member of his family to survived. The priest tells Max to forgive and trust in the Bible and God. Max tells the priest that God must have forgot him and departs.
Discovering the second man is in prison for bank robbery, Max stages a bank robbery and is thrown into prison somewhere in the everglads where the rule is hard labor and not to make the warden angry. Max discovers the second killer, who apparently attempted to escape, but was caught and whipped. Max forms an false friendship with the second killer and plots an escape using a local girl named Piera who will provide a canoe and help navigate out of the swampy prison. Prior to escape she is bitten by a Water Mocassin weaking her. Just prior to her death she sees Max kill the second killer and wants nothing to do with him. She sees him as the same type of man as the second killer and does want to see his face before she dies.
Max escapes and discovers the third killers name prior to killing the second man, joins up with him by using his name, and is part of a gold robbery. Max has an opportunity to kill the third man but decides not to kill them just shoot him up good, once in the hand and two shoots, one to the left knee and one to right knee.
Some of the most beautiful desert scenery it brought to the big film. My only criticism of the movie is that Max is constantly being referred to as "youngster" or "half breed". Steve McQueen does not look young nor half indian. The director uses moccassins to bridge the cultural gap and naitivity to make him seem young.
Rating:
Summary: A moral underpinning of forgiveness, retribution, and love
Review: A young half-breed, witness the after math of the death of his father and Comache mother. The Killer association of three soldiers was probably formed in the Mexican-American war. They arrival on scene was to collect of their 1/2 of the gold. The three soldier villains are play by Karl Malden, Martin Landau, and Arthur Kennedy. The father has a gold mine but hasn't struck gold. The father claims he does have any gold and the consequence is the brutal, gromesome murder to his head and his wifes aweful initial skinning which is surprisingly graphic. A statement is being made about the atrocities and treatment of the native American indians. Brian Keith is exceptional in his role as McQueen's mentor. His mentor tells him to go home because he doesn't have the resources necessary to fight such as food, money, and skill; telling him learning to shoot is only half the battle for he must learn to think like them, steal like them, sleep in brothels, eat garage from the trash, and kill. Sadly, Keith doesn't want Max Sand to become like the men he seeks to kill; but Max is determined and Keith decides to train Max to shoot; and with the last bit of advice being never back down from a challenge and choose when and where to fight. Good advice. Max uses the advice to kill the third killer.
Max can not read. Max gets a book on reading and learns to read and while reading a local newspaper learns the name of the second killer caught for bank robbery.
Max kills the first man in a knife fight after following clues such as a gray horse, a facial scar recollection. Max discovers the whereabouts of the first through a comache call girl after he gives her fives dollars for information. Max manages to kill the knife fighter but is badly cut up himself. Max is stitched up and the sheriff does want Max in town and forced to leave. Max recovers back to health in the girls tribe. The chief tells Max, the girl was a disgrace to their tribe but her return has some redemptive qualities and he should recover in the tribe and possibly between him and the girl, help each other to heal. She tells max it was her hatred that caused her to become a prostitute. She falls in love with Max.
Max recovers and leaves in search of the second man. He uses the mans name to lure him out telling people he is his brother and has a message to deliver. Some of the his men realize Max is not Flint and try to force the truth by dragging him by rope behind a horse. A priest intervenes and nurse him back to health. At departure the priest tells about his own family, immigrates meet death while crossing the wilderness and were scalped with him being the only member of his family to survived. The priest tells Max to forgive and trust in the Bible and God. Max tells the priest that God must have forgot him and departs.
Discovering the second man is in prison for bank robbery, Max stages a bank robbery and is thrown into prison somewhere in the everglads where the rule is hard labor and not to make the warden angry. Max discovers the second killer, who apparently attempted to escape, but was caught and whipped. Max forms an false friendship with the second killer and plots an escape using a local girl named Piera who will provide a canoe and help navigate out of the swampy prison. Prior to escape she is bitten by a Water Mocassin weaking her. Just prior to her death she sees Max kill the second killer and wants nothing to do with him. She sees him as the same type of man as the second killer and does want to see his face before she dies.
Max escapes and discovers the third killers name prior to killing the second man, joins up with him by using his name, and is part of a gold robbery. Max has an opportunity to kill the third man but decides not to kill them just shoot him up good, once in the hand and two shoots, one to the left knee and one to right knee.
Some of the most beautiful desert scenery it brought to the big film. My only criticism of the movie is that Max is constantly being referred to as "youngster" or "half breed". Steve McQueen does not look young nor half indian. The director uses moccassins to bridge the cultural gap and naitivity to make him seem young.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Steve McQueen Great!
Review: I love the way this Western is multi-layered. It takes place in several different locations, each almost it's own story, but coming together as one. Steve McQueen is his usual cool, with the tough exterior. He plays a half-breed who seeks revenge on the murderers of his parents (played by several great character actors), look for great supporting roles by Karl Malden and Brian Keith. A GREAT weekend western!
Rating:
Summary: Why isn't this on DVD?????????
Review: I would like to see this offered in the DVD format! This is an excellent western and one of McQueen's best pieces of work, in my opinion.Please let me know if it is to be offered in DVD soon.
Rating:
Summary: Don't forget the way back
Review: If you're ever curious why people made such a fuss about Steve McQueen check out NEVADA SMITH, Henry Hathaway's sprawling tale of vengeance and obsession.
McQueen plays young half-Indian/half-white Max Sand, whose parents are murdered by a trio of bandits (Martin Landau, Arthur Kennedy, Karl Malden.) McQueen was 36 years old in 1966, the year NEVADA SMITH was made, and was probably a decade past the time when he could effortlessly portray a naïve young hero. There's a brief, disturbingly violent scene at the beginning of the movie where the three villains are torturing Smith's parents, and the woman portraying McQueen's Kiowa mother doesn't look much older than 35. Still, McQueen brings a wide-eyed innocence to his performance that tremendously helps us suspend disbelief. Besides, I believe I counted exactly zero close-ups in this action western. If you want to check out the crow's feet around McQueen's eyes you'll have to look hard and fast to see them.
McQueen gets a chance to play against some Hollywood professionals at the top of their games. Brian Keith is growlingly good as traveling gunsmith Jonas Cord, who plays Polonius to McQueen's Laertes, and plies the young stranger with instruction and advice. Max Sand won't be argued out of his mission to avenge the death of his parents, and the pragmatic Cord reluctantly agrees to be his mentor. It's through Cord and, later, a priest Sand comes across, that the movie is allowed to question its central theme - vengeance. Cord argues the practical ("You'll turn into one of the rats you're hunting,") the priest the spiritual. It's a tribute to the brilliance of McQueen's performance that by the time we reach the last scene we can see how both arguments have contributed to his maturation. Karl Malden plays the evil, racist Tom Fitch with sadist gusto. Malden overacts a bit in one of those rare roles that benefits when an actor takes it over the top. Watching the suspicious Fitch interrogate the no-longer-naïve Max Sand is one of the highlights of the movie.
The underrated Hathaway shot most of NEVADA SMITH on location, and the realistic look is used to great advantage. He doesn't go for the landmark shots a la John Ford in Monument Valley, choosing instead to play scenes in anonymous swamps and deserts. The realism shoots through all the way to stunts and props and costumes. Instead of elaborately choreographed fist fights with exaggerated sound effects every time a blow is struck, the characters in NEVADA SMITH scratch and claw, bite and kick when they fight. The clothes they wear are torn and dirty and they stay dirty.
NEVADA SMITH has enough going for it to appeal to those who aren't typically fans of westerns. If you are a fan this is a must-see.
Rating:
Summary: ULTRA QUALITY MOVIE TIME
Review: it is a must see.one of the best,most overlooked westerns of all times.the cast alone, speaks for itself.
Rating:
Summary: iron eyes cody is nevada smith
Review: most people consider the nevada smith character is based on the life of ken maynard but after researching maynards life i have come to the conclusion that iron eyes cody was the outlaw who was saved by the preist and devoted his life to indian causes. he adopted indian children and remained pretty much above the excesses of the hollywood scene. there are also two different versions of his life story and you have to ask yourself why. maynard and cody must have met as young men on the rodeo and wild west show circuits and maynard was in a movie called smoking guns which is has the nevada smith plot. when maynard died iron eyes was one of the few movie industry personalities in attendence. therre must have been some sort of bond between the two. the ultimate tip off is seeing iron eyes in the movie nevada smith. this is of course my speculation but ther are more mysterious contradictions in iron eyes codys life than ken maynards.
|
