The Giants Battle In The Biggest Spectacle Of Them All!
After the American Civil War, mercenaries travel to Mexico to fight in their revolution for money. The former soldier and gentleman Benjamin Trane meets the gunman and killer Joe Erin and his men, and together they are hired by the Emperor Maximillian and the Marquis Henri de Labordere to escort the Countess Marie Duvarre to the harbor of Vera Cruz.
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Character
Classical in form, effortless, relentless and epic.
- classical in formformally daring
- effortlessdemanding
- contemplativerelentless
- intimateepic
- character-ledplot-driven
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“Is Gary Cooper the best thing in Vera Cruz?”
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“Is this Robert Aldrich's best work?”
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“Would Vera Cruz hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1954?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Dec 20247/10
In the aftermath of the US Civil War, two mercenaries find themselves working together in an uneasy alliance. "Trane" (Gary Cooper) is the more refined of the two, "Joe" (Burt Lancaster) little better than a thug, but both are good with a gun and that attracts them to the "Marquis" (Cesar Romero) who suggests to them that there's money to be made serving the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico (George Macready). To his palace they go and after some sharp shooting proves their worth, they agree to escort the "Countess" (Denise Darcey) to the port of Vera Cruz. She certainly needs an escort for the local population, under the leadership of "Gen. Ramirez" (Morris Ankrum), is bent on removing this Napoleonic interloper from his throne and establishing a republic. It's only when they cross a river that the men notice the countess must weight rather a lot more than her frocks suggest, and that starts them thinking of another, more lucrative, agenda for their journey. Thing is, she has plans of her own and is quite prepared to use her wiles on either or both of these characters to get her way. As they near the garrison, treachery is rife and things come to an head - but it's by no means clear wh
Read the whole review on TMDB - Wuchakon TMDB · Apr 20218/10
_**Dynamic Mexico-oriented Western with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster**_ After the Civil War, two soldiers-of-fortune (Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster) meet in the heart of Mexico and end up taking a job for Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico, to escort a lady aristocrat (Denise Darcel) from Mexico City to Vera Cruz on the coast. Although they have help from imperial troops, they are assaulted by Juarez’s rebels because there’s gold to be had. “Vera Cruz” (1954) is an overlooked powerhouse Western that was made back-to-back by Cooper with “Garden of Evil.” I think they’re both really good Westerns, but give the edge to this one. It has comic book qualities that I don’t like (e.g. the trivial conflicts and superhuman marksmanship), but is otherwise an austere, action-packed, life-or-death adventure with spectacular Mexican locations, featuring the magnificent Pyramid of the Sun, not to mention two beautiful women (Denise Darcel and Sara Montiel). This is one of Lancaster’s top roles as he plays the lusty anti(non)hero with his charismatic grit-teethed grin counterbalanced by Gary Cooper’s aged, brooding antihero. One of these two is redeemable while the other isn’t. It’s kind of obviou
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · Jan 20179/10
I suppose when one deals with men of action, one just expect action. "As the American Civil War ended, another war was just beginning. The Mexican people were struggling to rid themselves of their foreign Emperor--Maximilian. Into this fight rode a handful of Americans--ex soldiers, adventurers, criminals--all bent on gain. They drifted South in small groups-- AND SOME CAME ALONE" Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster head the cast as two polar opposite American adventurers who get involved with Maximilian's royal house and Juarez's revolutionaries in 1860s Mexico. Cooper plays Benjamin Trane, basically a good man, tho one tainted by much cynicism, and Lancaster plays Joe Erin, gunman and an untrustworthy crook. Vera Cruz was the first release in SuperScope (beautifully shot by Ernest Laszlo on location in Mexico) and with director Robert Aldrich at the helm, the film brilliantly captures the violence and danger that was brought about during Mexico's revolutionary period. Adapted by Roland Kibbee and James R. Webb from a Borden Chase story, Vera Cruz very much feels like (is) a precursor to Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch and Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s. With its blend of come
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Cast
- Gary CooperBenjamin Trane
- Burt LancasterJoe Erin
- Denise DarcelCountess Marie Duvarre
- Cesar RomeroMarquis Henri de Labordere
- Sara MontielNina
- Ernest BorgnineDonnegan
- Charles BronsonPittsburgh
- George MacreadyEmperor Maximilian
- Jack ElamTex
- James McCallionLittle-Bit
Crew
- Robert AldrichDirector
- Roland KibbeeScreenplay
- James R. WebbScreenplay
- Ernest LaszloDirector of Photography
- Hugo FriedhoferOriginal Music Composer
- Alan Crosland, Jr.Editor
- James HillProducer
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Pairings
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