The Appaloosa (1966)
If you want to see a gorgeous horse, watch The Appaloosa. The horse is silky black in front with the brightest, most intelligent looking eyes. I was mesmerized by this horse and didn’t get to see enough of him. He kept getting kidnapped, which is what made the story move. The rear of this horse was white with black spots. He really was outstanding - and you can see why the evil Mexican ranchero, Chuy (John Saxon,) wanted to take him away from good-guy Mateo (Marlon Brando.)
Mateo was adopted as a very young homeless child by a Mexican family somewhere in the Southwest. At the beginning of the movie Mateo returns from the war and a wayward life, to his hometown, Ojo Prieto. He wants to be forgiven by God, and wants to settle down and help his adopted brother, Paco, start a horse ranch. The Appaloosa is expected to be the father of all the horses Mateo wants to raise there.
Unfortunately he runs into Chuy’s wife, Trini, who is the first to kidnap the Appaloosa in an attempt to run away from her husband. She’s quickly apprehended and returned to Chuy, but at that point Chuy becomes obsessed with owning the Appaloosa. He is a cruel man, and as the movie unfolded I was appalled by some of the misery-making I witnessed.
Marlon Brando looked awesome at the beginning of the movie - all scruffy, unshaven, with long hair. It is a shame he had to clean up and shave. Others might think differently, but I liked the wild and natural look on him.
This movie hasn’t gotten any great reviews over at Netflix: The Appaloosa at Netflix, but it has nearly five stars. I gave it 4, but that was mostly because I thought Brando was cute before he shaved, and the horse was drop-dead gorgeous. Speaking of dropping dead, a lot of people did just that in this film… something I’m not a big fan of.
Filed under: Classic Westerns, Shoot-em-ups — Tags: classic movies, dvds, marlon brando, movies, westerns — Mystique @ 12:54 am
Mateo was adopted as a very young homeless child by a Mexican family somewhere in the Southwest. At the beginning of the movie Mateo returns from the war and a wayward life, to his hometown, Ojo Prieto. He wants to be forgiven by God, and wants to settle down and help his adopted brother, Paco, start a horse ranch. The Appaloosa is expected to be the father of all the horses Mateo wants to raise there.
Unfortunately he runs into Chuy’s wife, Trini, who is the first to kidnap the Appaloosa in an attempt to run away from her husband. She’s quickly apprehended and returned to Chuy, but at that point Chuy becomes obsessed with owning the Appaloosa. He is a cruel man, and as the movie unfolded I was appalled by some of the misery-making I witnessed.
Marlon Brando looked awesome at the beginning of the movie - all scruffy, unshaven, with long hair. It is a shame he had to clean up and shave. Others might think differently, but I liked the wild and natural look on him.
This movie hasn’t gotten any great reviews over at Netflix: The Appaloosa at Netflix, but it has nearly five stars. I gave it 4, but that was mostly because I thought Brando was cute before he shaved, and the horse was drop-dead gorgeous. Speaking of dropping dead, a lot of people did just that in this film… something I’m not a big fan of.
