Duel at Diablo | Armand Alzamora, Bibi Andersson

Duel at Diablo | Armand Alzamora, Bibi Andersson | Movielover.dolly

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Duel at Diablo

	Duel at Diablo Armand Alzamora, Bibi Andersson MGM (Video & DVD), 2003 average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

"An exciting absorbing drama" (The Hollywood Reporter) that "never lets up in action" (The Film Daily) Duel at Diablo stars James Garner Sidney Poitier Bill Travers Bibi Andersson and Dennis Weaver in a tale that "will grip you" (The New York Times) from beginning to end!Frontier scout Jess Remsberg (Garner) bravely leads a wagon train through hostile territory to Fort Conchos. But underneath his valor he has an ulterior motive: to settle a score with a man whom he believes killed his wife. When he arrives at the fort Jess learns not only the shocking truth about the killer but also that the wagon train has come under Apache attack leaving Jess their only hope for survival.System Requirements:Running Time: 104 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 027616885821 Manufacturer No: 1004531

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This one is a keeper.

This is one of my all time favorite westerns. Both James Garner and Sydney Portier look great in this film, Portier as the smooth well dressed gambler and Garner as the rugged scout. I saw this made for tv movie as a kid and remember it as being pretty intense with a great sound track, story and action! I also liked how it depicted the indians.

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This is one of my all-time favorite Westerns. Although I have never thought of James Garner as one of the best actors out there, this movie seems to bring out the best in him, as far as Sidney Portier is concerned, he is always great. After the pablum served up in the 40's and 50's, this is one of the first movies to portray the relationship between the American Indian and the white man in a realistic light. There were no clear cut "good guys" and "bad guys", all had faults, all had prejudices toward the other that led to hatred. The punishment netted out to Dennis Weaver (another excellent performance)seems cruel, but, when balanced against what he did in retaliation against his wife's kidnapping by the Apaches, may seem to be expected, if not deserved.

All and all a must see for any Western movie fan, whatever your opinion it is a movie that you will remember.

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pretty good movie, really enjoyable

this is a hidden gem of a western. i wasn't expecting very much from this movie. it just seemed to be another of a long line of movies. i was simply expect another ho-hum movie. garner and pottier provide very good performances that shocked me out of my expectations. the movie is good, the story is grippng, and the characters very real. the action is not too contrived, but very real. its quick, and not slow at all.

On the vengeance trail - a darker, meaner James Garner

James Garner's easy-going charm made him a bankable star for most of his career. But, every so often, he didn't mind stepping out of his comfort zone to try different, more hard-bitten roles. Case in point: DUEL AT DIABLO, a near classic western drama which not only showcased a more intense James Garner but also the great Sidney Poitier. DUEL AT DIABLO was made in 1966 and it's not your typical western. This one eschews the black and white good guy/bad guy sensibilities often reflected in this film genre. Instead, DUEL AT DIABLO unfurls themes colored more in shades of grey and not so easily resolved. This is far removed from the lighthearted likes of Support Your Local Sheriff or MAVERICK.

Always gritty and, at times, bleak and brooding, DUEL AT DIABLO is peopled with complex, no-nonsense types. As the film rolls along, don't be too surprised if you find your opinions shifting with regards to these characters. Almost from the get-go it dawns on us that this picture doesn't intend to run by the numbers. The opening sequence tells of frontier scout Jess Remsberg (Garner) rescuing a white woman abducted by Apaches and returning her to her home, only to have the townspeople and the woman's husband treat her with indifference and scorn. So, right away, there's an undercurrent of unease felt on the screen.

Meanwhile, Remsberg learns of the brutal murder of his Comanche wife and means to find the killer and then not kill him easy. He agrees to scout for a cavalry troop heading thru perilous Apache country with a cache of ammo and bolstered in part by green recruits, as the troop's destination of a distant Army fort coincides with Remsberg's. Along for the ride and not ecstatic about it is a tough but well-dressed horse breaker and ex-soldier named Toller (Poitier). A civilian with his own shipment also manages to attach himself to the cavalry. The last member of this military jaunt happens to be the same woman Remsberg had rescued, as it turns out she has further personal business with the Apaches.

The action sequences are moderately intense. There are passages replete with rollicking fistfights, gunfights, ambushes, chases, and fleeting moments of torture (or, rather, the aftermath of torture). DUEL AT DIABLO addresses certain social issues (the American Indian's plight, the persona non grata status of Mrs. Grange, who involuntarily had spent time with the "savages"), yet the film is clever enough to cloak its messages under an action-packed plot. DUEL AT DIABLO doesn't champion the proud Apaches' cause as much as attempt to have a representation of their side of things. They do come off a bit sympathetic (it seems that the tribe treated Mrs. Grange better than the townspeople), but, well, naturally, I was rooting more for Garner and Poitier's posse to come out on top. The action culminates in a harrowing last stand at a place called Diablo Canyon. It's intense stuff as the cavalry unit has its members rapidly whittled down. And yet when the good guys do win out and the bad guys led away at gunpoint, it doesn't quite feel like your normal western flick ending. Not everything is tied up in a nice, neat bow. It's very much up in the air whether the hero gets the girl. Remsberg does get his revenge, but whether it's a satisfactory comeuppance, that's another thing. And the Apaches, proud and straight standing to the end, they get sent back to their reservation. Definitely not a happy ending for them...

The cast is uniformly very good, with several actors playing against type (notably, Dennis Weaver, in a hiss-worthy role). I'm even fond of that poor Lieutenant with the Irish accent who kept accumulating wounds (poor fella). Sidney Poitier brings his vaunted presence and is cool, commanding and even dapper. It's always a bit of a twist seeing the affable James Garner switch up and play a role this dark and driven. The only other similarly grim western which comes to mind is A Man Called Sledge, and that one's not as good as DUEL AT DIABLO. And Luther Sledge isn't as likable as Jess Remsberg. Garner also imbues Remsberg with this engaging quality of weary savviness. And, as always, Garner is so natural on screen and keeps it so low key that he comes off as wholly believable, making Remsberg's moments of quiet despair and bursts of violence even more palpable things.

DUEL AT DIABLO gives you pause, gives you a glimpse of how brutal and unforgiving the American frontier really was. This is a movie in which James Garner doesn't charm or trick the bad guys into submission. Rather, he intimidates and beats the living bejeesus out of them. Garner isn't flashy and mannered in his acting; in fact, you never see him acting, and this is what makes him so good. And, word to the wise, Garner stalking the vengeance trail is something to see.

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James Garner --- another rewarding movie

Unlike some of his movies, in this role as an Indian Scout you see a different multi-culture side of him.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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