Behold a Pale Horse

Starring:Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Raymond Pellegrin, Paolo Stoppa, Mildred Dunnock, Daniela Rocca, Christian Marquand, Marietto, Perrette Pradier, Zia Mohyeddin, Rosalie Crutchley, Molly Urquhart, Jean-Paul Moulinot, Laurence Badie, Martin Benson, Jean-Claude Bercq, Claude Berri, Claude ConfortÃ¨s, Michael Lonsdale
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Paved with good intentions...
Well, it's worth 5 bucks!
Behold a Nihilist Revolutionary
A GREAT FILM
Buy it for the Star Power

Behold a Pale Horse
Starring: Gregory Peck , Anthony Quinn , Omar Sharif , Raymond Pellegrin , and Paolo Stoppa
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00070HK2E
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

Paved with good intentions..........2007-04-26

One of the few films to deal with the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Behold a Pale Horse is a now completely forgotten but once high-profile well-intentioned failure where you can see the good intentions and valid reasoning behind every misstep. It certainly has pedigree to spare: Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn resuming on screen hostilities after their ruckus on Navarone, a supporting cast including Omar Sharif and Christian Marquand, a screenplay based on a novel by Emeric Pressburger (the wonderfully titled Killing a Mouse On Sunday) and direction by Fred Zinnemann. At its core is an effectively simple idea, with Anthony Quinn's failing local police chief trying to tempt Gregory Peck's legendary Republican bandit across the border into Franco's Spain and right into a trap, with the rebel's dying mother as the bait. But the film wants to be more than a thriller or a simple adventure story and in the process ends up considerably less. The biggest problem is a slow opening half, where Peck is kept deliberately at a distance, seen only through the eyes of a child and filtered through the hatred of Quinn as the film tries to build him into a mythic figure so that when we finally do meet the embittered, grumpy and overly cautious man the void between reputation and reality is that much greater. Unfortunately he's kept at far too much of a distance and the film is just far too low-key and drawn out to really draw us in.

Thankfully the second half is considerably more successful as the moral dilemmas multiply and the story enters Graham Greeneland as the tired, violently atheist hero has to face the betrayal of friends and the help of a priest, although it's not without its absurdities (most notably in a scene in Lourdes where they look for, and find with comical ease, one specific group of priests among thousands). This desperately wants to be a great film, but sadly it rarely manages to be a good one, much as you may appreciate the effort. Those with an eye for trivia might want to note early bit parts from Michel Lonsdale at a reporter in the final scene and an uncredited future producer Claude Berri as well as the involvement of actress Nicole Stephane and writer-director Frederic Rossif in putting together the extremely effective opening montage sequence.

The DVD transfer is a little too dark at times, while the only extra is the theatrical trailer.

Well, it's worth 5 bucks!.......2007-02-19

When I saw the names Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn on the title, I was almost positive this would be a winner, and it is, to a point. The movie has a good plot, good performances, and decent action... So why do I say to a point? This movie would have been better if it had been cut to an hour and a half running length. As it is, it is far too slow. The story could and should have been shortened.
Other than that, I have no problems with this movie. Omar Sharif's character is probably my favorite. He is a highly morale man who trusts God to take care of him. He goes to warn Peck even though he knows that by doing so, he will be arrested. Even more amazing is the fact that he goes to try and save Peck's life even though Peck is an atheist and hates priests.
Peck is slightly unbelievable as a Spaniard, but after a while you get used to it. The scenery in this film is beautiful. The musical score is pretty good. The ending, which was led up to the whole film, was a let-down. It is fairly clean for 1964. There is some language.

Behold a Nihilist Revolutionary.......2007-01-24

"Behold a Pale Horse" lacks the guts to explicitly state the obvious: Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck) is a dedicated Communist. Perhaps the participants in this production were afraid of damaging their careers? At the very most, the film candidly reveals his intense dislike of religion and the Franco government. Nothing more. One is compelled to read between the lines. Anyway, the vast majority of Spaniards by 1959 were likely trying to raise their families and get along with those of differing political philosophies. Artiguez really needs to get a life. Continuing to rob banks to fund a revolution few care about is a sure sign of nihilistic behavior. Artiguez is now fifty years old and seemingly doesn't even have a girl friend. He apparently sits around all day in his decrepit French apartment getting drunk and plotting the next senseless act of terrorism. Once in awhile, Artiguez sneaks over the border to make life hell on Earth for Captain Vinolas (Anthony Quinn), the police officer who bargains with God to capture him. Artiguez's mother is dying and our public official devises a trap to lure him back to Spain. Will he go? Is Artigues tired of all his nonsense and desiring death? Could the guy be bored out of his mind? Oh well, you can find out if you are willing to invest a few hours of your life. This movie is only worthy of three stars. Perhaps you can make your decision by flipping a coin?

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

A GREAT FILM.......2007-01-23

This film,about a "communist"bandit and a FASCIST policeman matching wits ought to be required viewing for anyone...I read,in an earlier review,a rather nasty snap at the late Gregory Peck who,alledgedly was a known"leftist",the reviewer concluding that Peck's alledged "leftist"leanings made him hot to do this fim..I cannot help but wonder what sort of person writes such a review,given the fact that the time-period in which this film was set was during the Franco era..Franco,it must be remembered,was a FASCIST DICTATOR,who was helped into power by the very generous help of the ADOLF HITLER government,...Hitler sent his troops and his air-force to Spain as a sort of dry-run for thier WW2 efforts,and Franco,although not an actice participant on Hitler's side during that conflict nonetheless was just as murderous,and held the same sort of beliefs as Hitler..Indeed,it remains a distinct pity that when Hitler,Mussolini,and imperial Japan fell nothing was done to take down Franco,who was just the same sort as the other three...
Pect,the"communist"bank-robber nonetheless represents as close to a"good guy"as this movie provides,while the pro-fascist policeman,utterly corrupt,and played by Anthony Quinn,IS the bad guy..Cat and mouse games ensue,but the ending is more or less of a foregone conclusion once the plotline is established..
It is also worthy of note that,as this film was lensed and exhibited during the"cold war",when"communism"was the defined enemy of the capitalist world,the Pro-Nazi make up of the Franco government was more or less ignored..Thus the real elements that made the Franco police the enemy of people like Artiguez,Peck's charecter are in no way explained to the audience..

Buy it for the Star Power.......2006-12-29

Like most movies made for a political purpose, "Behold a Pale Horse" looks a bit better on paper than on the screen. Truly, the assemblage of talent is breathtaking, many of the participants having worked together on the blockbuster "Lawrence of Arabia" two years earlier: actors Quinn, Sharif, Zia Mohyedin, and Maurice Jarre who did the musical score. To this add director Fred Zinnemann and lead actor Gregory Peck. But there the problems start. Peck, of known leftist sympathies, clearly wanted to do the film but is less than convincing as a European. The pacing is often tedious--is this the same director who did "Day of the Jackal"?--the script full of preposterous coincidences. On the credit side, the local backgrounds in Spain and France are dead accurate. Knife-edge work by Quinn as the corruptible but determined Captain of the Guardia Civil and as his lieutenant the French actor Christian Marquand in a masterfully understated performance.

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