Major Dundee (Limited Edition)

"old school" is still cool. Major Dundee is a film "not like they make em anymore". With big stars, lots of action, a little romance, and a rousing score. The opening theme done by the fabulous Mitch Miller singers still gives me chills--you'll want to join the 7th Cavalry right on the spot when you here it. Then you have Charlton Heston at his smarmy, arrogant, bad-ass best as Major Dundee and Richard Harris as his friend/nemesis a Confederate POW and Heston is his jailer. Chuck, needs Richard and his Rebels to track down an Apache Warrior who flees to Mexico after slaughtering some settlers and the hunt is on. Directed by Sam Peckinpah the film ran out of funds to complete all the scenes that were intended but no matter. I couldn't tell the difference between the "Extended Cut" and the original. James Coburn, Ben Jonson, Warren Oates and a slew of other great stars of the 60's, 70's are also along for the journey. Halfway along Senta Berger shows up--drop dead gorgeous as ever and she gets involved with Heston who can handle mules, soldiers and guns a lot better than Women. I've seen this film at least 10 times, it never gets old, its similar in 'theme' to "Alvarez Kelly" which is also never gets old to watch.

An excellent hard working cast for this semi-bizarre Western Indian War meets Civil War meets European War in Mexico story.Excellent production values but the story is "different", somewhat typical Charlton Heston films where he plays the always p/o'd at something anti-hero trying to do some good and redeem himself at the same time. Richard Harris plays a superb flawed frenemy resisting, helping, and sometimes carrying Major Dundee as they hold together a ragtag force of groups of soldiers and civilians that hate each other for a number of reasons almost much as they hate their current enemies. James Coburn is excellent in an offbeat supporting role where he plays a character rather than a character playing James Coburn, harkens back to his roll in the Magnificent Seven, a similarly offbeat tale. Santa Berger at the height of her sultry beauty. And two enemies, Apaches and French Lancers, who have no redeeming characteristics elevate the climax of the film to almost epic proportions. This is not a case of the reluctant good guys having to fight a noble enemy, there are no heroes, only forces driven by deemed necessity. And when was a movie not good that had Ben Johnson and Warren Oates in it? "You may not know it, but you are about to be tried, Sonny." "I know that you are just doing what you have to do Major, but Damn you to Hell for it." Even Jim Hutton has a memorable supporting role, one of the few that really fits his awkward acting style.

I love this movie, even as butchered as it was, and the new DVD with the restored film makes it even better. The new film score, however, was too placid, pastel for my taste. Some mod to the original score, take out the "sing along" and the "ding a ling", but leave the music might have been better. I still hum the original score as I watch the movie.Some other minor "nit picking". The French never deployed lancers to Mexico during their intervention. The French cavalry consisted of Chasseurs d' Afrique (very tough, very experinced from ops in North Africa), and provisional regiments of hussars and chassers a cheval.There was also a mounted etachement of the Foreign Legion.Also, no French African colonial infantry deployed to Mexico. The only black African unit was a Sudanese battalion provided by the Kedive of Egypt. 5000 rounds for 48 rifles is little more than 100 rounds a man. For such an extended ops, I would have figured more, especially for a level action breech loader like the Henry. Finally, the M1848 12pdr Mountain Howitzer couldn't elevate over 10 degrees. Just some nitpicking on a very fine movie. I also liked the documentary and Senta Berger's description of the movie stars as a collection of "manly men" with egos.

A flawed narrative with huge holes in the narrative when this was release in 1967. Peckinpah's director's cut makes sense now. Much of it is still pregnant with too many allusions to things which have happened offscreen to render the plot satisfactory. Still, Senta Berger is dead sexy and the battle scenes are fantastic. A fine exciting western, although Chuck Heston is about as wooden as he's ever been in any movie. Lots of action. Great supporting performances from James Coburn and Richard Harris.

This movie is second to none. Richard Harris and Charlton Heston are a great pair along with all the great supporting actors in this movie. You will like it, so sit down with the family and watch an old western.

Richard Harris' Confederate Lieutenant states that he has been three people throughout his life and poses the question to Major Dundee(Charlton Heston)as to who he is. Unfortunately, the film never satisfactorily answers that question. Through no fault of Heston's, who gives a forceful performance here, Dundee remains an enigmatic figure because the script never bothers to fill in these blanks. You think by the conclusion of the film these questions will be answered but it ends abruptly with the audience left scratching their heads. Other commentators have said that this film is flawed but magnificently so and I would have to agree. Director Sam Peckinpah helms this film with great artistry and color. The film is never boring. You can see how this film informs Peckinpah's later work and ushered in the "new" westerns most notably films like Richard Brooks' "The Professionals" and Sergio Leone's Italian westerns. Good work is delivered here by an excellent cast most notably Harris, James Coburn as a scout, and Jim Hutton as a lieutenant. Pekinpah's stock company of Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, and Warren Oates are on hand here as well as Slim Pickens and Dub Taylor who play colorful prairie trash. I was looking out for Peckinpah staple Strother Martin but, alas, he's nowhere in sight.