Review of Barquero (1970) by Kevin R — 16 Oct 2010

Even your eyes aren't friends, are they?

A local bandit plans to conquer the Midwest with his many men and form an empire; however, to complete this daunting task he must cross a raging river. A local man runs a fairy service across the river with boats he created with his bare hands. When he meets the bandit, he refuses to service the man and allow him to complete his goal. A battle is about to ensue at the river between the boat man and the bandit.

"That's a nice gun you've got there. How many indians have you killed with it?".

"None. But I've shot and killed plenty of freckled-faced kids.".

Gordon Douglas, director of Slaughter's Big Rip-off, They Call Me Mister Tibbs, Young at Heart, Lady in Cement, In Like Flint, Them!, and Zombies on Broadway, delivers Barquero. The storyline for this film is unique to the western genre and well presented. The action scenes were solid and the settings were well selected. I love how the characters were presented and the cast delivered wonderful performances. The cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker, and Kerwin Mathews.

"They're shooting people!".

"You live in a lousy neighborhood. You aughta move.".

My wife and I continue to DVR Lee Van Cleef movies and recently watched this picture. I really appreciated the direction of the film and the unique plot and storyline. These films are generally based on revenge or bandits taking advantage of a small town of minors or squatters. This film's story is more like the ladder; however, it is presented in an original manner. I recommend seeing this if you like westerns.

"It's going to take them days to find your head at the bottom of the river.".

Grade: B+.