HTF REVIEW: 100 Rifles

Michael Osadciw · 05-29-2006, 10:36 PM

100 RIFLES

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Film Year: 1969
Film Length: 109 minutes
Genre: Western

Aspect Ratio:

1.85:1 widescreen

Colour/B&W: Colour

Audio:

English 2.0 stereo

English 2.0 mono

French 2.0 mono

Spanish 2.0 mono

Subtitles: English & Spanish
Film Rating:

Release Date: May 23, 2006.

Film Rating:

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Starring: Jim Brown (Lydecker), Raquel Welch (Sarita), Burt Reynolds (Yaqui Joe Herrera), Fernando Lamas (General Verdugo)

Based on Novel by: Robert MacLeod
Screenplay by: Clair Huffaker & Tom Gries
Directed by: Tom Gries

This picture has a message: Watch Out!

100 Rifles is the humorous western that features a star cast for each leading role. Jim Brown plays Lydecker, an American sheriff who enters Mexico alone to find the bank robber and Indian half-breed Yaqui Joe (Reynolds). When they meet, he finds himself entangled in a political struggle between the native Yaqui Indians in Mexico and the Mexican government and eyeing Joe’s luscious sidekick Sarita (Welch). The government wants to completely exterminate all Indians and the executions are carried out by the sadistic General Verdugo. While Lydecker feels for the Indians and their revolution (a point that isn’t really explained in the film), his main concern is to get Yaqui Joe back to the U.S. But Lydecker soon finds out that the stolen money from the robbery was to help finance 100 Rifles for the revolution. Can they defeat the General’s army? You can find out if you watch it…

I had to laugh all the way through this western – I just couldn’t take it seriously. But I strongly feel that was the point. Reynolds and Brown have an excellent “buddy-like” feel on-screen even though they want to kill each other half of the time. Reynolds is just so good at playing a slimy but extremely charismatic southerner that makes him perfect for the role (I’m just proud to say he was a Phi Delt in college). Welch, on the other hand, is just eye candy. Her performance is terrible and I don’t think she adds much to the film except for nice scenery in this rough Mexican landscape (filmed in Spain). I thought the film was great in the beginning, then dragged for a bit, and then got exciting again. The personalities of Brown and Reynolds and the ever-seducing Welch with her ultra-tight belts keep this movie from being a stinker. I’m surprised she didn’t have intestinal problems after making this film.

VIDEO QUALITY

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This film is framed correctly at 1.85:1 since the unused black area can be seen evenly divided above and below the film frame to the edge of my screen. The picture is nice, but not perfect. It does have quite a few artefacts and is consistently grainy especially on those shots capturing distance. The camera moves in many creative ways to give this film a particular style with motion as well as speed. This film looks like a tester for shooting blood when there are death scenes, so there can be a lot or red once in a while. Colours look accurate and there aren’t any detectable problems in terms of colour reality and contrast. Since there is a considerable amount of grain and print artefacts, I have to take the score down a bit because it makes the image look rough even though there are no compression artefacts. Edge enhancement can be a bit of a problem at times.

AUDIO QUALITY

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Two English audio options are available; a fake 2.0 stereo version as well as the original mono soundtrack, also presented in 2.0. The Dolby Digital encoding does it’s best to capture the detail in both versions and the Jerry Goldsmith score more prominent and aggressive compared to the rest of the sounds. My opinion is that it’s recorded just a little too loud. Dialogue is good but limited in fidelity although there seems to be some spatial integration present. I prefer the 2.0 mono soundtrack for being more natural and fuller sounding. It also has better bass. The fake stereo version is thinner and undefined across the soundstage.

SPECIAL FEATURES

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You will find 49 production stills, 4 posters and one sheets and 6 behind the scenes stills. The film’s theatrical trailer is also included in its native 1.85:1 ratio, enhanced for widescreen televisions, but not as good looking as the film.

You will also find Fox Flix theatrical trailers for some of the other titles released.

IN THE END…

For some fun in the Mexican sun, check out 100 Rifles. It’s got some character and charisma as well as some gun-toting action, plus Raquel Welch. Enough said.

Michael Osadciw
May 29, 2006.

seanOhara · 05-29-2006, 11:27 PM

Well, 100 Rifles is easily the second best Western set during the Mexican Revolution, with an evil general and his German military advisor as villains, and featuring a Gattling gun in the climax, released in 1969.

Bill Parisho · 05-30-2006, 07:20 PM

Well put! It is definitely the 2nd best western of it's type from 1969. However, the score by Jerry Goldsmith is first rate. If in doubt, go to www.filmscoremonthly.com and listen to a free sample of the music.
Bill

walter o · 05-30-2006, 08:25 PM

Jerry Goldsmith later re-used the same catchy score (modified abit) for another violent Fox Western LAST HARD MEN.

Jeffrey:K · 05-31-2006, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walter o

Jerry Goldsmith later re-used the same catchy score (modified abit) for another violent Fox Western LAST HARD MEN.

I noticed that. I assumed that Fox did this as a way of cutting postproduction costs on a project that didn't have high boxoffice prospects. I wonder if Goldsmith was directly involved in the scoring.

I noticed that Warners recycled cues from THE WILD BUNCH for their Richard Harris western THE DEADLY TRACKERS, a film they had probably written off before it was released. I don't remember if that film had a music credit.

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John H Ross · 06-01-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffrey:K

I noticed that. I assumed that Fox did this as a way of cutting postproduction costs on a project that didn't have high boxoffice prospects. I wonder if Goldsmith was directly involved in the scoring.

No, he wasn't. It was a cut and paste job by the studio.

John



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