"Vera Cruz" is a seminal Western that stands out for its gritty realism and complex characters, foreshadowing later, more morally ambiguous Spaghetti Westerns. Released in 1954, it stars Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster as two mercenaries who find themselves entangled in the Mexican Revolution. Lancaster doesn't stop grinning, Cooper doesn't stop scowling.
This film is a departure from the traditional cowboy epics of the time. Shot in stunning Technicolor, it immerses the viewer in the dusty, sunbaked landscapes of Mexico. The story's characters are far from heroic. Cooper's stoic Benjamin Trane and Lancaster's charismatic but ruthless Joe Erin are complex anti-heroes out for themselves. "Vera Cruz" is often credited with introducing a darker, more realistic tone to the Western genre, paving the way for films like the classics of of Sergio Leone as well as "The Wild Bunch", "Once Upon a Time in the West" and many others.
Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster deliver powerhouse performances, their contrasting characters creating a compelling dynamic. In the supporting cast we have Cesar Romero, Ernest Borgnine and Charles Bronson to name a few. I have long heard this movie was good, but my expectations were exceeded.
"I don't trust him. He likes people, and you can never count on a man like that"
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