Chato’s Land *** (1972, Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, James Whitmore) – Classic Movie Review 9299

Director Michael Winner delivers a tough, blood-spattered and cynical revenge Western with his regular collaborator Charles Bronson as a mixed-race Indian called Pardon Chato, being hunted by a bloodthirsty posse after killing a racially bigoted sheriff in self-defence in New Mexico circa 1873.

The 1972 Chato’s Land is worth while for the fine cast, painstaking film-making and several impressive scenes, for those who can get past the casual brutality.

Old-timers Jack Palance, Richard Basehart, James Whitmore, Simon Oakland, Ralph Waite and Victor French add a touch of style as members of the posse, which also includes Richard Jordan and Bronson’s wife and regular screen co-star Jill Ireland.

[Spoiler alert] In an outdoors precursor to the main revenge theme of Death Wish, resourceful part-Apache Bronson outwits the posse by leading them to their doom in a remote desert region after they rape his girlfriend and murder his family.

It is that rare breed a British spaghetti Western, though technically it is a British paella Western as it was made in Spain.

It is written by Gerald Wilson, who also wrote Winner’s 1971 Lawman, also produced by Scimitar Films.

Also in the cast are Lee Patterson, Roddy McMillan, William Watson, Paul Young, Rudy Ugland, Sonia Rangan, Verna Harvey, Peter Dyneley and Hugh McDermott.

Chato’s Land is directed by Michael Winner, runs 100 minutes, is made by Scimitar Films, is released by United Artists, is written by Gerald Wilson, is shot by Robert Paynter, is produced by Michael Winner and is scored by Jerry Fielding.

It is the first of six films Bronson and Winner made together, followed by The Mechanic, The Stone Killer, Death Wish, Death Wish II and Death Wish 3.

The flamboyant and sometimes controversial showman director Winner directed 34 movies.

Other British Westerns include Carry On Cowboy, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, Shalako and A Town Called Bastard.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9299

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