The Milagro Beanfield War *** (1988, Rubén Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga) – Classic Movie Review 7222

Director Robert Redford’s impeccably filmed 1988 saga The Milagro Beanfield War hones in on a battle in the American Southwest between New Mexican farmers and the bad guys who want to develop their land for a golf course. The screenplay by David S Ward and John Nichols is based on the novel by John Nichols.

Richard Bradford stars as Ladd Devine, who plans to build a vacation resort in Milagro, New Mexico, population 426, but activist Ruby Archuleta (Sônia Braga) and newspaper editor and lawyer Charlie Bloom (John Heard) realise this would displace the Hispanic farmers. Chick Vennera plays Joe Mondragon, who illegally diverts water to irrigate his bean field. Christopher Walken plays ruthless troubleshooter Kyril Montana sent in by the Governor to sort things out but that starts The Milagro Beanfield War.

It is a shame that Redford’s beautiful but undynamic film does not have movement, drive and power, because it is an attractive Hollywood film of rare intelligence and seriousness.

Instead, director Redford goes for – and achieves – good taste, oddball charm and whimsy, with lots of pretty rural visuals. There is a very fine, hardworking cast, who certainly help to keep it involving.

Dave Grusin won an Oscar for Best Music, Original Score.

The cast are Rubén Blades as Sheriff Bernabe Montoya, Richard Bradford as Ladd Devine, Sônia Braga as Ruby Archuleta, Julie Carmen, John Heard as Charlie Bloom, Melanie Griffith, M Emmet Walsh, Daniel Stern, James Gammon, Chick Vennera as Joe Mondragon, Christopher Walken as Kyril Montana, Freddy Fender, Tony Genaro, Jerry Hardin, Ronald G Joseph and Carlos Riquelme.

The Milagro Beanfield War is directed by Robert Redford, runs 118 minutes, is produced by Esparza, Universal Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises, is released by Universal, is written by David S Ward and John Nichols, based on the novel by John Nichols, is shot by Robbie Greenberg, is produced by Robert Redford, is scored by Dave Grusin and is designed by Joe Aubel.

New Mexico town Milagro is fictional, by the way.

It cost $22,000,000, and grossed $13,825,000 in the US.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7222

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