Behold a Pale Horse

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

By 1964, it was possible for a major studio to make a film touching upon the Spanish Civil War without having to answer to some senate investigating committee or other. Based on Emeric Pressburger's novel A Mouse on Sunday, Behold a Pale Horse stars Gregory Peck as a war veteran who continues waging a one-man offensive years after hostilities have officially ceased. Exiled to France, Peck is lured back to Spain by vengeful police captain Anthony Quinn. Priest Omar Sharif advises Peck that he's being tricked, but Peck is determined to return to Spain to bid farewell to his dying mother Mildred Dunnock. Halfway through, the film bogs down into ponderous preachifying and moralizing, but overall the film is worth a glance. In 1966, Behold a Pale Horse was scheduled to be telecast on a major American network, but was cancelled at the last minute, reportedly at the behest of the Spanish government. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Features:
  • cc
  • [None specified]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Gregory Peck - Manuel Artiguez
       Anthony Quinn - Capt. Vinolas
       Omar Sharif - Father Francisco
       Raymond Pellegrin - Carlos
       Paolo Stoppa - Pedro
       Mildred Dunnock - Pilar
       Daniela Rocca - Rosanna
       Christian Marquand - Lt. Zaganar
       Marietto Angeletti - Paco Degas
       Perette Pradier - Maria
       Zia Mohyeddin - Luis
       Rosalie Crutchley - Teresa
       Alain Saury

• Director:

  Fred Zinnemann

• Producer:

  Fred Zinnemann

• Screenwriter:

  J.P. Miller

• Book Author:

  Emeric Pressburger

• Cinematographer:

  Jean Badal

• Composer (Music Score):

  Maurice Jarre

• Editor:

  Walter Thompson

• Production Designer:

  Alexandre Trauner

• Art Director:

  Auguste Capelier

• Costume Designer:

  Joan Bridge, Elizabeth Haffenden

REVIEW:

• Behold a Pale Horse is one of those films that a viewer really, really wants to really, really like, but unfortunately it ends up being one of those films that gets an "A" only for effort. Ponderous and overly weighty, Horse has been directed by Fred Zinnemann under the assumption that seriousness of purpose is enough -- and it most definitely is not. Zinnemann does a fine job of creating atmosphere, but he falls very short on creating believable dramatic tension -- and without that, he's not able to sustain the atmosphere he worked so hard to create. There's also a deadening lack of humor in Horse; while this isn't the kind of film that inspires laughs, this lack of any relief only adds to the ponderousness and makes it feel oppressive. The last 15 minutes are quite good, full of action, excitement and tension -- but getting to them requires a bit of a struggle. Things are made easier, thankfully, by an excellent all-star cast. It takes a bit to get used to Gregory Peck as a Spaniard, but his performance is quite good. Even better is Anthony Quinn, evil and oily without being over the top, and there's also solid work from Omar Sharif, Raymond Pellegrin, and Mildred Dunnock. The cast can't make Behold a Pale Horse a great film, but they do more than their share to keep it moving. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi