Macho Callahan

This is a story of someone who struggles with his behavior. Haven't seen it in a while but i REMEMBER now! The dude lives a misunderstood situation throughout and does a bunch of ignorent stuff to people. Mostly just points a shotgun at people and doesnt talk. It actually turned into a bit of a half loaded romance. Face off with the 2 snakes on either side of him was probably the best part. Guy did the splits and each snake took a boot to the face.

One of the darker examples within the American Western canon, MACHO stars David Janssen as a half White, half Mexican drifter gulled into enlisting with the Confederate States Army in 1863 by a con man (Lee J. Cobb) and subsequently sentenced for desertion to a year's solitary confinement in a Texas stockade. Ticketed for a substantial budget, the film lost some funding but endures as an example of a work influenced by Sergio Leone and other directors of "Spaghetti Westerns", most apposite in the opening scenes depicting an attempted widescale breakout from the wretched stockade by largely hapless prisoners. Shot in northern Mexico's Guadiana Valley, the work chronicles Macho's eventual escape and reunion with his former partner in crime Juan (Pedro Armendariz, Jr.), his killing of a Confederate officer, and the pursuit of the outlaw pair by those hoping to benefit from a cash reward tendered by the slain officer's widow (Jean Seberg). The lowered budget proves not to be a major burden, although there are some embarrassments, notably a poorly edited scene wherein a charging black bear is obviously a man in an ursine costume, but very fine contributions from Gerry Fisher behind the camera and Ted Marshall's production and set designing more than balance the scales. A lack of continuity results from confusing moments when motivation for actions seems to be lacking, but here also strong performances from most of the cast offset this to a large extent, and director Bernard Kowalski properly focusses upon the relationship between the characters portrayed by Janssen and Seberg. A self-consciously moody affair, MACHO profits from ambiguity of motive in the performances of Janssen, Seberg, Almendariz and Bo Hopkins, with the efforts of all involved combining to create what well may be an anti-feminist classic, and one largely devoid of symbolic trappings.

This is an unrelentingly grim movie set in 1864 in lawless Texas and New Mexico. It's a movie about vengeance. There's no greater meaning. Macho Callahan wants to hunt down and kill the guy who tricked him into enlisting in the Confederate army, which led to him being thrown in Camp Hooks Military Prison for desertion because he wouldn't go to war. Alexandra Mountford wants to hunt down and kill Macho for killing her husband over a bottle of champagne.

I like David Janssen in westerns. He's great with horses and he looks tough. It's a strong, steady performance. The word that comes to mind when I think back to his portrayal of the aptly named character Macho is unflinching. It describes his demeanor as he stares down the barrel of a gun at the beginning of the movie. It describes his interaction with David Carradine's character. It describes how he looks at Lee J. Cobb's character after they pitch a game of horseshoes. And it's how he looks when Bo Hopkins' character calls him out for insulting a lady. But David Janssen was able to imbue his character with a lot of sympathy, even though that character exhibited a lot of violence.

The actor I really enjoyed watching was Pedro Armendariz Jr. though. He plays Macho's friend Juan, the nicest person in the entire movie. And with a friend like Juan, it helps to define Macho as a stand-up guy. We don't get a lot from the sparse dialogue aside from Juan suggesting to Alexandra that she should use her heart in order to understand people. So it's this friendship (and his care for a bear cub) that gives us insight into Macho's character.

Jean Seberg as Alexandra is lovely, has a very direct gaze but could have been a little more expressive. I liked her very much although she's the one that sets in motion the bounty hunters. Diane Ladd has a tiny role and she gets to chew the scenery a bit in her one scene; it's one of the few times we get a break during this somber and dramatic movie. The prison camp scenes are harrowing though well done. The moment when Macho actually breaks out through the gates is great. The fight scene when Alexandra tries to kill Macho with a poker and he fights back is quite brutal and tough to watch.

It's a dark, tragic tale which I don't want to see again any time soon, even though I liked it. It's just too sad.

In the original novel by Richard Carr and later in the movie directed by Bernard L. Kowaski, viewing audiences get to meet Diego Callahan played by David Janssen. He is a solid man not easily taken as a fool. However, A shifty eyed Government agent (Lee J. Cobb) tricks Callahan into signing an enlistment form to join the Confederate Army. later, Callahan finds himself in solitary punishment box for attempting to escape. Still, much later he manages to escape to hunt down the agent. In the interim, he crosses a Confederate Office (David Carradine) over a bottle of Champane, killing him in the process. The wife (Jean Seberg) of the dead man posts a large reward to anyone who will hunt down a kill Callahan. On the run, the hunted man and his Mexican friend (Pedro Armendariz Jr.) traveling to Mexico find themselves pursued by friends of the wife, reward seekers and gun packing lawmen. All in all, an interesting picture for Janssen, despite it being a bit dark. Nevertheless, I would recommend it as a milestone for him and those who join him in the cast, which include, James Booth, Bo Hopkins and Richard Anderson. ****

Another "spaghetti" style Western, a victim of its time.

It's pretty much just routine formula Hollywood. "Spaghetti" was actually just the same Hollywood formula and set of clichés set to extremes.

There are many problems with such movies, and this movie is a prime example. We never care about any of the multitude of dull "demi god" characters thrown at us. They're so self righteous and unmotivated in their "demi god" status that they just bore us.

Don't bother trying to watch it in one sitting. It isn't possible, unless you are one of the "Beavis and Butthead" types. It's too ordinary, too Hollywood, too much into its own relentless hate and boredom.

We can't relate to any of this, and only the most hate filled Beavis and Butthead bubble boys can't feel the deliberate alienation. Mature people, educated people, people who aren't crack heads, all of these are totally alienated by the writing here, and that's because of the stereotypical characters that are impossible to relate to.

It's like watching demi gods decide to make the world into crap, for no reason.

And what in the world was Lee J Cobb thinking, being a part of this garbage?