La révolte des dieux rouges

This film has an unusually gritty and authentic look and feel, and an unusual ending for a 1950's western.( I can't say more about or I would ruin the plot for anyone who hasn't seen the film).

Flynn, a confederate officer, in the last days of the confederacy, leads a small group of men to California to meet with southern sympathizers in a desperate plan start a revolt and bring California into the confederacy. A stagecoach is attacked by Indians and they to save the survivors. One of the survivors is a woman on her way to meet her fiance, a union officer. He comes looking for with a small patrol and they are taken captive. The Indians start to close in and they confederates face the dilemma of what to do in the coming fight and what to do with their prisoners, one wounded and one a woman.

This film has a great beginning and a truly exciting and emotional ending. The middle though, does drag a bit. On location filming in New Mexico gives this film a realistic gritty look. The characters of the confederate soldiers are very well established and should elicit sympathy and respect. This was Errol Flynn's last western, and , while he was no longer in his prime and looks older and a little weathered, he is perfect for the role of a man who has seen too much war. One aspect of the film that is little commented on it the exceptional horsemanship in the film. In real life, Flynn and several of the co-stars were very good horsemen, and it really shows.

Errol Flynn's last western is a fine one. The story begins near the end of the Civil War. Confederate soldiers led by Flynn are sent to California to recruit more men. But that mission is sidetracked when the men spot a stagecoach under attack by Indians and rush to help. They soon find themselves stranded on Rocky Mountain, along with Union hostages, as they await an Indian assault.

This is a pretty underrated western. I didn't give it a chance for years simply because it was one of the movies made later in Errol Flynn's career and a lot of those depress me. It helps that this is in black & white, so the effects Flynn's lifestyle had taken on him aren't quite as noticeable as his color movies from the same period. It also helps that Flynn's character is supposed to be beaten down by the war. The movie has a simple story but it's told effectively with good performances and an elegiac quality about it that you might not expect. It's better than average for what is basically a cowboys vs Indians tale. Flynn's leading lady in this film, Patrice Wymore, would become his third and final wife in real life. It's a nice cast with some colorful characters actors like Guinn Williams, Howard Petrie, Chubby Johnson, Dickie Jones, and Slim Pickens in his film debut. Jones has a nice monologue about meeting Robert E. Lee. It's a fitting end to Errol Flynn's western career. Definitely one his fans will want to see.

Errol Flynn was outstanding in this film. An underrated actor, if given the right material, Flynn gave very affecting performances. This is one of those movies. It is realistic and reminiscent of "Little Big Horn", starring John Ireland and Lloyd Bridges.

As a confederate officer fighting a lost war, Errol and his companions save stranded stage coach travelers from Indians on the warpath. He has a sympathetic role in which he showed heroic characteristics without going "over the top". I wish this movie were available in video and hope that the Western Channel will show it. I heartily recommend this film with a rating of 9.

Very refreshing western film starring Errol Flynn and Patrice Wymore, his last wife/widow who remembers Flynn much more gently than previous wives. For me, the script was fresh, not-so-predictable nor of the same campy flavor of previous Flynn westerns. I'm happy this one turned out so well. Another hidden gem. This film sketches out the story of a tiny band of rebel soldiers led by Flynn's character, Lafe Barstow, whose mission is to wait for a rebel renegade to rendezvous with them atop Rocky Mountain, originally called Ghost Mountain. They save a stagecoach from raiding Shoshone which carries a Northern lady on her way to meet her Yankee fiancée, a lieutenant at a nearby garrison. For the rest of this story, you'll have to rent and watch it yourself! But it's captivating, not the usual cheesy, run-of-the mill cookie cut westerns Flynn often had to play for his studio. The film draws the viewer in emotionally by focusing on each rebel band members individual stories from their homes in the South starting with a fantastic introduction of each by Flynn at the beginning. Trivia: Flynn met his future, final wife during this film. The film was shot in Gallup, New Mexico. This was the last Western film Flynn starred in and it's one he gives a solid performance. Great stuff all way around!

This movie has a few surprises that make it far better than one might expect from a "forgotten film".

What I was surprised most about was the directing, which comes across as almost an homage (or "rip-off", if you're cynical) to the great John Ford. What Mr. Ford did for Monument Valley, William Keighley tries to do for Gallup, New Mexico. And, for my money, he does an extremely respectable job of it. The scenery is really beautiful, and all the more dramatic due to the fact this is shot in black and white. There are some great angled shots, clever compositions, and the director does well with the action sequences.

The screenplay dispenses with all the heavy-handed messages and over-the-top, unfunny comedy sequences one might find in a Ford film, and aims its sites on a human drama of confederate soldiers on a mission who are forced to go to Plan B, C, and D in order to not only complete their mission, but to get two Yankee civilians to safety in spite of entanglements with Union soldiers and Indians on the war path. I agree with another IMDb reviewer who commented on the middle of the film dragging, and the suspense that should have been building never quite gets a full head of steam, but there are some really nice moments that make it worth sitting through the few dull spots. And I must admit to being utterly shocked by the ending...I really never saw it coming...which made the final moments in this film extremely poignant.

For it being 1950, I was stunned to find so many real and honest performances. There was none of that obnoxious "Studio Acting" where everyone is chewing scenery and pretending to be their character...everyone in this movie WAS the character they were playing. Errol Flynn is one of my all-time favorites and his restrained performance here was wonderful. This was my first time seeing Patrice Wymore on screen and I really enjoyed her performance...it could have easily become an annoying, whiny, shrill character, but Ms. Wymore made some very nice acting choices and created a believable character. The supporting cast is all solid, but three must be mentioned as stand-outs: 1) The great Chubby Johnson as the stage driver has a small but wonderful role. You might not know his name, but you'll know his face and voice immediately...one of the all-time great Western character actors. 2) A very young Slim Pickens has a wonderful role and proves himself the master horseback rider he was in real life. Great riding, great acting, and pure fun to watch. 3) The real surprise here for me was young Dickie Jones. What an absolute pleasure he was. And, in my opinion, he steals the movie away from all of the far more experienced and well-seasoned actors. He is genuine and earnest throughout, with a great monologue in the middle of the film that sucked me right in and made me believe. He was absolutely wonderful in the part and it's a shame he quit the business to go into real estate...I really think he might have had an Oscar in his future had he continued making movies.

This is not a perfect film by any means, but with strong performances, beautiful scenery, and interesting direction, this "John Ford Lite" Western has enough going for it to make up for any of its shortcomings. It's a real tough movie to find, but if you run across it, I sincerely believe it is worth a viewing.

Hope you enjoy!