fritzlangville

For better ,or for some reviewers for worse, Marlon Brando steals this picture and rides off with it. His Robert E. Lee Clayton is basically a ruthless and pyschotic bounty hunter. Hired to rid a rich rancher of horse rustlers. Two subplots immerse with Brando's mission. An awkwardly comic group of horse thieves lead by Nicholson attempt to move stolen horses out of the territory. While subplot three involves an even more improbable romance between the rancher's daughter, a really awkard Emily Lloyd, who looks like she's escaped from a Woody Allen film, and Nicholson's fake farmer. Nicholson seems lost and why wouldn't he be considering what he's saddled with here in what amounts to dual roles. Harry Dean Stanton and Randy Quaid are excellent as part of Nicholson's gang but the rest of the cast's New York accents don't lend a lot of credibility Neither does John William's "Rockford Files" score. Probably a 6 but Brando's J. Edgar Hoover goes Wild West performance elevates it.

Imagine if Sean Connery or Michael Caine had played the lead rather than Patrick O' Neal? Sorry Patrick. You're probably a solid supporting actor but just don't have the star power to carry a very long 2 hour espionage film.

The plot ? Uhhmm. U. S. Spies infiltrating Russia to infiltrate Russian spies to find a uh....letter.

It's all quite confusing but along the way are some excellent supporting performances. Particularly Richard Boone as the senior trainer of O'Neal's novice. The many different ways Boone address him as nephew is a singular treat of this movie. Bibi Andersson and Barbara Parkins look great and Bibi is a very good actress while Barbara...looks great.

As a portrait of the brutal, sadistic , inhuman ways of the spy business the Kremlin Letter was way ahead of it's time. Credit to John Huston for not shying away from what was probably an accurate depiction of the cold war at it's worst. My question is if it was that bad then, I wonder how much worse it is now?

Considered one of Buneul's less characteristic more main stream Mexican movies, Daughter of Deceit is nevertheless compelling and a times amusing with some Bunuel touches along the way. The main character Quintin's transformation from a loving but unambitious husband to a hard nosed ruthless Casino boss seems abrupt. But since his wife has cheated on him and he now believes his daugher is not his, it isn't exactly unbelievable.

As in all Bunuel films he manages to get excellent performances out of the entire cast. Plus there's comic relief whenever Quintin's 2 bumbling heavies make an appearance. It may not be among his masterpieces but Daughter of Deceit is not a bad movie.