Behold a Pale Horse

This excellent film tells the story of a stubborn Spanish republican, Manuel Artiguez, who refused to give up the fight when his side lost the Spanish civil war to the fascists in 1938. The film takes place twenty years later, when after many successful raids, Artiguez has lost the will to continue. However, his adversary, a Spanish police chief called Vinolas, has not yet given up on capturing or killing him and sets a trap for him. The trap and the question of whether Artiguez will fall into it it will keep you on your seat for most of the movie. Three men caught between Artiguez and Vinolas, an informer, a priest, and an idealistic Spanish exile boy, add a rich psychological and moral dimension to the film, following themes of idealism, revenge, and the uses of violence.

"Behold" is a great thriller with highly complex characters and a profound moral sensibility. The idealism of Spanish republicans like the boy is on the one hand supported by the oily and hypocritical Vinolas, and on the other hand undercut by the rawness and violence of Artiguez. Neither of the adversaries is vindicated, but neither are they equivalent to one another. The ending will set you thinking for hours, if you're so inclined.

Performances by Peck (Artiguez) and Quinn (Vinolas) are great. Peck is less stuffy than usual. I'm not generally a fan of earnest, wet-eyed Sharif (the priest), but his performance here suits the movie quite well. I can still hear his voice saying "Did the informer escape? Is the bandit safe?"

My only complaint is that for all of its thematic complexity and richness of character the film is at times somewhat melodramatic and the dialogue is sometimes a little clunky. And for some reason its parts, good characters, good plot, good actors, all excellent, do not quite add up into a perfect whole. Nor is it as good as some of the movies it slightly resembles: Guns of Navarone, Battle of Algiers, Wild Bunch. However, it is definitely worthwhile for fans of 'thoughtful thrillers'.

This is a film which has almost faded into total obscurity, and that's tragic, because it's well worth seeing. It's sort of a thinking person's suspense movie, better appreciated if you know some details about the intricate historical background in which it is set. Even so, it can be appreciated for its dramatic settings and characterizations. It has a complicated plot, to be sure, but the story rolls right along...not a lot of action until the end, but the tension builds steadily. I'm no fan of Peck, but his role here really drew me in. He looks beaten down by a hard life and way too much unhealthy passion. Quinn doesn't have much screen time, but I liked some of the minor characters best...their faces were great. The credit sequence, meshed together perfectly with newsreels, shows a long line of defeated soldiers, their faces reflecting defeat and confusion... a great tracking scene.

Here are some reasons I think the film is unknown: 1. The main character is an atheist communist anti-catholic guerilla bandit. Not a popular icon in American movies. 2. Complex historical background. 3. Knowledge of political situation in Spain a minimum requirement. Not a priority on many American's lists. 4. Black and white photography in 1964. (Hey, I liked the scenery...but you always wonder how it would look in color...and this was a late date for a black and white feature film.) 5. Civil War movies (even Spain's) always run a risk...you might alienate half the audience.

There have not been many English-language movies made about the Spanish Civil War, and those that have been made (with the exception of Land and Freedom) tend to shy away from both politics and action, often slow-moving, contemplative affairs. In that vein Behold a Pale Horse, based on a novel by Hungarian screenwriter Emeric Pressburger, is a meditation on loyalty, trust and faith, not in religion but in religious institutions and individuals. The Spanish Civil War, or rather its aftermath, are the backdrop for these themes. But despite this ruminating premise the picture just about manages to save itself from terminal dullness.

A lot of this has to do with director Fred Zinnemann. Zinnemann was not exactly a dynamic director but he had a certain way of drawing us into a story and holding our interest. During the opening credits his camera tracks along a line of nameless faces, encouraging us to look over every line and notice every blink, introducing a quietly human picture. And yet he is also placing people within their context, showing young Paco dwarfed amid the houses of Pau, mirroring the mountains from which he has descended, or panning down from the figure of Christ to a reverent Anthony Quinn (shades here of Zinnemann's other Christian-themed pictures A Nun's Story and A Man for All Seasons). Above all Zinnemann is a master of tension without over-manipulation. Events seem to unfold in real-time, with a sprinkling of point-of-view shots to draw us into the unfolding action.

It is interesting to see Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn playing the hero and villain. Both men are possessed of dark hair and sharp, stony features. Both have a stern bearing and charismatic presence. One can imagine them playing brothers; a good twin and a bad twin perhaps. They are both very good here, but the best performance I feel belongs to Omar Shariff, grappling with some kind of a conscience, refusing to make the meek priest into a stereotype. Italian character actor Paolo Stoppa, familiar from a lot of European co-productions, is very good too. Finally, watch out for a brief but typically mesmerising bit part by Rosalie Crutchley as Quinn's wife.

A strong cast and thoughtful direction are enough to keep this picture moving. Also of note is the Maurice Jarre score. This was by now an era in which you didn't have to have a blaring orchestral score (and thankfully those irritating free jazz scores of the late 50s were going out of style). Behold a Pale Horse features sparse and staccato Spanish guitar, fitting for both the location and the nervous and somewhat melancholic story. This is far from being a war movie, but it is a picture of great solemnity, atmosphere and touching humanity.

I watched this movie, and like most of the people have already expressed it, must say that this is truly a classic. The acting crew is excellent with Peck, Shariff and Quinn giving some very intense performances. But the surprise package is the boy who crosses over to the French part where he goes in search of Manueal to ask him to avenge his father's death at the hands of Vinollas. I often read comments that Peck is stuff or wooden on occasions, but I find him one of the most intense actors because of his ability to convey through his eyes. Like most actors, he is gifted of conveying a lot more through his eyes than his body might suggest. He conveys the frailing Manuel artigez here very well. We know that Manuel is tired and wary of the struggle he has pursued so passionately. Full credit to Peck for portraying that very effectively. Omar Shariff is also brilliant as the confused priest. Quinn is natural and we feel a certain angst against him, I do not know why. The end is excellent which again, conveys the human side of Manuel very well. All in all, an excellent movie worth watching on a calm Sunday afternoon.

Revelations 6:8 in the Bible quoted at the start of the film refers to death in the form of a pale horse.

If one reflects on the film, written by Emeric Pressburger (who wrote and directed films) and scripted by the interesting J. P. Miller, the film is considerably about death more than the Spanish politics. Only two major characters die in the film; yet the film is all about death of unseen characters. The young boy Paco crosses the Spanish border to France to avenge in his own way his father's death. A priest, Francisco, (played by Omar Sharif), became one after his father was killed in Lorca. When queried about which faction killed his father, he replies rhetorically, "Does either side have a right to take his life?" Even the dying Pilar (Mildred Dunnock) who is an agnostic, responds to the priest Francisco on her deathbed when he philosophically states "The Lord giveth and taketh" with an acerbic repartee "Mostly taketh." Even Vinolas (Anthony Quinn) who plays a negative character and laughs at his secret lover's religious fervour to visit Lourdes as a pilgrim, goes to a church to pray that he succeeds and comes out alive after he sets out an elaborate trap to catch Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck).

Zinnemann's direction of the film gives one the foretaste of his future work "The Day of the Jackal" in exciting the build-up to the finale. The film belongs to Zinnemann, Pressburger and Miller even though all the major actors do a commendable job.