Tepepa

Set against the dust and disillusionment of post-revolutionary Mexico, this politically charged spaghetti western balances ideological critique with operatic excess. Visually rugged and narratively driven by revenge, Tepepa unfolds as a clash between uncompromising visions of justice. Milian delivers a raw, almost mythic performance, embodying a proletarian anti-hero who refuses to settle into the passive role history has carved for him. Opposite him, Orson Welles is both immense and contained, his portrayal seething with the bitterness of a man who knows he's on the wrong side but cannot stop himself. The film avoids simplistic dichotomies-rebels and tyrants alike are portrayed with moral ambiguity-and its unflinching commitment to the violence of revolution never feels gratuitous, but rather tragically inevitable. Ivan Della Mea's screenplay injects both biting satire and political depth, while Petroni's direction ensures the epic scale never overshadows the human stakes. Even when uneven, Tepepa pulses with urgency, its flaws drowned in the sincerity of its revolutionary spirit.

If you like action-packed westerns, then you'll be in for a treat when you see the marvelous masterpiece, "Blood and Guns." It has a great cast, fantastic acting, and it takes a common "good guys vs. bad guys" plot and turns it into a memorable viewing experience through humor, tragedy, and most importantly, Orson Welles. There has never been a film like this before or after its release. It's a true original! What other movie uses billy goats strapped with dynamite to attract the enemy? What other movie shows Orson Welles shooting at a man on a horse going around a little red car in cirlces? None. There is an evil doctor with a chin bigger than Jay Leno's. There is a great battle scene between the peasants and the mexican brown-suits. Tomas Milian, who played Tomas F. Dobb in a spanish version of "Revolution", is the man with the big black sombrero who taunts Orson Welles until he learns his lesson from the big man himself. There's the naive mexican boy. The frightened citizens. The violence. And Orson Welles, who actuually trips near the end of the film and the director left it in. A classic! It's very hard to find. Get it if you can.

Great movie The pacing is great, the way that you get to know about Tepepa's morals is very efficient and adds to the overrall suspense as you find yourself wondering weather you should like him or not; That combined with the background theme of the movie, that is the anarchist mexican revolution, really gives the film a iconoclastic feel to it. It might be a bit too long and the dubbing is really bad but the film is worth it anyway for the insight on the mexican revolution as well as the political and yet not preachy or propaganda-like commentary.

The movie centers on a Mexican revolutionary nicknamed Tepepa (a likable Tomas Milian) who joins forces an outlaw band during the Mexican revolutionary war by time of the president Madero (played by a Spaghetti usual secondary , Francisco Sanz) . The Mexican guerrilla leader Tepepa wielding his Mauser gun and his gang fight against colonel Cascorro (special appearance of Orson Welles). When illiterate Tepepa is about to be executed , there appears a serious and smooth-talking British doctor named Henry Price (the blond John Steiner) and saves him from a firing squad . Later on , starring duo , Milian-Steiner , undergo a strange relation of friendship and hatred . But someone prepares a relentless vendetta on a surprising final .

It's a magnificent western film with dazzling shootouts between the protagonists and the contenders . This film belongs to the numerous group that are set during the Mexican revolution , called ¨Zapata Western sub-genre¨ , like are the Italian ones : ¨ Duck you sucker¨ ,¨Compañeros¨ , ¨The mercenary ¨ and the Americans : ¨The wild bunch and ¨The professionals¨. ¨Tepepa¨ results to be the swan-song of this sub-genre . The picture blends violence , western action , plot twists and shoot'em up with high body-count . ¨Tepepa¨ is fast movement and that's why it is entertaining ; besides , there is thoughtful dialog with an intelligent writing by Franco Solinas , an author of communist ideology who wrote political screenplays such classics as ¨The battle of Argel¨ and ¨I'm the Revolution¨ , the latter bears remarkable resemblance on some issues to ¨Tepepa¨ . The Cuban Tomas Milian , as usual , puts faces , grimaces , crying and overacting , but he plays splendidly in a similar character to ¨Cuchillo¨ from the trilogy directed by Sergio Sollima . Tomas created his own image and propelled himself to stardom in likewise fashion with such important Spaghetti movies as The Bounty Killer (1966) , The Big Gundown (1967) with Lee Van Cleef , Face to Face (1967) , Django Kill! (1967) and Run, Man, Run (1968).

Enjoyable score by the great maestro composer Ennio Morricone who composed lots of Spaghetti Western scores , it contains a sensitive musical leitmotif . There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as the splendid cameraman Francisco Marin who makes an atmospheric photography , including barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun , being shot , of course , on location in Almeria , Spain . However , being necessary and perfect remastering because of the original copy is worn-out . The motion picture was well directed by Giulio Petroni who filmed another classic Italian western as ¨Death rides a horse¨ , though also shot other inferior but acceptable Spaghettis as ¨Night of serpent¨ and ¨A sky full of stars for a roof¨. Rating : Above average S.W. , worthwhile seeing .

Slow-moving, talky western drama stars Milan as a doltish Mexican revolutionary defending his settlement against the onslaught of Welles' well-resourced army. Milan plays the character as a cult-leader of almost biblical proportions, spouting endless metaphors and meaningless advice to his devoted followers, whom I'm not even sure possessed the necessary literacy to understand his pearls of wisdom and insight. His acting is fine, it just seems disconnected from its surroundings, but that might be intentional.

Welles on the other hand is something else entirely with his ludicrous spray-tan and casually sadistic demeanor, as he orchestrates a fatal push into the well-guarded fortress with predictable results. Ex-pat Brit John Steiner co-stars as a mysterious doctor (he's especially easy to spot with flowing blonde locks and white suit), whilst some viewers might also recognise ubiquitous Chinese actor in spaghetti westerns 'George Wang' in a small supporting role.

It's competently handled with some effective battle scenes, but the pacing is tedious and the picture never quite homogenises, instead, a series of situations punctuated by a lot of brooding and speculation which lack cohesion. Picturesque with a soulful closing soundtrack, but ultimately underwhelming.