A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die

(1974) Massacre at Fort Holman/ Una ragione per vivere e una per morire SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Only saw this as it's U. K. title "Massacre at Fort Holmanand" and not as it's American title "A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die!", one of many titles depending on where you live! Co-written and directed by Tonino Valerii which upon watching this, part of the movie's idea may have derived from the likes of "Dirty Dozen" and The Wild Bunch" and perhaps "The Magnificent Seven" movies which centers on the James Coburn character recruiting 7 to 8 men sentenced for a hanging to give them a choice to help him recoup his fort back from the Southern Confederacy lead by Telly Savalas. Motivating them to stick with him for hidden gold located somewhere along the fort. Unmemorable dialogue with consistency problems and overall uninvolving since they're aren't any twists or surprises.

A group of conscripted convicts formed by seven condemned , already destined for death row , are drafted to go on a near-suicide mission and attempt to recapture a Missouri fort called Fort Holzman . They must carry out the objective and reconquest the keep with the understanding that if the Confederate don't murder them , the Union Army won't, either . A two-fisted U.S. ex-officer and the ambitious drifters , join forces to rob a lot of gold located into an impressive fortress where is supposedly hidden a treasure , 500.000 dollars in gold bars taken from a Confederate bank . In the hands of hardboiled director Tonino Valeri and a tough-as-leather cast headed by the commander James Coburn , as a troublesome U.S. Army official , that's all the plot that's needed to make one rip-roaring Spaghetti Western flick . Coburn's mission is two-fold and in ¨Dirty dozen ¨ style : first turn his prisoners into a fighting unit and then turn them loose on a Southern fortress occupied by Confederate soldiers commanded by the ruthless Major Telly Savalas . His crime-minded characters include Bud Spencer as the chronic malcontent , Benito Stefanelli as a ready-to-blow psycho , Hugo Fangareggi as a lame-brained convict , and Reinhard Kolldehoff as an Union sergeant , among others . The first half of the film allows the colorful cast of character actors to have their fun as they get their tails whipped into shape and develop shaky relationship with their leader . The final part is all action, as the assailants wreak havoc and then run for their lives . Despite the fact that few of the "heroes" survive the bloodbath , the message here isn't that war is hell . Rather, it seems to be : war can be a hell of a good time... if you've got nothing to lose . Pretty good S.W. about a relentless and moving dangerous mission set against spectacular scenery of Almeria . The hard assignment is set against strong environment, risked mountains and hazardous trails . The perilous feats include a numerous group formed by a motley and misfit cast . It will be a long and dangerous mission with continuous risks . This Western is superior than subsequent entries because displaying stirring adventures , shootouts, riding pursuits and being pretty entertaining.

It's an exciting S.W. with overwhelming final showdown between the protagonists and their enemies full of explosions , machine gun and deaths . James Coburn is very fine , he ravages the screen, he steals the show as Union colonel seeking revenge . Telly Savalas as a cruelly baddie role as a confederate officer is terrific , subsequently the would play similar roles in other Spaghettis . Furthermore , appears usual secondaries of Italian/Spanish Western as Benito Stefanelli , Francisco Sanz , José Suarez and , of course , special mention to Bud Spencer in an unusual serious role . The film blends violence, blood, tension, high body-count and though the first part is slow moving , however , having quite fun . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing a shootouts or stunts every few minutes. There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and excellent production design with a magnificent scenarios with plenty of barren outdoors , sandy landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the final scenes . The musician Riz Ortalani composes a nice Spaghetti soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of enjoyable sounds and emotive score . The film is well shot in Texas Hollywood-Fort Bravo, Almeria, Spain with a breathtaking set design at the impressive fortress which was made by Julio Molina for ¨the Condor ¨ movie , one of the best ever created and where were posteriorly filmed several Spaghetti as ¨Blind man¨, ¨A man called Noon¨ and ¨Conan the Barbarian¨. Nevertheless, today the fort has been partially crumbled and only remain some ruins .

Tonino Valeri's acceptable direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and too much action especially on its ending part . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa , reflecting marvelously the habitual Almeria outdoors . The picture was well directed by Tonino Valeri , an expert on Western as proved in ¨The hired gun ¨ , ¨My name is nobody ¨ with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill , ¨The price of power ¨ with Giuliano Gemma and Van Heflin , ¨The day of anger ¨with Lee van Cleef and ¨ Taste of Killing¨ with Craig Hill and George Martin .

Disgraced Union officer James Coburn saves himself and a few degenerates, including Bud Spencer, from hanging by suggesting a daring raid on the impregnable Fort Holman, currently being held by mad rebel General Telly Savalas. As the introductory crawl suggests, Coburn has greater motivations than that of simple patriotism.

Inspired by The Dirty Dozen with a bit of Where Eagles Dare and The Wild Bunch thrown in, this is an entertaining Italian western/Civil War movie that makes good use of the massive sets previously built for the film El Condor.

Generally worth recommending, Massacre At Fort Holman (also widely known as A Reason To Live, A Reason To Die, with Coburn dubbed by someone else and Bud Spencer apparently by character actor R.G. Armstrong!) sags some in the middle but things pick up and the final battle is fairly exciting.

There's a great performance by the always cool James Coburn, while that of the supposedly insane Telly Savalas is actually more subdued than usual. He was much more zesty in Pancho Villa and A Town Called Hell, though this is still a better movie.

"A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die" (1972) is a exciting, Civil War-set Spaghetti Western, directed by Sergio Leone's protégé Tonino Valerii and stars James Coburn, Telly Savalas and Bud Spencer.

The script by Rafael Azcona, Ernesto Gastaldi, Jay Lynn and Tonino Valerii is hardly original, amounting to nothing but a "Dirty Dozen" rehash, but it is adequate: during the American Civil War, the disgraced Colonel Pembroke (James Coburn) tries to retake a heavily defended fort that was taken by the Confederates from him without a shot fired, a mystery that helps drive his character, by using twelve recruits who he has saved from death sentences.

Despite the lack of originality in the screenplay department, the spirited direction makes the story rattle along at a breathless pace to the expertly staged, wholesale carnage at the end. Throughout, the the three leads fare remarkably well and are the only ones who are given any sort of more than superficial examination of their past. The music by Riz Ortolani, all powerful horns, is masterly, compensating for uninteresting photography.

The fast pace and direction help raise this Spaghetti Western into a higher plane, turning it into a very, very enjoyable film.

Who wouldn't jump at the chance to get off a gallows and take a chance at living? The motivation is, of course, gold...lot's of it. James Coburn does a very good job of portraying a soldier seeking justice for his murdered wife, and goes after Telly Sevallis with a vengance, using condemmed men as his team. Much like the Dirty Dozen, but without the military structure of WWII. Liked this movie but the sound track is typically Italian...overmodulated and scratchy. When I first saw this film I thought I was watching a Sergio Leone spaghetti western...even the music sounded the same. In spite of the similes and plagarised plots from other films in this genre, this one still turned out well. Good photography and special effects. Hope someday someone will remaster the sound and turn out a smashing DVD. Enjoy!