The story of two remarkable men whose deeply flawed world views were irrevocably changed for the better makes for an very interesting theme. To set this theme against the backdrop of both the War of Secession ("War Between the States") AND the Mexican Revolution makes "The Undefeated" all the more promising. Furthermore, parallels to Vietnam make "The Undefeated" a downright profound story. Sadly, Andrew V. McLaglen tepid direction and bland casting of the female characters makes "The Undefeated" an unfulfilled promise and so-so effort.
To understand the profundity of "The Undefeated" requires a crash course in the War of Secession. Though slavery was a major issue, it was NOT the primary cause of hostilities. Revolutionary War debt was coming due and many states that remained with the union had not paid their debts. However, states that joined the Confederacy HAD paid their debt and resented draconian tariffs on goods entering and leaving their harbors. Secession was recognized and accepted, as it is a basic part of the Declaration of Independence and of the Congressional Record at the time of the enactment of the US Constitution. Even Lincoln, as a member of Congress, recognized the right of secession. For those who still insist the war was about slavery, keep in mind four slave states remained in the union.
It is time now to discuss the flawed world views of both union Colonel John Henry Thomas (John Wayne) and confederate Colonel James Langdon (Rock Hudson). Thomas is a decent, kind hearted man, but his world view is quite callous. Thomas thinks nothing of taking his loyal men into strife-torn Mexico, even though he knows they may be killed and that none of them has seen home for four years. Langdon is also decent and kind hearted, but his vanity leads him to destroy his property and take his family into Mexico to fight alongside General Maximilian, who is doing to the citizens of Mexico what the Union did to the Confederacy. BOTH men receive a deserved comeuppance from Juarista General Rojas (Tony Aguilar). I am sure this would be lost on most American audiences even today even in the hands of a more skilled western director, such as John Ford, Howard Hawks, Sergio Leone, Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, Fred Zinnemann or even Henry Hathaway.
The finest performances in "The Undefeated" come from Rock Hudson and Roman Gabriel. Unfortunately, their same-sex antics drew publicity which clearly eclipsed the movie. Other fine performances include the aforementioned Tony Aguilar (whose reluctance and relief at a key moment is the best scene of the film), Merlin Olsen (as a wise man who prefers the company of children to adults), Royal Dano (who reveals the true theme of "The Undefeated") and Big John Hamilton (who proves one does not have to fight a war or appear unafraid to be a hero).
Hugo Montenegro, who had a top 40 hit channeling Ennio Morricone with "The Theme From 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly') here channels Elmer Bernstein with his music. While not "great Bernstein," Montenegro's score is at least "good Bernstein".
I give "The Undefeated" a "6".
To understand the profundity of "The Undefeated" requires a crash course in the War of Secession. Though slavery was a major issue, it was NOT the primary cause of hostilities. Revolutionary War debt was coming due and many states that remained with the union had not paid their debts. However, states that joined the Confederacy HAD paid their debt and resented draconian tariffs on goods entering and leaving their harbors. Secession was recognized and accepted, as it is a basic part of the Declaration of Independence and of the Congressional Record at the time of the enactment of the US Constitution. Even Lincoln, as a member of Congress, recognized the right of secession. For those who still insist the war was about slavery, keep in mind four slave states remained in the union.
It is time now to discuss the flawed world views of both union Colonel John Henry Thomas (John Wayne) and confederate Colonel James Langdon (Rock Hudson). Thomas is a decent, kind hearted man, but his world view is quite callous. Thomas thinks nothing of taking his loyal men into strife-torn Mexico, even though he knows they may be killed and that none of them has seen home for four years. Langdon is also decent and kind hearted, but his vanity leads him to destroy his property and take his family into Mexico to fight alongside General Maximilian, who is doing to the citizens of Mexico what the Union did to the Confederacy. BOTH men receive a deserved comeuppance from Juarista General Rojas (Tony Aguilar). I am sure this would be lost on most American audiences even today even in the hands of a more skilled western director, such as John Ford, Howard Hawks, Sergio Leone, Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, Fred Zinnemann or even Henry Hathaway.
The finest performances in "The Undefeated" come from Rock Hudson and Roman Gabriel. Unfortunately, their same-sex antics drew publicity which clearly eclipsed the movie. Other fine performances include the aforementioned Tony Aguilar (whose reluctance and relief at a key moment is the best scene of the film), Merlin Olsen (as a wise man who prefers the company of children to adults), Royal Dano (who reveals the true theme of "The Undefeated") and Big John Hamilton (who proves one does not have to fight a war or appear unafraid to be a hero).
Hugo Montenegro, who had a top 40 hit channeling Ennio Morricone with "The Theme From 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly') here channels Elmer Bernstein with his music. While not "great Bernstein," Montenegro's score is at least "good Bernstein".
I give "The Undefeated" a "6".