GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Scott LeBrun It's all about the two stars in this Western drama. Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates square off in this tale about a maniacal bandit named Remy (Oates), who has his gang stage some wholesale slaughter while they make off with some booty from a robbery. However, it's vital that they obtain a barge in order to cross a river and make it to freedom. And the man in charge, Travis (Van Cleef), turns out to be a very cool customer. The balance of "Barquero" shows what happens as two men engage in a battle of wills.Being a fan of Van Cleef and Oates, this viewer would have liked to have enjoyed this a bit more. The problem for him was that the movie ended up overlong and didn't have as much tension as he would have liked. The frighteningly intense action scenes early on seem to be setting us up for something different; for several minutes there's a multitude of gunfire (and a rather hard edge to the proceedings that may turn some viewers off). "Barquero" ends up turning into a not uninteresting, if plodding, character study, as we get to see, bit by bit, the mental deterioration of the Remy character. He clearly wasn't expecting to have such problems trying to secure his transportation."Barquero" is a MUST for those who love Van Cleef and Oates, though. The two actors are at their best. Van Cleef is as cool as can be and Oates is wonderfully flamboyant. The strong supporting cast includes such familiar faces as fantasy genre star Kerwin Mathews (who's damn good as a Frenchman who rides with Remy), lovely Mariette Hartley, and the entertainingly weaselly John Davis Chandler. It's co-star Forrest Tucker, however, that steals much of the show. He makes the most of his colourful part as "Mountain Phil", who delights in showing Chandler his idea of fine cuisine.Decent enough guidance by journeyman director Gordon Douglas, excellent music by Dominic Frontiere, and gorgeous cinematography by Gerald Perry Finnerman help to result in a reasonably rousing show. The unusual action climax makes it worth the wait.Six out of 10.

zardoz-13 Seasoned Hollywood helmer Gordon Douglas of "Them" directed this gritty, no-nonsense shoot'em up "Barquero" with Lee Van Cleef as the eponymous frontier type named Travis who owns a ferry on the Rio Grande. What sets "Barquero" apart from all other westerns is that this is the first time that a horse opera has been made where the hero is a ferry man. Indeed, he doesn't ride a horse, he owns a ferry. In other words, "Barquero" qualifies as unique. Furthermore, the William Marks & George Schenck screenplay is simple, clear-cut, but violent. The guys blast it out with each other and the filmmakers throw in a lot of tongue-in-cheek, tough guy humor.A crazy, pot-smoking outlaw, Jake Remy (Warren Oates of "Return of the Seven") and his bloodthirsty gang shoot up the town of Buckskin--though massacre might be a more descriptive word--and then hightail it for the border to make their getaway. Travis is the only man who stands between Remy and freedom and Travis isn't about to let Remy cross. A lot of bloodshed ensues as the villains try to make the crossing. Composer Dominic Frontiere contributes a memorable orchestral score. Lee Van Cleef is at his gimlet-eyed best and Warren Oates is as slimy as a villain can come. As Mountain Phil, Forrest Tucker is fun to watch as a rough-hewn frontiersman who joins forces with Travis. There's an amusing torture scene between iconic western character actor John Davis Chandler of "The Outlaw Josy Wales" and Forrest Tucker's mountain man. Surprisingly, Mariette Hartley is cast as Travis' woman.One of the highlights of this offbeat western is the river attack when Jake's men construct small wooden craft and attack Travis. Lee Van Cleef had only recently made a name of himself in Europe as a star and this United Artists movie takes advantage of his rejuvenated career. Anybody who calls himself a Lee Van Cleef fan should definitely watch this solid shoot'em up.

floydianer 'Barquero', released in 1970, is an original, highly entertaining western that manages to find new elements of an, by then, over-used genre. The naval aspect of the story seems unique, but the actual core is basically a re-write of all the classic spaghetti westerns. In fact, it seem that this is the most Spaghetti-like American western of its time. But the rip-off isn't too dramatic, it works quite fine. Special notice should go to the oil-painting opening credits - interesting, good choice.The film's well-cast, led by Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates as the opposing characters. Van Cleef is always watchable although he seems a little uneasy at playing a character that is neither the classic bad guy he was so good at nor a typical good hero. In the hands of another actor, it may have looked bland, but not with Van Cleef.The film is daring enough to grant equal screen time to its main villain, played by Warren Oates who gets one of his very first cinematic leading roles here. Oates is the multi-layered Jake Remy, colourful bad guy and arguably better-characterized by the script than the ferryman Van Cleef. Oates delights in his role, in what seems like planned hamminess (good thing, because the role calls for it) coupled with authentic danger and ferocity. Mariette Hartley is beautiful but unnecessary. The climax hurts the film. There's a good chance at the end to choose from two original endings (both dying, or both getting away) but the screenplay takes the cliché way and lets Van Cleef shoot Oates in a spiritless, thankless two-second duel. Pity.To sum it up: very entertaining, good western with a great villain performance by Oates and a good-enough lead by Van Cleef.

ma-cortes The picture narrates as a renegade motley group (Warren Oates, Kerwin Matthews, Armando Silvestre) executes a massacre when they are robbing the village's inhabitants . They flee but are stopped by a barge's owner (Lee Van Cleef) in the frontier on river Grande . The barquero called Travis has his own life-style and his own death-style . He is only helped by a mountain man (Forrest Tucker) . The confrontation will be terrible and they will fight until death .The highlights of the movie are the initial slaughter by the cutthroats and facing off between the good and bad guys on the lumber barges . This picture along with ¨ Hang'em high¨ (by Ted Post with Clint Eatwood) belongs to numerous filmed in the 60s and 70s influenced by Spaghetti Western , thus it develops ordinary themes such as : revenge , violent facing , similar musical score , tough antiheroes , spectacular gun-down and excessive baddies , all of them common issues in Italian Western . Lee Van Cleef , recent his success in Leone Western (A few dollars more) is top-notch . Warren Oates is magnificent as the ominous and hideous villain . The secondary cast is excellent , Forrest Tucker as the wry and impulsive trapper , Kerwin Mathew as Marquette , Mariette Hartley as Anna , Armando Silvestre as Sawyer and John Davis Chandler plays a cocky villain , as always . Dominic Frontiere's musical score is atmospheric and adjusted to action western , similar to ¨Hang 'Em High¨ soundtrack that he also composed . The motion picture was well directed by Gordon Douglas , though Robert Sparr was originally set to direct, but he was killed in a plane crash while scouting locations , then Gordon was hired to replace him . Gordon Douglas direction is nice , he had formerly got a lot of experience in Western genre (Only the valiant and Chuka). The yarn will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fonds and Western movies fans.