Captain from Castile (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Tyrone Power stars as Pedro De Vargas, a dashing, but impulsive nobleman in 'Captain from Castile', a wonderful Technicolor epic directed by Henry King. The year is 1518 and action begins when we witness Pedro as he helps to free Coatl (Jay Silverheels), a runaway slave who belongs to villainous Diego De Silva (John Sutton). Pedro had been on friendly terms with De Silva, but it turns out that he is one of the new leaders of the barbaric Spanish Inquisition. As a result, Diego brands Pedro a heretic, him & parents behind bars (as heretics, too), and tortures his innocent 12 yr. old sister do death! Horrified, outraged, & seeking revenge, Pedro plots his escape with the help of his newfound solider friend Juan Garcia (Lee J. Cobb) & a lowly peasant girl/barmaid, Catana Perez (Jean Peters).
After escaping & helping his parents get out of Spain (to Italy), Pedro gets an opportunity to sail for the New World for a better life and, once there, joins forces with the charismatic leader, Hernan Cortez (Cesar Romero), whose ambitious goal is to conquer the Indie lands (Mexico, Cuba, the like), kill his savage foes, convert all others to Christianity, & snatch up some Aztec gold. All seems swell for a while as Pedro and his rogue friends, Juan & Catana (all of whom escaped their pursuers in Spain), find their footing over in Moctezuma's Mexico. Pedro becomes a captain under Cortez's command. And despite their class differences, Pedro & Catana even fall in love. Howwwever, a surprise visitor pops-up in the form of a vengeful Diego De Silva. He, too, has made his way across the ocean to the New World; intending to use his evil powers to both foil Hernan Cortez & kill Pedro. Murder occurs, Pedro becomes the prime suspect, & drama ensues.
I highly enjoyed this sweeping, majestic spectacle. Unfurling over the course of 140(!) minutes, the film's structure is neatly divided into two distinct segments: the Spanish Inquisition & the expedition of Cortez in Mexico. 'Captain from Castile' qualifies as an epic, what with its scope, larger-than-life characters, historical content, & variety of themes. 'CfC' takes a complex look at class differences both within both Spain & Mexico. It dares (during a conservative time in Hollywood, 1947) to show blunt violence/death. And 'CfC' captures the spirit of the Spanish conquest. The Conquistadores may have been ruthless opportunists, but they also were humans who witnessed a different form of savagery & put everything on the line to improve the lives of many {at least, in their estimation}.
The movie is lushly photographed in brilliant Technicolor by a trio of Hollywood's top cinematographers. It benefits from fantastic Mexican locales which evokes both Spain & the New World. The sets (Aztec pyramids, 16th century palaces, ships) & costumes (particularly the ornate Aztec garb) are superb. I would have liked more battle sequences to even-out the drama, but the handful of tense scenes & swashbuckling derring-dos are well-handled. An actual volcano is seen erupting behind shots of marching armies in the final scenes -- just spectacular. And the highest regarded aspect of the film would have to be Alfred Newman's amazing musical score; probably one of the best Hollywood turned out in its Golden Age. Its resplendent themes & stirring compositions linger in my head. Most memorable are Catana's love theme, and the scintillating staccato-driven march which plays as Cortez & his troops head to Moctezuma's fabled City of Gold.
Tyrone Power returned from WWII in grand style (this film, as well as 1946's The Razor's Edge) and gives a very strong performance; dominating each scene with a powerful calm. 20 yr. old Jean Peters is beguiling here & shows good thespian chops in some highly dramatic moments. Peters had never acted before this film; which makes her all-the-more impressive. And her smoldering dance sequence with Power in the middle of the film is an eye-popper. Lee J. Cobb is great as Juan Garcia. So too is Thomas Gomez as the kind & wise Father Bartolome. John Sutton makes for a loathsome villain. And Cesar Romero commands the screen whenever he pops-up as Cortez. As mentioned above, the film is a tad long (especially considering that it doesn't even tackle the last section of the book from which it’s based) ... but 'Captain from Castile' captivated me with its smooth union of performance, suspense, romance, & old-school Hollywood pageantry.
After escaping & helping his parents get out of Spain (to Italy), Pedro gets an opportunity to sail for the New World for a better life and, once there, joins forces with the charismatic leader, Hernan Cortez (Cesar Romero), whose ambitious goal is to conquer the Indie lands (Mexico, Cuba, the like), kill his savage foes, convert all others to Christianity, & snatch up some Aztec gold. All seems swell for a while as Pedro and his rogue friends, Juan & Catana (all of whom escaped their pursuers in Spain), find their footing over in Moctezuma's Mexico. Pedro becomes a captain under Cortez's command. And despite their class differences, Pedro & Catana even fall in love. Howwwever, a surprise visitor pops-up in the form of a vengeful Diego De Silva. He, too, has made his way across the ocean to the New World; intending to use his evil powers to both foil Hernan Cortez & kill Pedro. Murder occurs, Pedro becomes the prime suspect, & drama ensues.
I highly enjoyed this sweeping, majestic spectacle. Unfurling over the course of 140(!) minutes, the film's structure is neatly divided into two distinct segments: the Spanish Inquisition & the expedition of Cortez in Mexico. 'Captain from Castile' qualifies as an epic, what with its scope, larger-than-life characters, historical content, & variety of themes. 'CfC' takes a complex look at class differences both within both Spain & Mexico. It dares (during a conservative time in Hollywood, 1947) to show blunt violence/death. And 'CfC' captures the spirit of the Spanish conquest. The Conquistadores may have been ruthless opportunists, but they also were humans who witnessed a different form of savagery & put everything on the line to improve the lives of many {at least, in their estimation}.
The movie is lushly photographed in brilliant Technicolor by a trio of Hollywood's top cinematographers. It benefits from fantastic Mexican locales which evokes both Spain & the New World. The sets (Aztec pyramids, 16th century palaces, ships) & costumes (particularly the ornate Aztec garb) are superb. I would have liked more battle sequences to even-out the drama, but the handful of tense scenes & swashbuckling derring-dos are well-handled. An actual volcano is seen erupting behind shots of marching armies in the final scenes -- just spectacular. And the highest regarded aspect of the film would have to be Alfred Newman's amazing musical score; probably one of the best Hollywood turned out in its Golden Age. Its resplendent themes & stirring compositions linger in my head. Most memorable are Catana's love theme, and the scintillating staccato-driven march which plays as Cortez & his troops head to Moctezuma's fabled City of Gold.
Tyrone Power returned from WWII in grand style (this film, as well as 1946's The Razor's Edge) and gives a very strong performance; dominating each scene with a powerful calm. 20 yr. old Jean Peters is beguiling here & shows good thespian chops in some highly dramatic moments. Peters had never acted before this film; which makes her all-the-more impressive. And her smoldering dance sequence with Power in the middle of the film is an eye-popper. Lee J. Cobb is great as Juan Garcia. So too is Thomas Gomez as the kind & wise Father Bartolome. John Sutton makes for a loathsome villain. And Cesar Romero commands the screen whenever he pops-up as Cortez. As mentioned above, the film is a tad long (especially considering that it doesn't even tackle the last section of the book from which it’s based) ... but 'Captain from Castile' captivated me with its smooth union of performance, suspense, romance, & old-school Hollywood pageantry.