" Valdez, Il Mezzosangue" is in sharp contrast to Bronson's late seventies action-packed movies.There's a pastoral ,almost ecological feel to it;one very violent scene of flogging and that's it.SPOILERS Chino is a half-breed ,who lives on the fringe of white society;the day he tries to integrate well in this group,by marriage to a rich landlord's sister,racism emerges and his dream of a family (in which ,although he seems jealous ,his protégé can find a real home)is short-lived.It looks like a movie-for-the-whole-family but it is not: its conclusion is not what the audience expects :no happy end ,the establishment wins.All that concerns horse -breeding is really excellent: we feel Chino's love for his animals ,particularly in the scene when Bronson takes care of the mare that gives birth;the friendship with his Young protégé ,and the boy's impressive nightmare .Marcel Bozuffi ,a very efficient French actor ("Z")plays a good villain,without overplaying :his face full of hate is enough to show his contempt for Chino.On the other hand ,the love affair between Chino and Catherine (Jill Ireland ,Mrs Bronson)does not convince,being too predictable with a touch of male chauvinism ("Women should not ride horses")Veteran John Sturges,helped by an obscure Italian director,proves he can age gracefully.

The Valdez Horses (AKA: Chino and Valdez the Halfbreed) is directed by John Sturges and adapted to screenplay by Clair Huffaker from the novel The Valdez Horses written by Lee Hoffman. It stars Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Marcel Bozzuffi and Vincent Van Patten. Music is by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis and cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi. Chino Valdez (Bronson), half Indian, half Mexican, lives in solitude on his ranch and beavers away breeding and breaking horses. When one night a 15 year old stray youngster appears at his door looking for bed, board and maybe work, it signals a chain of events that will ultimately define the both of them. It happens once in a while, a Western fan will observe the mixed notices for a particular genre piece and kind of dismiss it as being far from essential viewing, even if it happens to star an actor you greatly enjoy. The Valdez Horses is a beautiful Western, a thoughtful and reflective genre piece that seems to have been damned by those who got a completely different Bronson movie to the one they was hoping for. Regardless of the question of just how much directing John Sturges actually did on the picture (it's rumoured Italian Duilio Coletti did most of the work), the end result is a mature and engaging piece of entertainment. It's a film that belongs in the company of Monte Walsh, Will Penny and Lonely Are the Brave, films that feature a macho male protagonist at odds with what is happening around him. In Chino Valdez's case, he's a loner, he likes a drink and he's constantly having to defend himself against the racists down in the town. He's at his happiest when it's just him and his horses, man and beast clearly understand each other. But when young Jamie Wagner (Patten) arrives in Chino's life, the equilibrium is upset, but in a good way, two lost souls finding a family foothold that both thought beyond them. Yet there is of course a villain of the piece, Maral (Bozzuffi), an all domineering land baron who has absolutely no time of day for the halfbreed horse tamer. Things are further complicated when Maral's half sister comes to town, Catherine (Ireland) is prim and proper British, and immediately there's an attraction between her and Chino, there is just no way Maral is going to sit back and let a relationship develop there. A shame because Chino and Catherine benefit each other greatly, but the vile stink of hatred hovers over them like a black cloud waiting to unload its miserable cargo. Some old reviews for the film claim its a series of un-cohesive scenes strung together! That really isn't the case at all, the trajectory very much builds towards the next stage of Chino and Jamie's life. Chino introduces Jamie to an Indian tribe, spending time with them and their way of life, even as he ruefully remarks to his young charge that they are a dying breed there's a proud sheen to Chino that's most telling. Chino also takes him out for Xmas celebrations in town with the Mexicans, the young man clearly has never been so happy as he gets shown by Chino that not all the West is rife with bile. While all the scenes with the horses, the breaking in, the riding, the stare downs, are superbly filmed and emphasise the narrative's point of Jamie's further education. There's some violence, it would after all be a shame to waste Bronson in that way, but this is no Chato's Land and newcomers to the film should be forewarned that it isn't a shoot em' up/fist fights rampage movie. In fact the ending is most unconventional and sure to leave some very frustrated. I know I was initially, but a couple of hours later as I sat down with a glass of wine I pondered on how daring and poignant it was, a real bitter-sweet finale that deftly has you re-evaluating the whole point of the movie. Lovely scenery (Almeria, Spain) helps put the cherry on the cake, and with Bronson on fine form and his chemistry with Ireland and Patten set in stone, this is a far better picture than you may have heard it is. 8/10 A number of DVD releases for it over the years have been very sub - standard, no doubt further pushing it to the back of the queue of must see Bronson Westerns. Thanks to a good on line friend I was put onto the Optimum Region 2 Western Classics release, which thankfully is a good transfer and evidence that you should not accept any cheap PD transfer copy.

A horse trainer (the late Charles Bronson) lives with a runaway just outside an Old West town where he has a rough reputation.His rough exterior is challenged when a woman (Bronson's real life late wife, Jill Ireland) comes into his life.From what I remember of Bronson's movies, there is always a good amount of violence. There is barely any in here. There is at least one fist fight, which lasts seconds, and not much gun play.The pace of the movie is painfully slow and deliberate. Sometimes the action on the screen was so slow, my eyes began to wander away from the screen. I found myself getting bored frequently.This was not one of the best acted movies I've seen lately. I did not feel chemistry between most of the cast. I did feel some between the boy and Bronson.The story was choppy at best. In fact, it was so weak that it hurt the storyline. The supporting cast was there to slightly advance Bronson's background story, and that's mostly it.The music was purely Country and Western, and not memorable at all in this movie. I couldn't even recognize any singer on the soundtrack.Some of the scenery was pretty good. However, there were no spectacular shots. In fact, the scenery was kind of boring. The town, and the horse trainer's property was placed in a sandy area without any color. Wardrobes were just as boring.This one you can pass on.

I agree that the change of directors caused a change in quality of the film, but all in all this is one of my favorite westerns. It is thought provoking and realistic. Bronson's acting comes off as natural and he understood who Chino was. His relationship with the young boy seems odd, but not forced. The scenes with Jill Ireland are amusing and show the difference in culture between Europe and the old west. Filmed in Europe, there are a few quirks that sort of make you laugh, the Native Americans and the town seem a little hokey, but the film remains enjoyable. The ending bothered me, but thats what made this a good film. I reccommend this to anyone who wants to sit and relax to a good western.