THE PROFESSIONALS is adventurous western film, that offers an exciting and very tense heroic action in a dangerous and inaccessible desert landscape. An unusual introduction, brutal actions without excessive melodrama and a constant cynicism are the biggest advantages of this film. The script was adapted from the novel "A Mule for the Marquesa" by Frank O'Rourke.During the Mexican Revolution, a powerful and wealthy rancher hires four men, who are all experts in their respective fields, to rescue his kidnapped wife Maria from the clutches of the desperado Raza. Raza is a former revolutionary leader. The professionals ravels 100 miles into Mexico to retrieve the woman. After crossing the Mexican border, the team tracks the bandits to their hideout. They witness soldiers on a government train being massacred by Raza's small army. The professionals follow the captured train to the end of the line and retake it from the bandits. Their rescue operation is successful, but it seems that a rich rancher's not telling the truth...Charismatic characters are skillfully grooved between their professionalism, past, justice and truth. The money as a powerful motive is contrary to their ideals. However, money is part of their job, even if they do not reach it.The atmosphere is very good, the characterization is not bad either.Lee Marvin as Henry 'Rico' Fardan is a former military officer and expert on modern weapons. He is a former participant in the Mexican Revolution, which left big scars in his heart. Fardan is a mysterious character with a high degree of respect for his work, revolution and past. Burt Lancaster as Bill Dolworth is an expert in explosives. Dolworth is an impulsive character who will accept any bid and draw the best from it. It seems that his weakness are beautiful, rebellious and strong women such as Maria (Claudia Cardinale) and Chiquita (Marie Gomez) Robert Ryan as Hans Ehrengard is a horse trainer who adopts a brutal lesson from his colleagues. Woody Strode as Jake Sharp is a master of crafts as a traditional Apache scout.Jack Palance as Jesus Raza is a typical character of a revolutionary, who has, after the disappointment in his ideal, became a bandit. Ralph Bellamy as Joe Grant is sort of the epitome of what comes after every bloody revolution.

An excellent flick for the escapist with an IQ above 70. You can't imagine a better cast - Lancaster, Marvin, Ryan, Strode Bellamy, Palance. The cinematography of the western vistas is absolutely stunning, shot in the sadly extinct Technicolor process. The score is by perhaps the greatest film composer of the 20th century, Maurice Jarre (who scored Lawrence of Arabia, The Train, Dr. Zhivago, Witness, among so many others). The script is extremely intelligent and skillfully develops the interplay between the characters and their various backgrounds. But there are lots of explosions and shoot-em-ups along the way, as well as plenty of plot surprises. An intelligent and enjoyable way to burn 2 hours of your leisure time.

When wealthy Texan Joe Grant hires Henry 'Rico' Fardan to lead a small group deep into revolutionary Mexico to rescue his kidnapped wife Rico knows it won't be an easy job; four men against an army! Mrs Grant is being held by a revolutionary by the name of Jesus Raza who Rico and Bill Dolworth, an explosives expert, fought along side earlier in the war. It isn't long after they cross the border that they meet the first of Raza's men... clearly it won't be easy getting to his Hacienda and once there it will be even harder to get Mrs Grant out and back to her husband unharmed. Once they get to her they find they have another problem; she left Grant of her own free will and is in love with Raza... still they have been paid to take her back to her husband so take her back they will.The opening scene where Rico is firing a machine gun next to a car makes it clear that this is set much later than most westerns; that doesn't stop it being a 'proper' western. While he doesn't get top billing Lee Marvin is definitely the star of the film and he does a fine job as Rico, he is ably supported by Burt Lancaster (the official star) as Dolworth, Woody Strode as Jake Sharp, an expert with a longbow and Robert Ryan as the fourth and final member of the rescue party. Claudia Cardinale puts in a feisty performance as the 'kidnapped' Maria Grant.Fans of the genre or people just wanting an exciting adventure should enjoy this as there is plenty of action almost from the moment they cross the border; this action is mainly shootouts but there is also a train ambush and when we get to the raid on the hacienda there are numerous spectacular explosions. This may be the midpoint of the film but the return north is no less exciting. While the twists weren't all that surprising they were believable and added a bit more interest to the story.

Though not as perceptively grim in tone and style as Sam Peckinpah's epitaph The Wild Bunch, Richard Brook's The Professionals almost certainly inspired the former and was also one of the last great westerns Hollywood ever produced. Made at a time when the 'classical' era was waning, Brooks went entirely nostalgic, creating a story about John Wayne-like characters completely loyal to their cause but also flawed in many ways.The cast is superb. The exotic beauty of Claudia Cardinale is great fodder for the main cast of Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode. Although Ryan and Strode have considerably less screen time, the relationship between Lancaster and Marvin is terrifically fleshed out along with Brooks' steady hand guiding the entire process of four men on the hunt to rescue a millionaire's kidnapped wife only to realize all is not as it seems. Despite the fact that this film will forever be compared to the ones it inspired like The Wild Bunch or The Dirty Dozen, it should be admired on its own terms. It is a very entertaining and satisfying film with solid writing, acting, directing and editing along with some stunning cinematography of the American southwest. Compared to today's films, who could ask for anything more?