by Barb Lentz.
The five movies Bob provided me from which to choose were these:
Camille (1936)
Eye of the Needle (1981)
Lassie Come Home (1943)
The Professionals (1966)
The Ruling Class (1972)
I chose The Professionals because of the leads — Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster. I proofread Bob’s review in his Lee Marvin book fifteen years ago but I had never seen the movie; I also wanted to see Burt Lancaster as somebody other than evangelist Elmer Gantry. The western setting appealed to me, and it also looked like the most entertaining movie of this batch.
The Professionals is a macho movie full of military-style plotting, strategy, characters, equipment and action, and yet it is a very entertaining movie for everyone. For all of its machismo, the story is deeply rooted in character, and all of the action surrounds one particular woman, Marie (Claudia Cardinale), whom the rich businessman J. W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy) wants to possess. He never tells the men he hires to bring her back from Mexico that she has no desire to be his wife; it is her devotion to revolutionary leader Jesus Raza (Jack Palance) which decides the conclusion of the story. You just don’t see that in many action pictures.
Most of the story centers on the four men sent to rescue her. Of the four — Rico Fardan (Lee Marvin), Bill Dolworth (Burt Lancaster), Hans Ehrengard (Robert Ryan) and Jacob Sharp (Woody Strode) — my favorite is Dolworth. That character shares the same zest for life and loose code of morality as Elmer Gantry, one of our earlier classics (and by the same director, Richard Brooks), but Burt Lancaster curls the role in a different direction, often without his pants. He is a delight to watch, whether scaling a mountain cliff in one take or calmly wiping the sweat off of his dynamite or asking Chiquita if she still says yes to everyone who asks. The other men are authoritative and imposing — especially Lee Marvin — but Lancaster just rolls with the punches and lives each day as if it were his last, with joy and humor.
The other aspect that appeals to me is the way they work together toward a shared goal. During the intense preparation and thorough infiltration of Raza’s headquarters few words are needed because the men know what to do and work together so well. That teamwork, mutual respect and co-dependence upon each other marks them as true professionals, just as the title indicates. It is a pleasure to see a disparate group of people bond together to accomplish something extraordinary.
My top five moments of the movie are:
1. When, beginning with the opening credits, J. W. Grant crisply organizes the “team” to “rescue” his wife. Everything is established right away, the characters are introduced and the goal is set. It is clear, concise and to the point.
2. When Rico Fardan consistently demonstrates his integrity, whether with Grant, or Dolworth, or Maria. He is the rock on which the other characters can depend.
3. The use of the secret signal — the upside down cross. I didn’t truly understand its importance when it was introduced, until it was put into use and saved Dolworth’s life. Its usage indicates how the men could take something so subtle and use it as an advantage in communication in the wilderness.
4. When the moment arrives at Raza’s headquarters and everything changes. Maria does not turn away from Raza but embraces him with passion. Suddenly, we (and Fardan and Dolworth) understand that Maria was never kidnapped; she had run away from her domineering American husband for the companionship of her true love, Raza. The men who have come to rescue her are stuck — what can they do but proceed? And in the moment when Maria realizes what is happening and she screams, she cannot be heard because that is when the explosions begin. It is beautifully edited and powerfully effective.
5. When Dolworth insists that Fardan continue to Texas and complete the bargain while he, Dolworth, remains behind to slow Raza. There is nothing self-important about the moment; he simply does what needs to be done. Then, remaining behind, he witnesses just how much Maria means to his old compadre, and it is his decision to bring Raza to the final meeting with Grant.
I like the western setting, although the modernistic weapons, the train and even the car demonstrate that the old ways these men have known their whole lives are changing, or disappearing. I like how they didn’t kill wantonly — they have respect for other people and for the horses — until their mission demands death so that they can survive. I like how they treat Maria, always with esteem and honor even when she plots against them. In fact, I think honor is the aspect I enjoy most about this movie; everyone acts honorably except for J. W. Grant, and he suffers at the end because of his dishonesty.
Is The Professionals a classic? Yes, I greatly enjoyed the film, more than I thought I would. It is well acted by a really strong cast and evokes the time and place very effectively. I like the music, the editing and the cinematography; it is a very well made movie. Best of all, it isn’t just a pointless shoot ’em up; all the action and violence is rooted in the story and has meaning for the characters. The ending is appropriate and ironic. It is an exciting journey into the past, and south of the border, that I would recommend to any western fan.
BRL 9 November 2014.
The Professionals (November 2, 1966) Pax Enterprises / Columbia Studios.
Produced and Directed by Richard Brooks. Written by Richard Brooks.
Based on the novel “A Mule for the Marquesa” by Frank O’Rourke.
Principal Cast (character, performer):
Bill Dolworth Burt Lancaster
Henry Rico Fardan Lee Marvin
Hans Ehrengard Robert Ryan
Jacob “Jake” Sharp Woody Strode
Raza Jack Palance
Maria Claudia Cardinale
J. W. Grant Ralph Bellamy
Ortega Joe De Santis
Fierro Rafael Bertrand
Eduardo Padilla (Goatkeeper) Jorge Martinez de Hoyos
Chiquita Marie Gomez
117 minutes. Technicolor. Widescreen (2.35:1). Not Rated.