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They Came To Cordura [1959]
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Gary Cooper's forte--the searching, lone figure beleaguered by conflicts over conscience, truth, and ethics--followed him all the way to the ambitious They Came to Cordura, his third-to-last feature. Cooper plays Thomas Thorn, a career officer in America's fading horse Army of the early 20th century. Thorn's alleged cowardice in battle has been papered over by superiors: He is to identify acts of bravery during an attack on Pancho Villa's troops and lead those designated heroes to a Medal of Honor ceremony in Cordura, Texas. Though Thorn tries to extract the secret behind courage from each man, he discovers a battle-hardened, bestial side to them as well. The Cordura journey becomes fraught with mutiny and near-assaults on a Yankee expatriate (Rita Hayworth). Thorn, reputation aside, redefines courage on his own terms. This widescreen drama (the DVD offers full-screen format as well) is suspenseful, morally complex, and visually rich, but Cooper's performance carries the day. --Tom Keogh
a character study in courage and cowardice
Review date: 2008-07-18 Rating: 10 out of 10
In this sizzling trek across Mexico Hollywood creates a masterpiece in a study of human behaviour under unusual circumstances and duress.
The circumstances that determine our fickle but fascinating minds is studied in the best psychological western i have ever seen.
The characters are driven by a mysterious courage ,nobility and a selfishness that is very human yet evil and the question of what is the dertemining factor that creates a hero out of an ordinary human being is put to a visceral test,some people will disagree with the bitter truth of the revelation as ROSSEN and swarthout are both very subtle and satirical yet intelligent as the creators of this deceptively smart drama dressed as an action thriller ,but it becomes a penultimate study of the surreal human character which remains a mystery to all.
It does not present any paragons or stereotypes neither any stalwarts but the beauty of being just humane with all their weaknesses ,desires and treachery which becomes evident in this gorgeously made Outdoor epic without a single Indoor shot ,even the mexicans are shown as mere humans rather than an an evil rabble .
The landscape,action and cinematography are excellent and the editing and sound ahead of their time .
Van heflin and Rita hayworth easily steal the show but Cooper and Tab hunter are brilliant as well.
This is a paradoxical enigmatic exploration of heroism and what is it that makes us act as we do in a moment of extra-ordinary hazard ,whether it is self-Defence ,nobility or selfishness which make us do outstanding deeds is the riddle being questioned and the answer is for you to find out as you need to see this great movie .
the dvd has trailors of gilda ,silverado and cowboy and the picture quality is excellent .
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Reviews
Oww!
Review date: 2007-09-13 Rating: 8 out of 10
Ever wondered why there were two Darrin's in Bewitched? Because of this movie! Dick York left the series after the fifth one because of a crippling back problem he suffered from which was caused by acting in a scene from this film nearly ten years previously. A scene where most of the male cast members have to lift a large log resulted in poor Mr. York letting his load down a split second after the other boys and unfortunately he was never the same again.
Underachieving characters in an underachieving drama
Review date: 2006-11-11 Rating: 4 out of 10
They Came to Cordura is one of those good ideas that never really works, as Gary Cooper's disgraced officer in Pershing's disastrous Mexican misadventure escorts a motley group of heroes he's recommending for the Congressional Medal of Honor to Cordura, hoping to find out the secret of their courage only to discover that one moment of unselfish heroism doesn't necessarily redeem a man anymore than one act of cowardice damns him. After a spectacular early battle, action is thin on the ground, with the film more concerned with the way this increasingly lost patrol gradually turn on each other as bandits and disease turn their simple journey into a test of endurance and character. Despite boasting an impressive cast - Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin, Richard Conte - the performances are more professional than inspired, with Tab Hunter of all people giving the best performance by far as the ambitious young officer who, like the various others, has his own reasons not to want the medal.
Columbia's DVD offers a good 2.35:1 widescreen transfer and trailers for Cowboy and Gilda, though not the film itself.
"I have a chance to put my hand on the bare heart of heroism."
Review date: 2006-10-09 Rating: 6 out of 10
(3.5 stars) Directed by Robert Rossen in 1959, this exploration of the nature of courage has limited appeal in the present day. Maj. Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper) is assigned to find five men who deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor and accompany them back from Mexico, where they are fighting Pancho Villa in 1916. The objective of the army is to make heroes of these men so they can serve as examples to other soldiers during the expected US involvement in World War I. Thorn's selection as the man to accompany these five soldiers is ironic--he is regarded as a coward for his behavior when Villa's men attacked US troops in Columbus, New Mexico.
On the long trek back from Mexico to Cordura, the true nature of each of the "heroes" is revealed. Thorn has been interviewing each of these men for the citations he plans to write for them, and he is especially interested in what the men were thinking when they performed so bravely, hoping to discover what is the secret of their courage. Adelaide Geary (Rita Hayworth), an American living on a ranch in Mexico, has had her ranch occupied by Villa's troops, and she is arrested by Thorn to be returned to the US, along with the medal winners. The life-threatening journey tests each hero once again, and Thorn once again agonizes over the nature of courage.
With an all-star cast, including Gary Cooper, Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Richard Conte, Michael Callan, Dick York, and Rita Hayworth, the film offers a close-up look at many stars from the past, but acting styles and viewer expectations have changed, and Cooper, who won a Laurel Award as Best Actor for his role here, is so expressionless that he sounds, in places, as if he is haltingly reading the script, not acting. With the men's journey taking place across scrubland, usually under the hot sun, the focus is on the actors, their conversations, pent-up emotions, fights, and resentments of Thorn.
Unfortunately, the dialogue, regardless of its subject matter, tends to be stilted and predictable, rather than realistic, and Thorn's constant pre-occupation with the nature of courage leads to a "talky" film. Ultimately, all the characters come to new realizations, but by the time they do, many viewers will have exhausted their patience with the pace of this film. Mary Whipple
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Tab Hunter
Van Heflin
Rita Hayworth
Richard Conte
Gary Cooper
Creators:
Gary Cooper (Primary Contributor)
Rita Hayworth (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5035822024038
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2004-11-22
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 118 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1959
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