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If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

How sad is this?

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

" 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.

After directing Clint Eastwood in the western caper "Joe Kidd (1972)" (which I really like), the following year director John Sturges' helm the European western "Chino (1973)" that starred Charles Bronson. However these two films share very little in common. Sturges ably directs, but this one relies heavily on Bronson's presence and the unusual way things go on to play out in this very fragmented story. Nonetheless I didn't find it to be like your standard western / spaghetti item. It was broodingly slow, and the action saw very little to no daylight. It had a strange emotional and at times spiritual pull (like a stirring dream sequence) between the characters, that kind of made it unpredictable and primarily dreary. The material never sticks to one story, but moves about quite a bit in a typically mellow and subdued fashion. More often it focused on the convincingly growing relationship between Bronson and Van Patten, and their laboured effort on the ranch. Some of these plots don't add anything to the central idea, but still manages to compel (while not be completely satisfying) by giving the main characters some personality and weight. Bronson's performance bares someone who's genuine, and with a manner that still intimidates, but can show that warm side with not a care in the world to get into any sort of conflict. The unhinged ending beautifully paints that angle. Quite a curious turn on his part. Working alongside him was an exceptional show-in by Vincent Van Patten and his fellow squeeze at the time Jill Ireland provided some fire to the chemistry. Sturges simply knows how get striking location choices in the framing, and cinematographer Armando Nanuzzi formulates it accordingly with the on-screen action. Although the thing that hit me was Guido and Maurizio De Angelis' folksy casual music score of soothing attraction and swing. Creaky, but oddly intriguing little-known western.

Spoilers. The beginning was good. An orphan comes to a ranch for food and shelter. The rancher happens to be Chino Valdez, a rancher who trains mustangs and lives alone. Chino eventually hires the kid, Jamie, and falls in love with his rich, nasty neighbor's half sister. From there the movie falls apart. People cause trouble, and all of a sudden Chino wants to give up. The movie would've been better had the last half been rewritten. The end dissapoints me greatly.

This is a loser-movie that makes very little sense. Bronson was riding high around the time this was made so I can't figure out why he did it -- unless it was as a favor to director John Sturges who was bottoming out in his career. It's hard to believe that the man who made "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape" made this. As for the plot -- something about a half-breed rancher fighting over land...falls in love with his enemy's sister (Jill Ireland)...gets beaten up and run out of town, drives his horses away first, then leaves. Not exactly the most uplifting film you'll find. Not exactly the most coherent one either. I hope somebody made their house payments with this one. A complete waste of time.