Watch Behold a Pale Horse For Free

Simply A Masterpiece

How sad is this?

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

I watched Behold a Pale Horse twice in a row. It's a long movie where little action happens until the end, and there are no heroes.Manuel Artiguez is an outlaw who has continued to fight the Spanish Civil War for twenty years after defeat, from his base in the French town of Pau. His raids appear to serve little to no purpose other than as acts of defiance. His adversary is Captain Viñolas, a venal and rather fatuous adulterer, who despite being a Catholic is as far from grace as the radical atheist Artiguez.Nothing appears to keep the men alive except for adversarialism and antagonism. A small boy Paco, crosses the border to find Artiguez in the hope that he can inspire Artiguez to avenge his father and kill Viñolas. He sees a bull on his trip, and it's pretty clear this represents Artiguez, who knows no other course of action than to fight (and, it's hinted at, womanise). The other children have a natural reaction to Paco, seeking out Artiguez, why would you do such a thing? There are several scenes in the movie where the old revolutionaries are shown alone, interspersed with many vibrant scenes of the young healthily enjoying themselves. Artiguez and Viñolas have become rather insistent irrelevances, in a region which wants to forget the bloodshed. The two of them engaged in a savage and stupid dance of death The young priest Francisco attempts to engage with Artiguez but has little effect. He is a confused man who is only just able to tell the difference between the warmth of his own heart and the coldness of logic. He is a neophyte, although he is able to put a few good thoughts out there. The baroquerie of Lourdes, shown in the movie hardly aids the case for religion with all its fetishisations.It is a sad movie, full of manifest failure on the part of all its participants. One of the final scenes is of several dead participants led out on mortuary trolleys, all for once profoundly equal, the tragicomedy of their lives at an end.The rich black and white photography seems often visually allegorical in its combinations of compositions and saturations. This is particularly the case where Viñolas antagonises a bull as a picador. It is an entirely bewitching movie.

Criticisms of the slow-pace of BEHOLD A PALE HORSE fall in line with complaints of the lack of twist-off caps on fine bottles of wine. If patience has no virtue, you won't enjoy this film. Zinnemann's nuanced layering of mood, theme, and character requires appreciation of things developed over time.A vintage rarely tasted these days (to further exploit the wine motif), Zinnemann shot this film in black-and-white, and it only enhances the shading of elements. The effect gives it a look concomitant with its complex characters who go through the angst of spiritual and emotional transformation. And the cast had to delight in Zinnermann's decision to let them exercise their art: Acting. Imagine Atticus Finch telling Jem to shut up and then slapping the lad "upside the head." Yet here's good-guy Peck abandoning type and stepping into the character of Artiguez, an angry man who delivers such a blow to a boy (about Jem's age), knocking him down onto the street.BEHOLD A PALE HORSE delivers so much more than most films in that it compliments the entire palate of the viewer's intellect. That makes for a very good film. That takes time.

This movie reminded me a bit of "The Third Man," where there are a lot of street scenes that lead you places you do not expect. It is not nearly as brilliant or satisfying as "The Third Man," but it is interesting and surprising. The biggest surprise is the intensity of Gregory Peck as guerrilla leader Manuel Artiguez. He is a defeated Spanish Partisan who has continued to fight for twenty years after the Spanish Civil War ended. Peck slowly realizes that his importance as a symbol of resistance is more important than his life, and his only chance for victory.Omar Sheriff and Anthony Quinn are fine as a priest and police chief, but their characters are pretty straightforward. It was interesting to watch Quinn prayer to God to help him catch Artiquez. Usually antagonists get to kick a dog so that the audience knows that hes the bad guy. Here the director Fred Zinnemann doesn't stack the deck and allows the audience to decide who is morally right or wrong. A director who treats his audience with respect and assumes they are intelligent, is quite unusual and should be treasured.The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the cinematography. It was sometimes underexposed and muddy. Back in the film days, there would be a final timed print, with each scene getting its own exposure based on its density. It seems as if the print was not timed, or not timed well.Also, the viewer should be warned that there is very little action in the film. The movie focuses on the psychology of the characters, so don't expect "the Guns of Navarone."

I watched this movie, and like most of the people have already expressed it, must say that this is truly a classic. The acting crew is excellent with Peck, Shariff and Quinn giving some very intense performances. But the surprise package is the boy who crosses over to the French part where he goes in search of Manueal to ask him to avenge his father's death at the hands of Vinollas. I often read comments that Peck is stuff or wooden on occasions, but I find him one of the most intense actors because of his ability to convey through his eyes. Like most actors, he is gifted of conveying a lot more through his eyes than his body might suggest. He conveys the frailing Manuel artigez here very well. We know that Manuel is tired and wary of the struggle he has pursued so passionately. Full credit to Peck for portraying that very effectively. Omar Shariff is also brilliant as the confused priest. Quinn is natural and we feel a certain angst against him, I do not know why. The end is excellent which again, conveys the human side of Manuel very well. All in all, an excellent movie worth watching on a calm Sunday afternoon.