Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 Great and unexcelled Horse Cinematography October 17, 2009
Tepayac (San Francisco)
Oddly, no one person either here or elsewhere on the 'net gushed as I will, about the great shots of the horses, as well as the affectionate tone of Valdez's relationship with the horses. I enjoyed the film, was startled when I learned it was filmed in Almera, Spain (for a fistfull fewer dollars). I was convinced it was in Arizona or even the California Hills, scene of so many westerns.
I will pass over my opinion of the story and cast except to say that it was oddly convincing. I even thought that those Spaniards playing Cheyenne were actually Cheyenne. The electricity between Bronson and Mrs. Bronson was palpable, showing that there was a good marriage behind the cameras.
But, the scenes of the horses! Where do you see these scenes anywhere, especially in one place?
1) A head stallion driving off weaker or younger horses with his aggressive posture and biting mouth?
2) The full on running of a herd of horses in open pasture? (I was wondering what these breeds were, and I suspect both arabs and andulusians, but what doI know about spanish horses?)
3) the charming and entirely true scene of Valdez getting on top of the horse that bit him, and Valdez saying over and over, "I guess that horse and me just don't like eac other."
4) The absolutely georgeous stallion making his cameos
5) The birthing of the foal and the cute part it played
6) The bareback riding of the Indians and their charge toward Chino
7) The way the boy, or his stand in, rode Black, the horse that Chino gave him at the end of the film
8) The great scene of Chino driving some horses to the town. THAT was a difficult scene to shoot, is very rare in our day, and whoever the wrangler was that did that was really competent. I do not think it was just an old stock shot left to the editor to stick in...to authentic.
Even though it is regrettable that the VHS/DVD versions cannot show the wide horse shots, I can only imagine how these lovely creatures would look on a large, 35 mm screen.
The film is much better than its detractors would have you believe, especially the way it was shot. If you are a Tough-Guy Bronson fan, you won't be disappointed, except that this is a tough guy Bronson who doesn't win every confrontation and shoot out.
Rather touching, in certain ways. Get it and look at the horses.
If you like horses in both their natural setting...
 Bronson backs off August 25, 2009
Henry Erlenwein (New York)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A ridiculous piece of cinema.
Spoiler Alert.
A horse rancher courts the sister of a ranch baron while helping out a young boy. They plan to marry when the ranch baron intervenes and whips him to near death and kills his horse. The horse rancher then scatters his heard, burns his home and leaves the boy to fend for himself. The sister retreats into oblivion,
Subsequently, we have a ridiculous piece of cinema.
Great cinematography and good soundtrack with pacing to match.
Bad storyline.
Pointless direction.
You can't start out on a positive note, forward your plot, and end it with negative impact.
Makes no sense.
Judge for yourself.
Bronson never backs off. The bad guys always pay.
Except in this poor excuse for entertainment.
Disappointment for this Bronson fan February 24, 2009
Blue Ridge Patriot (USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
We watched "The Great Escape" over the weekend, and Bronson was terrific. So then we got "Chino." First half, great, easy-going, a little bit of "Shane" thrown in, good intro music (I actually found myself listening to the guitar), and some decent horse work.
Then, just as my 12-year-old daughter walks in, totally unnecessary R-rated sex and a semi-(what's a nice word for "rape"?) scene. Stupid. Insipid. And the rest of the movie is nihilism on a nineteenth-century template.
Waste of money -- and of Bronson.
An excellent and stylish film November 14, 2008
Vlanes (Australia)
I have just watched "Chino" and I loved it. The acting is brilliant, the characters are well defined, there is depth and humor, and excellent camera work. The landscapes are magnificent. I didn't find this film boring at all. On the contrary, it seemed a bit short. This film is an important achievement. It has style and beauty. I recommend it to anyone who is not looking only for incessant screams and shooting in Westerns, but for something deeper and broader.
The real west July 9, 2007
J.D. Wissinger (Creeping around in Nowheresville)
This film certainly is not made for the American hammerhead mind set, no over the top violence and no explosions. What it is a story about a man trying to make his way in the world and to be free, a story that has happened many times over. It is no fantasy western, just grim reality. I wish they would clean up the sound and picture as the film is pretty dated. One of Bronsons better films.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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