ANALYSIS: I have a love for good old movies with classic actors. Anthony Quinn, Gregory Peck, and Omar Sharif are part
of that group, and they happen to star in a movie together called BEHOLD A PALE HORSE. It isn't a perfect classic, but the
acting does help elevate the story.
Manuel (Gregory Peck) fought in the Spanish Civil war against the government. His side lost and many of them excepted exile
to France. Manuel has been doing raids into Spain for the last twenty years until he lost his heart to do it anymore. Paco,
a young boy comes to see him and wants Manuel to kill Captain Vinolas (Anthony Quinn), the guy responsible for the death of
the Paco's father because he wouldn't tell Vinolas anything about Manuel. Vinolas learns Manuels's mother is sick and tries
to lure Manuel back into Spain even after Manuel's mother dies in the hospital. A priest (Omar Sharif) tries to warn Manuel
not to go to Spain to see his mother.
BEHOLD A PALE HORSE dives into the characters and uses them to push the story to it's conclusion. The priest is the only
one who wants to do the right thing. Vinolas is cruel, but he feels he is on the side of justice. Manuel never wanted to leave
Spain at the end of the Civil War, but he has now lost his heart to a cause where people still consider him a hero. BEHOLD
A PALE HORSE paints a grim picture of where even the innocent can suffer and do selfish things. The priest is the only one
who wants to do the right thing after he accidentally misses his train after trying to get a letter mailed to Manuel. Will
Manuel go to the town of San Mrtin to kill Vinolas or will he go after the informer who if working for Vinolas?
VIDEO/AUDIO: BEHOLD A PALE HORSE is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. Blacks and grays are good for the most of
the time, but sometimes the blacks look a little muddy (but that might be something to do with the lighting and condition
of the source material they used for the transfer). Dirk specks, sparkles, and scratches do show up at times throughout the
movie. Image detail is stellar at times while sometimes it becomes average.
You can hear the movie in English 2.0 Dolby Surround with the option of English, Korean, or Spanish subtitles. Dialogue
is clear and never sounds muffled.
PREVIEWS: BEHOLD A PALE HORSE, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
FINAL ANALYSIS: BEHOLD A PALE HORSE is a classic with great actors and definitely deserves to be watched on DVD.
this DVD Review is (c)2-14-2005 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com and look for additional content (and site updates) at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia
