I first saw this film in 1959 at our local cinema in Sydney aged about 12. Even then I felt there was something odd about an officer accused of cowardice, Major Thomas Thorn played by a very serious Gary Cooper, who becomes the awards officer for the U.S. Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916.
During a battle that is the reverse of the Alamo, Mexicans inside, Americans outside, Thorn observes acts of bravery (through binoculars from a distance) and recommends five men for the Medal of Honor. He is then detailed to take them to the town of Cordura. He also escorts an American woman accused of helping the enemy, Adelaide Geary, played by Rita Hayworth, still stunning at 40 with a glowing mane of red hair.
As they journey, Thorn is obsessed with the true meaning of courage and questions the men endlessly about their actions. He begins to see another side to the five heroes who seem either weak or criminally inclined.
John Wayne hated this movie, feeling that it had denigrated the Medal of Honor - he had a point. Other IMDb reviewers have pointed out historical inaccuracies including the fact that no Medal of Honor was awarded during the campaign.
The last two thirds of the movie sees the group wandering in the wilderness with Thorn the most determined and heroic of the men.
There were a lot of issues going on around this movie, which may have distracted director Robert Rossen from delivering a more appealing film. He had named names during the HUAC investigations, and questions about the true nature of courage and cowardice were no doubt playing on his mind.
Then again, maybe his biggest mistake was to start the film with its most spectacular sequence. A lot of filmmakers would be wary of doing that.
And it is spectacular. "They Came to Cordura" contains one of the best cavalry charges on film. Directed by second unit director James Curtis Havens with John Ford-like panache, it features a regiment of U.S. Cavalry emerging from the dust, followed by changes in formation before the remarkable scene as the horsemen form a "line of troopers boot to boot" and charge. Accompanied by Elie Siegmeister's forceful score, this is masterful cinema.
Unfortunately, "They Came to Cordura" is ultimately mangled by its message, and it was Darryl Zanuck who once said, "If you want to send a message, use Western Union".
During a battle that is the reverse of the Alamo, Mexicans inside, Americans outside, Thorn observes acts of bravery (through binoculars from a distance) and recommends five men for the Medal of Honor. He is then detailed to take them to the town of Cordura. He also escorts an American woman accused of helping the enemy, Adelaide Geary, played by Rita Hayworth, still stunning at 40 with a glowing mane of red hair.
As they journey, Thorn is obsessed with the true meaning of courage and questions the men endlessly about their actions. He begins to see another side to the five heroes who seem either weak or criminally inclined.
John Wayne hated this movie, feeling that it had denigrated the Medal of Honor - he had a point. Other IMDb reviewers have pointed out historical inaccuracies including the fact that no Medal of Honor was awarded during the campaign.
The last two thirds of the movie sees the group wandering in the wilderness with Thorn the most determined and heroic of the men.
There were a lot of issues going on around this movie, which may have distracted director Robert Rossen from delivering a more appealing film. He had named names during the HUAC investigations, and questions about the true nature of courage and cowardice were no doubt playing on his mind.
Then again, maybe his biggest mistake was to start the film with its most spectacular sequence. A lot of filmmakers would be wary of doing that.
And it is spectacular. "They Came to Cordura" contains one of the best cavalry charges on film. Directed by second unit director James Curtis Havens with John Ford-like panache, it features a regiment of U.S. Cavalry emerging from the dust, followed by changes in formation before the remarkable scene as the horsemen form a "line of troopers boot to boot" and charge. Accompanied by Elie Siegmeister's forceful score, this is masterful cinema.
Unfortunately, "They Came to Cordura" is ultimately mangled by its message, and it was Darryl Zanuck who once said, "If you want to send a message, use Western Union".