IMDb > Behold a Pale Horse (1964)

Behold a Pale Horse (1964) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   416 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Fred Zinnemann
Writers:
Emeric Pressburger (novel)
J.P. Miller (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Behold a Pale Horse on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
October 1964 (Austria) more
Genre:
Drama | War more
Plot:
Manuel Artiguez, a famous bandit during the Spanish civil war, has lived in French exile for 20 years... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
Gregory Peck Doesn't Believe In Surrendering more (16 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gregory Peck ... Manuel Artiguez

Anthony Quinn ... Vinolas

Omar Sharif ... Francisco
Raymond Pellegrin ... Carlos
Paolo Stoppa ... Pedro
Mildred Dunnock ... Pilar
Daniela Rocca ... Rosana, Mistress of Vinolas
Christian Marquand ... Zaganar
Marietto ... Paco Dages (as Marietto Angeletti)
Perrette Pradier ... Maria, Hussy (as Perette Pradier)
Zia Mohyeddin ... Luis, Guide of Paco
Rosalie Crutchley ... Teresa, Wife of Vinolas
Molly Urquhart ... Hospital Nurse
Jean-Paul Moulinot ... Father Estiban
Laurence Badie ... Celestina
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
118 min | France:121 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #20642) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France more
Company:
Columbia Pictures Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The movie was banned in Spain, which was still ruled by Generalissimo Francisco Franco, the fascist victor of the Spanish Civil War. more
Quotes:
Francisco: The Lord giveth and taketh.
Pilar: Mostly taketh.
more
Movie Connections:
Features Mourir à Madrid (1963) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
Gregory Peck Doesn't Believe In Surrendering, 17 February 2007
7/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

In 1939 like John Wayne's Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, Gregory Peck does not believe in surrenders. When all the others give up their weapons and go home, Peck conspicuously keeps his and keeps up the good fight. Of course twenty years later, Peck's become nothing more than a common bandit with the barest trappings of the revolutionary ardor he once had for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War.

His rival, his Pat Garrett to Peck being Billy the Kid, is the local captain of the Guardia Civil in Anthony Quinn. Peck's constant raids into his border area from France are a source of embarrassment to him and block his chances for advancement. At one time Quinn was a hardened Falangist, but now he's just a policeman.

Twenty years as made a lot of changes in both men. Quinn a devote Catholic who probably joined the fascist forces because of the anti-clerical attitudes of the Republican government now observes the form of religion, but he's got a mistress on the side. When he goes to pray it's not for anything profound, just please let him get Peck so he can advance.

Peck is as anti-clerical as he was during the Spanish Civil War in the late Thirties, but now is really into it a lot for violence's sake. He also knows his cause is long lost, but needs the excuse for what he's now doing. He also gets quite a surprise in finding a priest like Omar Sharif going to warn him about an informer in his crew. Catholics do come in all shapes and sizes.

Although Peck is somewhat miscast as a Spaniard, still he does a good job as does Quinn and Sharif. The strength of Behold a Pale Horse is that it presents both Peck and Quinn as flesh and blood people, neither of them all good or all evil from your point of view.

Behold a Pale Horse was made in 1964 and eleven years later Francisco Franco in whose service Quinn was in died after being dictator of Spain for 36 years. When I visited Spain in 2001 the thing that struck me was how there was very little evidence of Franco's reign. Spain has now settled quite nicely into a constitutional monarchy with a functioning parliament. And the Catholic church which rode as high in Spain as it did during Philip II is rapidly losing influence.

Kind of makes you wonder just what Peck and Quinn were fighting about.

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