Breakheart Pass (1975)

Director:

Tom Gries

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Alistair MacLean (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1975 (Finland)

Genre:

Western | Mystery | Crime | Action

Tagline:

Revenge Mystery Danger Ambush

Plot:

Train with medical supplies and small U.S. Army unit is heading through Rocky mountains towards plagued Fort Humboldt...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Railway | Explosive | Cavalry | Maverick

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Deakin
Ben Johnson	...	Pearce
Richard Crenna	...	Governor Fairchild
Jill Ireland	...	Marica
Charles Durning	...	O'Brien
Ed Lauter	...	Major Claremont
Bill McKinney	...	Reverend Peabody
David Huddleston	...	Dr. Molyneux
Roy Jenson	...	Chris Banion
Rayford Barnes	...	Sergeant. Bellew
Scott Newman	...	Rafferty
Robert Tessier	...	Levi Calhoun
Joe Kapp	...	Henry
Archie Moore	...	Carlos
Sally Kirkland	...	Jane-Marie

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 (cut) (1975) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1989) | Netherlands:12 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Camas Prairie Railroad, Lewiston, Idaho, USA

Company:

Elliott Kastner Productions

Trivia:

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt's final movie credit.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The locomotive and all the cars have automatic couplers and air brakes, neither of which were in general use until the 1880s.

Quotes:

Deputy U.S. Marshal Nathan Pearce: There's more ways to pacify Indians than shootin' holes in them!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Behind the Action: Stuntmen in the Movies (2002) (TV)

enjoyable western

This movie was made at the height of Bronson's career. He had just done Death Wish a year before and Hard Times and Breakout were the other two to follow. It must have made a packet and its easy to see why. A train heading for a destination where Indians await and mysterious murders happening along the way. Many characters make this movie seem alas Hitchcock/Christie and the music by Jerry Goldsmith is one of the best of the 70's. His music captures the mood of every scene whether it be high pitch as the train moves along or dark as the shady characters go about their business in the carriages. Some of the location shooting is breathtaking and i actually felt cold watching it. The acting is solid as expected. Bronson, Crenna, Johnson, Lauter, Durning and even Jill Ireland are all good while not giving much away to their character. The action explodes at the end and gunfire a plenty making this one of the most entertaining action films of that era.

8/10