SOUTHWEST TO SONORA

US, 1966, 98 minutes, Colour.
Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, John Saxon.
Directed by Sidney J. Furie.

Southwest to Sonora (also called The Appaloosa) is a Brando Western, focussing attention on the unusual hero and using him as the centre of reference for the fairly routine events the film recounts. The tale is a not unusual one of the Mexican autocracy and a valuable horse. However, there is human feeling in the film which keeps the interest (despite the scrawny bearded Brando at the start and the trial of getting used to his inarticulate drawl).

The film is also of interest as the work of director Sidney J. Furie who has made some significant films about individuals against the society in which they live or, more importantly, the society which manipulates their lives. This can be seen in such films of Furie's as The Ipcress File, The Naked Runner, The Lawyer, The Leather Boys, Little Fauss and Big Halsey.

1. Did you think that this was just an ordinary Western, the story of a horse and a chase, or was it a Western with a difference? Consider the story, the characters, the cinema techniques.

2. The film uses a usual Western technique - the 'picaresque': the hero who rides into the action and begins to change things and then goes to move on. How does the hero affect the lives of the people he meets?

3. Comment on the film's treatment of the themes of people's need to settle down, people ageing and getting tired, the arrogance of the land-owners, the struggle of the small people against the big.

4. The film opens with the hero going to Confession. What does this tell about him as a character? What if the film began without the Confession scene? Would anything have been lost?

5. How sincere was Mateo? Comment on the seeming contrast of his prayer and the burial of the old man and his swearing to revenge.

6. Did you understand the situation of the girl? Did you sympathise with her? She was sold at 15 years of age; there was no marriage; she was discarded. Her 'violation' in the Church and her attempt to escape, preferring to be dead. Do you think these are typical Latin-American? attitudes and situations or not?

7. Comment on the presentation of Medina. Was he a cliche villain? He was arrogant, an oppressive rich man and horse thief, trying to save face and reputation. Comment on how his dragging and humiliation of Mateo and the scorpion fight were cinematic judgements on his character.

8 What motivated Mateo's actions?

9. The film is alternately called The Appaloosa. Is the theme of this horse really the central theme?

10. The film made a lot of use of facial close-ups and close-ups of eyes. Effective? Why?