FIVE MAN ARMY/ UN ESERCITO DI 5 UOMINI

US/Italy, 1969, 100 minutes, Colour.
Peter Graves, James Daly, Nino Castelnuovo, Bud Spencer.
Directed by Don Taylor and Italo Zingarelli.

Five Man Army came during the popularity of spaghetti westerns. This one was co-written by Dario Argento, soon to become famous for his crime and horror films. It was produced and co-directed by Italo Zingarelli, with American Don Taylor as the nominal director.

The material is very familiar. There is a revolution in Mexico and the film opens with scenes of crowds in revolt, the presence of the army, the brutality of the army.

A young man, former acrobat, on the run from the army, goes to America to enlist the help of a veteran, Dutch, played by Peter Graves. He persuades Dutch to round up a force, including an army munitions expert, James Daly, and a tough, big wrestling type, played by Bud Spencer, so well-known from the Trinity westerns. There is also an quiet Japanese Samurai whose presence in the West is not entirely explained.

The group of bonds together and the plan is to rob a train. The money of the generals is on the train and is highly guarded. A good deal of the film is taken up with the pursuit of the train, infiltrating the train, the manoeuvres used to get the money and to escape.

Once the five man army has the money, there is a revolt as the men are deceived by Dutch who explains that he wants the money for himself, but for the revolution. After various tough interactions, the men finally agree that the money should go to the revolution.

The film does try to delineate something of the characters of the army, the confrontations with the Mexican military, the plight of the peasants – with a touch of romance is one of the local girls falls in love with the Samurai.

The film was co-directed by Don Taylor, initially an actor in such films as Father of the Bride and Naked City, but who in the 1950s made a transition to directing films and, especially, telemovies.

Nothing startling but probably enjoyable for Western fans and for those devoted to spaghetti westerns.