Customer Reviews

Navajo Joe [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Burt Reynolds in the title role takes out revenge on Aldo Sanbrell and his gang in this extremely violent and unsympathetic Spaghetti Western. This film shows off Reynolds' great physique and athletic prowess (circa 1966) under Sergio Corbucci's direction. Ennio Morricone (Leo Nichols) composed a rather over the top pseudo-American Indian score which is just wild. The final confrontation between Reynolds and Sanbrell is so incredible it has to be seen.

Navajo Joe suffers from mediocre makeup effects and below average scenery, but it makes up in story intensity, drama and most of all music. Morricone's score gives you goosebumps and it makes the movie so much more emotional. The reason why people are longing to see this movie on DVD, is that it is a quintessential Spaghetti Western, one of the must see films of the genre, with the music so popular, the star so famous and the finale so memorable, it is a wonder MGM hasn't released this one years ago (this is a copy of my review I wrote at the Spaghetti Western Database, swdb.info)

Burt Reynolds (before his frantic car chase days)plays a Native-American Man-With-No-Name in an Italian western straight out of the mid-1960s, when these things were a fad. Burt is tight-lipped and stoic as he trails a band of killers who murdered his wife and other innocent victims in a "scalphunter" raid. The outlaw gang looks like a reunion of Sergio Leone extras. The plot is one long search and destroy as "Joe" (a/k/a Burt Reynolds) wreaks havoc on the bad guys. One definite strength of the film is the exciting background music, by Ennio Morricone. (The same composer who did the Clint Eastwood Italian westerns). Anyway, don't expect a John Ford classic western. The desolate Spanish countryside is no comparison to Monument Valley. There is no poetry and art here. Only brutal, fast, and violent action, which takes place with very little fake blood spilling all over the screen. The final showdown in the Indian grave-yard has an air of mystery and tragedy as our hero fights to the death among his ancestors. The last scene of the riderless Indian pony manages some slight poignancy. European westerns, much as Japanese science-fiction movies, are not for everybody. Those with the acquired taste should find this one a likable time-waster. Love that crazy drumbeat and human voice combination in the theme music

Before Burt Reynolds became a hot property, he went to Italy probably hoping to catch the fire that Clint Eastwood found and made 'NAVAJO JOE' the fifth western by director Sergio Corbucci. Burt has said in past interviews that its his worst film but he couldn't be more farther from the truth. It's one of the best spaghetti westerns of the mid sixties with a stellar cast including Fernando Rey and the beautiful Nicoleta Machiavelli as the mute Indian girl who becomes Burt's sidekick. The true scene stealer is the awesome Aldo Sambrell as Duncan, the leader of a band of outlaws who are getting paid for Indian scalps and who stops at nothing to try to bring down Burt. Corbucci delivers the goods with non stop action throughout its running time. The music score is under the direction of the master, Ennio Morricone, who is billed under an alias ,Leo Nichols, which he also used for his excellent score for Corbucci's 'THE HELLBENDERS' released the same year. MGM gives the release a pristine widescreen transfer, lets hope they release 'DEATH RIDES A HORSE' and 'GUNS FOR SAN SEBASTIAN' in the near future with the same quality. This film is one of my favorite guilty pleasures which I find myself coming back to on repeated viewings. Its fast, bloody, and honorable, and sorry, Burt, its better than'100 RIFLES'.

I just bought the DVD today, great presentation. Picture looks great, anamorphic widescreen, pretty much what the fans have been waiting for. It's pretty cheap, too. Would've been nice to see some special features. I would've enjoyed seeing maybe a new interview with Burt Reynolds, maybe see his thoughts today on the film. I have gained a greater appreciation for the film. This is a much better presentation than that pan and scanned version present in the Wild West Box set. If you're a fan of Burt Reynolds, Sergio Corbucci, westerns, spaghetti westerns, or anything that applies to this film, buy it! You will not regret it.

Here is an interesting early Burt Reynolds film released in 1966. It is a foreign film of Italian-Spanish. An interesting role for Burt Reynolds because in real-life he has Indian in him. Reynolds was probably the age of 29 at the time this was filmed. Good western. The villain, "Duncan" likes to scalp Indians. Navajo Joe (Burt Reynolds) looks out for his people on a white horse. Even when the saloon girls try to make a run for it to get away from the evil Duncan, Navajo Joe saves the girls lives. Native Indians will like the ending of this one. I would like to recommend My Name Is Nobody (1973), starring the unforgetable Terence Hill, with Henry Fonda and Steve Kanaly (Kanaly later co-starred in the "Dallas" tv series).

Here's one for CB:

Navajo Joe is one of the lesser talked about Sergio Corbucci films. Though a good movie, it is a easy to see why it's never mentioned alongside Django, Companeros or The Great Silence. It does seem a bit more like a Hollywoodized project, as though Corbucci didn't have as much input as usual, and was more or less along for the ride.
In the movie, Joe is hell bent(for leather!) for revenge against a murderous gang that kills a bunch of Native Americans(including Joe's woman). He gets a good opportunity to stick it to them when a small town asks for his help in defending them from the evil gang, which is coming to town to get a large stash of cash. It's the typical spaghetti western kind of plot. Joe is very much the type of character you'd expect from the genre-A cool, calm badazz who doesn't talk much, takes no crap and whoops butt. The few Native American characters are played by obvious white folks with darkened skin to make them look "native", but this was quite common at the time. I'm not sure how easy it is to buy Burt Reynolds as a Navajo warrior, but it's easy enough to at least buy him as a western hero.
Navajo Joe is a good time if you dig them spaghetti westerns, and you should!! After all, you're not a commie, are ya?

Thanks to CLINT for reminding me.

I think Navajo Joe was based on a French comic book series by JiJi the mentor of Blueberry's GIR/Mobius.
In any event Burt Reynolds seems to be expanding his role from the Gunsmoke TV series. It is a decent western and Burt is first class. I know it was at the start of his rise to movie stardom in the late 1970's
A nice tough little western.

I read many westerns and watch western movies, but if not for Burt Reynolds the picture NAVAJO JOE would not be too good. The much younger, thinner, and athletic Reynolds is in his prime in this feature.

Though some reviewers rave about the musical score, it mostly intrudes and got on my nerves: if one enjoys near screams and yelps then it will not doubt please, but for my ears it was mostly an irritation and offered no suspense I can recall.

The scenery is visually extraordinary, and as this is a Spanish-Italian production, as typical of many westerns of the time, it was probably shot in Spain. The horses are sensational and the western town mockups are pretty realistic. But other than Burt Reynolds most of the western characters on screen do not have a true western feel about them. One real problem for western fans: though the train is very nice and visually pleasing, it is of wide gauge track not the narrow gauge one would expect in the American west. And the design of the locomotive is not one that would have been seen in the American west.

In the main, I am not much of a spaghetti western fan, and generally have to tolerate even the best Clint Eastwood venture, however, TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA, SHALAKO, DUEL AT DIABLO, JOE KIDD, BREAKHEART PASS, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, are all foreign movies I adoringly watch over and over.

Since this movie, NAVAJO JOE, has become something of a cult favorite many people will watch it. I think it provides good entertainment and is worth seeing, just don't pay too much attention to the make up or the lips of the actors.

Best in westerns, pards.

Semper Fi.

Absolutely a stupid movie. Shoots all his ammo up in the last scene in a Rifleman like firing. Tosses his gun away to walk over to a tomahawk, never checking the murderous villain for a hidden gun. Gives himself up when it is certain death with the old I will shoot the girl bit.