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Aug 03, 2021 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

The Valdez Horses (1973) isn’t the sort of Charles Bronson movie many would expect. It’s technically a spaghetti western, yes, and that beautiful, painted cover does depict a sour-looking Charlie holding a rifle. No, this isn’t Bronson on a revenge-fueled warpath (although, there is a little bit of revenge.) Is this Bronson as a strong, silent loner that local ruffians know better than to mess with? Well, kind of—minus the loner part, as he takes in a runaway kid in the movie’s first few minutes. How about Charles Bronson as a reluctant father figure, peaceful horse trader, and the unlikely love interest of the local land baron’s upper-class sister? Now, that’s the Bronson we get in The Valdez Horses.

Bronson plays Chino, a half-Indian horse breeder whose land has been bought out from under him by a wealthy mogul. Their David-vs-Goliath antagonism is complicated, though, by Chino’s developing relationship with the baddie’s sister, Catherine (played by Bronson’s wife, Jill Ireland.) Meanwhile, this lone wolf has taken on a stray pup by the name of Jamie (Vincent Van Patten), who’s wandered onto his homestead and wriggled his way into a job as a ranch hand.

Chino’s land squabble does eventually burst into violence, but the film is more about our hero warming up to the two outsiders who have managed to scratch their way under his thick, leathery exterior. Chino and Jamie bond over hard work, horses, and their affection for the nearby Native American tribe who raised Chino. Catherine and Chino bond over . . . watching two horses get it on? Their courtship results in a scene that’s awkward and uncomfortable to watch, making a romance that was already hard to buy feel that much more preposterous.

It’s nice to see Bronson in a warmer role, though, and that ending—oh, boy, that ending. It should come as a surprise to most first-time viewers, not just because of what happens, but how abruptly the story is wrapped up.

Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray edition looks pretty good in spite of the visibly rough shape of the materials. Damage is visible in places, which fans probably expect in all but the top-tier Spaghetti Westerns nowadays. The disc comes with multiple versions of the opening credits, a faded TV spot, and a smorgasbord of trailers for other Bronson movies. The star attraction is the feature-length commentary by Paul Talbot, author of two Bronson’s Loose! Books, and who by this point should be the go-to historian for any label looking to re-issue one of Bronson’s movies. Talbot covers the movie’s place in Bronson’s career, which parts were directed by John Sturges and which were added by Duilio Coletti, and the backgrounds of the film’s numerous other contributors.

(www.kinolorber.com/product/the-valdez-horses-aka-chino-special-edition-blu-ray)