Chato’s Land
1972  PG  WESTERN  1h 50min
CAST— Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, Richard Basehart, Ralph Waite, Richard Jordan, Victor French
MUSIC— Jerry Fielding  DIRECTOR— Michael Winner

     Charles Bronson plays an Apache half-breed in this less than engaging Western. In self defense he kills the local lawman and heads for home. A posse is soon rounded up (headed by Jack Palance) and their hatred runs deep. They travel to Bronson’s home and use his wife as bait… after they rape her, that is. That tears it. Bronson goes on the war path, picking off members of the posse one by one. The tension mounts so that the men in the posse begin killing each other off, as well. If only it didn’t take so long. Most of the film is filled with needless exposition that you begin to question the intent of the filmmakers; did they want to deliver a soul-searching travelogue or a revenge picture? Sorry to say, it fails on both accounts. One positive note: check out Ralph Waite as a crazed rider; pretty unpleasant death, as well.
OUR RATING— **