The Wrath of God
The Wrath of God is a 1972 offbeat Western genre film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Robert Mitchum, Frank Langella, Rita Hayworth and Victor Buono. Filmed in Mexico, it is based on the 1971 novel by Jack Higgins writing as James Graham.
| The Wrath of God | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Ralph Nelson |
| Produced by | Ralph Nelson |
| Written by | Jack Higgins Ralph Nelson |
| Starring | Robert Mitchum Rita Hayworth Frank Langella |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Cinematography | Alex Phillips, Jr. |
| Edited by | J. Terry Williams |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Premise
Van Horne (played by Mitchum), a bank robber dressed like a Roman Catholic priest, is spared from a firing squad in 1922 in an unnamed Central America nation resembling Mexico in the Cristero War and sent to kill a local desperado.
Cast
- Robert Mitchum as Father Oliver Van Horne
- Frank Langella as Tomas de la Plata
- Rita Hayworth as Senora de la Plata
- John Colicos as Col. Santilla
- Victor Buono as Jennings
- Ken Hutchison as Emmet Keogh
- Paula Pritchett as Chela
- Gregory Sierra as Jurado
- Frank Ramirez as Carlos Moreno
- Enrique Lucero as Nacho
- Jorge Russek as Cordona
- José Luis Parades as Pablito
- Aurora Clavel as Jurado
- Pancho Cordova as Tacho
Notes
The film is a lighthearted adaptation of the western noir novel The Wrath of God written by Harry Patterson and published under the pseudonym of James Graham in 1971, and later as Jack Higgins.
Alluding to the fact that the film is untroubled by the need for any apparent consistency, film critic Roger Ebert describes it as "a simple, dashing tale told for sheer fun."[1]
Lalo Schifrin's Latin-tinged soundtrack score was described as "jazzy at times, more serious at others – but almost always served up with groovy touches that make this one especially appealing to our ears."[2]
The film marks the final screen appearance by Hayworth, whose health worsened as Alzheimer's disease took hold.
The film was released the same year as Werner Herzog's acclaimed film Aguirre, the Wrath of God.
Production
Actor Ken Hutchison had a near catastrophic accident near the end of filming in which he cut himself on some broken glass, opening a gash from wrist to elbow. He was discovered by Mitchum's wife Dorothy, who applied a life saving tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Since Hutchison was in nearly every scene, the insurance company covering the production shut it down for a month for him to heal. When he returned, he was unable to do anything strenuous, and had to keep the arm covered. With the long layoff, the cast and crew just wanted to get the film done, resulting in confusion, continuity gaps and dislocation.[3]
See also
References
- The Wrath of God, a review by Roger Ebert, September 18, 1972
- Dusty Groove: Wrath of God; Lalo Schifrin. (soundtrack)
- Server, Lee (2001). Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don't Care. St. Martin's Press. pp. 450-451. ISBN 0-312-28543-4.