700 miles west
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | 700 miles west |
| Original title | Bite the bullet |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1975 |
| length | 131 (orig.) 126 (licensed) minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Richard Brooks |
| script | Richard Brooks |
| production | Richard Brooks |
| music | Alex North |
| camera | Harry Stradling Jr. |
| cut | George Grenville |
| occupation | |
| |
700 Miles West (original title: Bite the Bullet ) is an American western directed by Richard Brooks with a star cast from 1975 .
action
A crowd of aged, brave men, the quick-tempered young gunslinger Carbo and Miss Jones , a former whore , meet for a horse race announced by a newspaper publisher. The route is said to have a length of about 700 miles and runs over great distances through the desert.
The motivations of the participants are different. Some want to make a name for themselves, others need the feeling of not being old and useless, yet for others it's all about the prize money. In general, everything revolves around money: where seasoned men meet, easy girls get a good deal, and the betting business naturally also flourishes. Spontaneously, Sam Clayton, a determined animal lover, whose comrade from the old days, Luke Matthews, is also among the riders, decides to take part. He is ready to help anyone who gets into an emergency and this is what sets him apart from most. Above all, however, he punishes every harm that their riders do to the horses.
During the race, the participants have to go to the limits of their capabilities. The first ones soon fall by the wayside because they are not up to the strain. In the conversations around the campfire and at the checkpoints, you gradually learn more about the motives of the lonely riders, their past and their longings. Little by little, the field of contenders for victory thins out, rivalries are fought and friendships are still made.
At the end there is a finish between the two old comrades. Sam, who already has the goal and the victory in mind, senses that his horse can no longer carry him. Out of consideration, he dismounts and walks the rest of the way while Luke unlocks the door. Although there is a lot of money at stake for Luke, he decides to do the same as his friend. Both reach the finish line together.
subjects
700 miles west is not your typical western. Although it contains the usual elements of the classic western with the associated sometimes clichéd characters, it works with a minimum of violence and shootouts. The most prominent figure is the animal lover Sam Clayton , who is characterized by insight, helpfulness and fairness , who not only protects animals, but also stands up for outsiders, such as the Mexicans who are mocked by everyone or the former whore.
Through his actions he sets signs that others find fertile ground. This is also the case with Miss Jones , the whore whose husband has to work as a prisoner in the expansion of a railway line, and whose actual plan is to free him during the race. However, when he robbed the remaining riders of their horses, Sam and Luke take up the chase. When they threaten to get into an ambush, Miss Jones warns the two and runs the risk of being harmed. But even the young hot spur Carbo learns his lesson and shows insight. The fairness runs like a red thread through the story and culminates in the end when the two friends renounce the sole victory out of respect for each other.
Reviews
- The lexicon of international film judges: Carefully and in great pictures designed entertainment, which also wants to thematize the limits of competitive thinking.
- Prisma Online is also positive: Richard Brooks shot the post-western, which can hardly be surpassed in terms of suspense, based on a true story. He skilfully draws - and with a lot of ironic nuances - the picture of people who have stumbled in life and who try their hand at adventuring for various reasons. A classic!
- Variety states that the film is an excellent, intelligent action drama that immerses itself in the different motivations of the participants in a marathon horse race.
- The Hollywood Reporter states about the film: A fat chunk of Americana , well seasoned with an optimism and positivism that have rarely become in today's film.
- Phil Hardy thinks the film is an attempt (...) to repeat the success of The Fearful Four . 700 miles west is just as unconventional but not as irresistible as this one.
Awards
- The film was nominated for an Oscar in the categories of Best Sound and Best Music in 1976 .
- In the same year he was awarded the Bronze Wrangler of the Western Heritage Awards .
publication
700 Miles West premiered on June 20, 1975. The film was released in Germany on October 31, 1975. In the GDR it was shown in cinemas on May 13, 1977 and was first broadcast on DFF 1 on April 26, 1983 on East German television.
Web links
- 700 miles westward in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- 700 miles west in the online movie database
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 700 miles west. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed August 13, 2018 .
- ↑ 700 miles west. In: prisma.de . Retrieved August 13, 2018 .
- ↑ a b quoted in: Joe Hembus: Western-Lexikon: 1272 films from 1894-1975. 2nd Edition. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich / Vienna 1977, ISBN 3-446-12189-7 , p. 560.
- ^ Phil Hardy: The Encyclopedia of Western Movies. Woodbury Press, Minneapolis 1984, ISBN 0-8300-0405-X , pp. 346f.
- ↑ 700 miles west. In: Zelluloid.de. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013 ; accessed on August 13, 2018 .