Behold a Pale Horse, the 1964 film directed by Fred Zinnerman, is about Spanish guerrilla Manuel Artiguez. It’s been 20 years since the Spanish Civil War and he is still bitter about losing. However, more personal concerns plague him has his mother is dying in a San Martin hospital. Vinolas, Artiguez’s enemy during the war, has been chasing him for twenty years. He decides to use this opportunity to set a trap for him. However, Manuel’s mother has told a priest, Francisco, to warn Manuel not to come. Francisco decides to do it and travels to Manuel’s home while on his way to Lourdes. Will Manuel get the message and what will he do with the information?
Although the movie has a downer ending, if one looks at it closely, you can get the impression that Manuel staged an elaborate suicide. He didn’t have to go to San Martin after he found out the truth, but he did anyway. Even his mortal enemy, Vinolas, is perplexed by his actions in the end. The rest of the movie gives pretty good evidence that Manuel knows that trying to take back Spain is a lost cause and doesn’t have the energy left to continue the fight. He probably feels that it is better to go down in a blaze of glory than die a slow death. Peck doesn’t make a convincing Spaniard, although he does try his best. Still, Honolulu film fans should at least rent this.
More at: Tricia’s Retro Film Reviews
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