Vera Cruz (1954)

The road to my 25th post had to go through Vera Cruz. Nothing fuels one's imagination quite like a rivalry between two evenly matched foes. As a kid I often wondered who would win if Superman squared off against He-Man and Batman took on Spider-Man. The quest for engaging rivalries and unique match-ups took a life of its own when I discovered sport. Who would win a rematch between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer? Can Manny Pacquiao KO Floyd Mayweather?  Will Justin Gatlin ever outrun Usain Bolt? Whenever a match-up lived up to its potential (See Bibo V/S Kumar) it became a memory to treasure.

Magical rivalries however are not limited to sport and comics alone they have a unique place in movies too. Vera Cruz takes that rivalry to a brand new level by pitting an ultra-aggressive Burt Lancaster against an ice cool Gary Cooper (both of them incidentally are in the Top 25 actors list of AFI). But before going into the intricacies of the film we should explore the background of this movie a bit. Back in 1954, Burt Lancaster was on the verge of super stardom. Burt however was not content on playing safe and instead chose Vera Cruz as the script where he would showcase his histrionics against a star who was even bigger than him (read Gary Cooper). Gary Cooper on the other hand had nothing to prove, he was the reigning megastar of Hollywood and was at the top of his game. It is widely acknowledged that he was dissuaded by Clark Gable himself from taking this role. Coop not one to back down from a challenge took the role anyway. So there you have it, an extremely game Burt Lancaster who has everything to gain pitted against a sedate Gary Cooper who has nothing to lose and the roles they play further accentuate this contrast to make Vera Cruz an engaging watch.

The Plot: Two evenly matched foes one an ex-confederate soldier (Gary Cooper) and the other a gunslinger (Burt Lancaster) join forces to transport Emperor Maximilian's treasure to the Veracruz port from where the treasure is scheduled to be shipped to Europe in order to elicit support for Maximilian's fragile regime. The soldier and the gunslinger share a tenuous partnership bordering on respect. Both realize they need each other for having a realistic chance at the treasure but both know their mutual respect would not come in the way of seizing the treasure all for themselves. The road to Veracruz is filled with double crosses and new alliances until two men stand tall at the end facing off each other for a chance at the gold.

The Giants definitely do come alive here

Coming back to the movie, here are some things which I really liked about Vera Cruz other than the casting of course:

1. When you have two strong leads playing diametrically opposite roles there's always a strong temptation to let them go off at each other at the drop off a hat. Vera Cruz avoids this temptation by whetting our appetite with an opening confrontation and then holding further clashes off until the climatic battle. Later films such as Face/Off employed this strategy with great success. 
2. The dynamic between Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster has to be the strongest point of Vera Cruz. Both play characters which are very different yet very similar. Cooper's Trane is quiet, thoughtful and sophisticated whereas Burt's Erin is loud, uncouth and vulgar. But both are redoubtable foes who are brave enough to challenge an army on their own. Both are seemingly aware of each others strengths and also weaknesses. Two self-aware characters vying for supremacy (reminds me of Face/Off again) makes Vera Cruz every bit more entertaining.
3. Another strong point of Vera Cruz is its plot. The twists in the plot force the leads from being adversaries to partners but each is aware that its only a matter of time before the other snaps for all the riches at stake.  The gripping screenplay highlights this tension between the characters while underscoring the fact that good friends can in fact make better enemies.
4. Hollywood Westerns of the 40's and 50s' could be accused of getting preachy about the entire concept of right and wrong. Not Vera Cruz, characters here believe in ends justifying their means and because the ends are so important the movie rolls forward at a remarkable pace only allowing us enough time to take in the magnificence of the production.
5. Any film is only as good as its supporting cast. Now I could talk about the leading ladies and Cesar Romero here. But I am more interested in mentioning one Ernest Borgnine and one Charles Bronson (billed as Charles Buchinsky). Yes they are in this movie too and would become legitimate stars in their own right in the years to come. They say a good movie makes money but a great movie makes careers. By that standard Vera Cruz definitely did do a lot for the careers of these two actors.
6. Last but not the least I must tip my hat to Robert Aldrich's direction. When I watched the movie for the first time little did I know that the movie was coming from the same man who made one of my personal favorites, The Dirty Dozen (which incidentally features both Charles Bronson and Ernest Borgnine in prominent roles). I went on to watch his 10 Seconds to Hell which once again plays off its leads against one another and someday I will definitely watch his version of the The Longest Yard.

So there you go my friends, New Year is right here. How about spicing it up by watching an all time classic. If you do end up watching Vera Cruz do let me know how you feel.

Rated: Time Pass

Until Next Time,

Your Movie Buff,
J.J. Chaitanya