Inferno am Fluß (1968)

Inferno am Fluß: Directed by Silvio Narizzano. With Terence Stamp, Joanna Pettet, Karl Malden, Stathis Giallelis. A young American who was raised by Mexican bandits, now must choose sides when his Mexican gang carries out violent murderous raids into U.S. border towns.

“Silvio Narizzano mainly worked for TV but this movie and u0026quot;why shoot the teacheru0026quot;in the seventies are worth seeking out;the former told the story of a young teacher (Bud Cort),fresh from the university ,who winds up in middle Canada where he realizes that what he learned does not help much in a hostile nature ;although liked by his pupils ,he was ill at ease,an intruder in this rural God-forsaken world.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFive years earlier,Azulu0026#39;s place is nowhere too;his parents were killed by Mexicans ,the chief of whom adopted him ;but his biological sons (from different mothers)never accepted him :he is too delicate,too gentle to live in this hyper macho world.Had they continued their political struggle against the French (as Juarez u0026#39; allies against Napoleon The Third? the screenplay does not mention them),Azul would perhaps have found a reason for this struggle which actually consists of pillage and rapes .All that deals with Ricardo Montalban and his wild bunch recall spaghetti western ,but itu0026#39;s not:the director was Canadian.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOn the other hand ,the scenes with the Americans would not be out of place in stuff like u0026quot; friendly persuasionu0026quot; with their shimmering colors ;the good doctor (played by Oscar-winner Karl Malden ) , his daughter (Joanna Pettet) and the villagers seem to come from another world,compared to the bestial brutes milieu in which Azul was nurtured.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eActually ,born an English man (as Terence Stamp,whose restrained performance is in direct contrast with that of Fellini u0026#39;s u0026quot;Tommy Dammitu0026quot; in u0026quot;spirit of the deadu0026quot; ,released the very same year),Azul is torn between the two worlds ;and the ending ,lyrical and epic,is really the only one which could have concluded this offbeat tale.”