Rent Hannie Caulder (1971)

Violent 70s Western - Hannie Caulder review by GI

A British produced western that shamelessly rips from Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah and is one of a cycle of violent, somewhat exploitative westerns of the early 70s that followed the revisionist view that Leone and Peckinpah both began. It's also a star vehicle for Raquel Welch who plays the title role and plays on her playboy sexuality. It's a simple revenge western with Hannie raped by three outlaw brothers who have murdered her husband. The baddies are played by Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam and Strother Martin who had all been in Peckinpah or Leone westerns, indeed Martin basically mirrors his character from The Wild Bunch (1969). Hannie meets bounty hunter Thomas (Robert Culp) who teaches her how to shoot ready for the eventual showdown with the bad guys. Christopher Lee supports as a gunsmith and Diana Dors and Stephen Boyd add to the token British presence. The film boasts plenty of blood squib violence, a dusty Mexican border setting including some nice sunsets vistas and basic western trope characters. It's all a bit dated and not the best example of 70s westerns although it probably exemplifies the cheaper end of the genre in this period. Directed by Burt Kennedy, who is more famous for his much more light hearted westerns he made in the 60s with James Garner and John Wayne, but here effectively gives us a spaghetti western vibe with hints of John Sturges.

HALF-HEARTED RAPE-&-REVENGE DRAMA - Hannie Caulder review by Frank Talker™

It really required a better dramatic actress than Raquel WELCH to make this film work well since she is unable to successfully get across to the audience the trauma of having had her husband killed and then being repeatedly raped by the killers.

The strong comedy element is exactly what one would expect from director Burt KENNEDY and is well executed by Ernest BORGNINE, Jack ELAM & Strother MARTIN as three hapless outlaws. But this is not a black comedy so it all seems rather tasteless in the context of the moral degeneracy on show here.

Stephen BOYD and Diana DORS are largely wasted in somewhat pointless cameos which fritter away their talent. But the always-dependable Christopher LEE manages to convince as a Mexican - albeit with a decidedly English accent.

Interestingly, if Paco DE LUCÍA had written the musical score for this movie, it would have justified his pleasing, but too short musical cameo here.

The best thing about this movie is the rather tragedic performance of Robert CULP. He gives the movie the dramatic depth which it otherwise lacks as an aging bounty hunter with none of the fulfilling emotional ties that he clearly longs for in his personal life.