Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

merklekranz Totally acceptable Italian western utilizing many American character actors. My only gripes are the weirdly inappropriate score, and Indians who look suspiciously like Europeans. John Huston easily steals every scene as the Calvary General who doesn't mind sending Bekim Fehmiu and his band of misfits on a suicide mission. The desert scenery is exceptional, the acting passable, and the action strong. This film has some very sharp editing, thus eliminating scenes that would do little to move the story forward. It is also one of the least predictable westerns I have seen. Put this all together and you have a rarely viewed film, that deserves far more attention. - MERK

zardoz-13 "Support Your Local Sheriff" director Burt Kennedy takes no time out for either comedy or romance in "The Deserter," a gritty, violent frontier fracas written by western novelist Claire Huffaker. Previously, Huffaker and Kennedy had teamed up on the superlative western adventure "The War Wagon" back in 1967 that co-starred John Wayne and Kurt Douglas. This time around Kennedy and Huffaker are dealing with the U.S. Cavalry and bloodthirsty renegade Apache savages on the warpath. "The Deserter" qualifies as one of those ensemble, military actioneers with a diverse bunch of hardcases selected either because they are prisoners or specialists and hurled into the breach to thwart a menacing villain and his army. This beautifully lensed, 100-minute "Magnificent Seven" meets "The Dirty Dozen" oater mixes and matches genres and ranks as a solid shoot'em up bolstered by a top-notch supporting cast of Hollywood veterans who were already western icons. You've got Chuck Connors of "The Rifleman" fame. You've got Patrick Wayne, the son of the biggest western star ever: John Wayne. You've got John Ford stock player Woody Strode of "Sergeant Rutledge" fame. You've got Brandon De Wilde of "Shane;" he was the little boy who chased after Alan Ladd in the final scene screaming "Shane!" Additionally, you're got Slim Pickens, Ricardo Montalban, Albert Salmi, Richard Crenna, John Huston, and Ian Bannen. This dusty oater is worth seeing just to see these guys assembled against the savage Spanish scenery that substitutes splendidly for the American southwest. "War and Peace" producer Dino De Laurentiis has lavishly blown a fortune on this western. Although it has formidable production values, a great supporting cast, strong direction, sharp editing, and memorable dialogue, the one weakness is the lead played by Bekim Fehmiu, whose biggest movie was "The Adventurers." Fehmiu is appropriately laconic but he lacks charisma. You can believe him as a character because Huffaker and Kennedy have incorporated his non-native status in the storyline the same way that Warner Brothers use to provide for Australian actor Errol Flynn in their westerns. Indeed, a high percentage of people who converted to American citizenship were immigrants during the 19th century. Last but not least, prolific Italian composer Piero Piccioni of "Contempt" has furnished an orchestral score that is reminiscent more of American composer Neal Hefti than Ennio Morricone with its jazz-like melodies. The offbeat thing about "The Deserter" is that our indomitable hero must led a platoon of marauders into Mexico, something that violated international agreements between Mexico and America at the time, to wipe out an army of sadistic Indians that threaten not only the peace of white settlers but also innocent Native Americans! Talk about politically correct! Nevertheless, "The Deserter" is a thoroughly enjoyable western that piles on drama at the expense of humor. If you are watching the Mill Creek version, prepare yourself for a mangled viewing opportunity as the print is pretty butchered.

NewEnglandPat This cavalry-Indian western has a great veteran cast, an international flavor, beautiful scenery and plenty of action. An army captain discovers his wife tortured and murdered by Apaches and deserts but is later persuaded to train soldiers to undertake a seek-and-destroy mission against the Indians. Old antagonisms and resentments resurface as the special unit sets out on its mission, and there is as much fighting among the the soldiers as there is against the Apaches in this graphic, violent film. Bekim Fehmiu isn't bad in this adventure but his character is one-dimensional in his vengeance quest against the Indians. The film has beautiful western vistas, even if it was filmed in Europe and great character actors put the movie over the top in this wild but interesting film.

ranwev Chuck Conners,Albert Salmi,Woody Strode,Pat Wayne,Slim Pickens,Ricardo Montalban.Sound like a good show?How about throwing in a little Richard Crenna and John Huston.Mix it all together with international star Bekim Fehmiu and you have the "Deserter".You have seen it before and if you take time, you will see it again.A worthwhile oater that is very watchable(The gatling gun scene that has the cast looking right at you),and enjoyable.I have to agree w/previous comment of the film being too short and not getting to know the charactors very well(they were good and could have been great!).This however was a Dino de Laurentis production,and he doesn,t do westerns very well.Check it out anyway.