You won't be disappointed!

The greatest movie ever made..!

How sad is this?

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Mrs Grange is a distant relative of Christa,the heroine of Nelson's "soldier blue" ;both lived among an Indian tribe ,Mrs Grange had even a child from an Indian man:it's not surprising that the character who welcomes the baby of mixed race with warmth and tenderness is Sidney Poitier's.Besides,both Bibi Anderson and Candice Bergen are blond;it's all the more bewildering to see Anderson in a western since she is primarily an intellectual actress, famous for her roles in Bergman's works.That said ,one can prefer the way John Ford told us about the fate of the white "squaws".In spite of this minor quibble,"duel at Diablo" is an exciting western ,with a lot of subplots and even an unexpected twist (which makes sense),notably concerning Garner's late wife ;violence and cruelty (Indian tortures) are present and predict the final slaughter in the 1971 effort.A great scene shows Garner giving his revolver to a suffering dying man so as to he can finish HIMSELF off.Many interesting supporting parts.

This exceptionally hard picture deals about Jess (James Garner) who frees Ellen (Bibi Andersson)from Indians, she's married to mean trader (Dennis Weaver). Meanwhile lieutenant McAllister (Bill Travers) along with Toller (Sidney Poitier) are ordered transport ammunition throughout Apache territory where ravages an Indian chief named Chata (John Hoyt). Jess seeks revenge on the man who murdered and scalped his Indian wife. Then Ellen mysteriously flees again to unite them.This violent Western and hard on racial themes is full of noisy action, thrills , chills and results to be quite entertaining. The gratuitous violence and tortures brought worldwide queues and much criticism in the newspapers, though Nelson declared that it was utterly necessary. However it was severely cut in some countries. Good duo protagonist as James Garner and Sidney Poitier, director's usual. Appears uncredited Richard Farnsworth and the filmmaker Ralph Nelson as Colonel Foster. Rare and non appropriate score for an Old West movie is composed by Hefty. Stark and atmospheric cinematography by Charles Wheeler. The motion picture is well directed by Ralph Nelson. There were no half measures in this filmmaker. He would make sentimental movies or violent and gore films . Failure alternated with hits through the 1960s, though Nelson's direction was more than successful in ¨Lilies of the field¨with invaluable help of Sidney Poitier who won an Oscar as an African-American helping a group of German nuns to build a chapel. And of course his greatest success ¨Soldier Blue¨, also with cruel massacres and and blood fountained all over the screen. In the 7os Nelson went on to making strong movies , however, his films themselves were doing less successful at the Box office , numerous of those being barely seen outside US . As a violent Zapata Western titled ¨Wrath of God¨ with Robert Mitchum, as ¨Tick..Tick..Tick¨ in which the racial tensions arise when a black man being elected sheriff, ¨ The Wilby conspiracy¨ about the apartheid and again with Poitier and a Sci-fi movie titled ¨Embryo¨with Rock Hudson. Rating : Acceptable Western , Poitier fans will enjoy their idol.

"Duel At Diablo" had me thinking about Sidney Poitier's role, and I'd love to hear his reason for taking the assignment. Considering his appearance in one of my favorite films, "In The Heat Of The Night", a classic study of racism and cultural fear, I wondered how he reconciled the role of a former black military officer helping the cavalry protect a supply wagon through Apache territory, with all the attendant characterizations of the red man as a hostile, savage brute. But Toller (Poitier) did have character, as demonstrated by the apology to Remsberg (James Garner) after learning of his wife's fate, that was an excellent scene.Dennis Weaver surprised me with his portrayal of Will Grange, showing a range of ability that far surpasses my singular impression of him as Matt Dillon's deputy, Chester Goode. He figures in somewhat of a story twist when it's revealed that he had a hand in the death of Remsberg's wife. The showdown you were expecting for the entire film managed to play out in a manner that kept Garner's character honorable, even if revenge was served. It was an effective way to handle the conflict.You know, I'm surprised that an obvious continuity issue hasn't been noted yet regarding the picture. When Remsberg leaves the soldiers for Fort Concho, he's riding a gray horse across the desert, but in the scene when the horse collapses from heat exhaustion, it's brown. A similar error occurs in the Western "Comanche Blanco" near the finale when William Shatner's horse changes color. It makes me wonder why film makers, or even the principal actor, can't remember how the scene started out so it can be finished without an obviously conflicting ending. They must have other things on their mind.At least it was gratifying to see that mathematical accountability came into play regarding the strength of both the Indian band and the cavalry. As the soldier forces dwindled, references were made to that effect, and you had a sense of the attrition. Contrast that with other Westerns where it often seems like one side or the other winds up with just as many men as they started with.You know, it wouldn't have taken much to turn this one into a John Ford/John Wayne cavalry Western. Most of the elements were there except the peaks of Monument Valley and a romantic interest for the leading man. Still, the inclusion of Ellen Grange (Bibi Anderson) as a conflicted white woman with an Apache baby added another layer of intensity to a film already chock full of angst driven characters. You knew she would make it to the end of the story, the question being, at what price.

Lieutenant McAllister and a raw recruit of soldiers have to travel through Apache territory to deliver some much need ammunition to the awaiting Fort Conchos. Scout Jess Remsberg tags along with revenge on mind and horse broker / former trooper Toller who unwillingly receives an order to ride with them to finish off breaking the horses, if he wants the rest of his money. However McAllister and his small party find themselves trying to survive an Apache onslaught led by Chata, as the lady Ellen Grange that Jess rescued from the Apaches has something of importance to the chief.A competently well-made and satisfying western that's highlighted by the prominent cast and exhilaratingly taut and unsparing action sequences. Ralph Nelson smoothly paces this drum-beating foray, with its adeptly bold and old-fashioned direction. His professional touch lifts the screenplay. Going a long way to giving it a real bravado feel amongst the gritty, dusty and sprawling rocky terrain, which is masterfully framed with a lot of ticker and claustrophobic channelling by cinematography Charles F. Wheeler. The main feature of the film that strikes a chord, has got to be composer Neal Hefti's effectively novel, melodic score that seems to match and illustrate the sequences and overall feel rather well, despite the uncanny tone for this type of film. I found the dynamic cues to be rather contagious. Albert and Michael M. Grilikhes' open screenplay (which is based on the Marvin Albert's novel, "Apache Rising") is pretty much to the point and a little lacking by simply going through the motions. But even with those vague moments, it still thrives on well-rounded dialogues from its sturdy script. In there are configurations of racism, and the unfair treatment of the Indians, but it's the personal confrontations and torment that makes for one gruelling exercise. It never lets any of this get carried away, but the starkly harsh nature stays throughout. The performances are richly devised, to stew up depth and realism due more to their favourable acting than in the way of the material. James Garner's winningly focused performance as rugged, seldom Jess is first-rate. Sidney Poitier classy turn as Toller is a different stroke and admirably good one. Bill Travers' growing performance is very strong and humane. Dennis Weaver eclectically solid. Bibi Andersson was mildly okay, but was hindered and the modest John Hoyt didn't see enough time as Chata.Dated, but a well handled, compelling and tough as nails western, which finally shines through.