Guns for San Sebastian
"The epic of a town that became an army"
Leon Alastray is an outlaw who has been given sanctuary by Father John, whom he then escorts to the village of San Sebastian. The village is deserted, with its cowardly residents hiding in the hills from Indians, who regularly attack the village and steal all their supplies. When Father John is murdered, the villagers mistakenly think the outlaw is the priest. Alastray at first tells them he is not a priest, but they don't believe it, and an apparent miracle seems to prove they are correct. Eventually, he assists them in regaining their confidence and defending themselves.
Curator's Take
“Anthony Quinn and Charles Bronson in a Hollywood-Euro co-production. It’s got a larger scale than most, feeling more like an epic adventure. The score by Morricone is, as always, a highlight.”
Why This Movie Is Important
A Hollywood production that clearly tries to emulate the scale and energy of the Italian westerns. It is evidence of the 'Spaghetti effect', how the European style eventually forced Hollywood to update its own visual language.
Production Details
Guns for San Sebastian is a 1967 western film directed by Henri Verneuil. Originally released in Italy under the title "La Bataille de San Sebastian", the film was produced during the golden era of European westerns. The film features a score composed by Ennio Morricone. Cinematography was handled by Armand Thirard. The screenplay was written by Ennio De Concini. The film stars Anthony Quinn as Leon Alastray, Charles Bronson as Teclo, and Jaime Fernández as Golden Lance. Running 1 hour and 51 minutes, it is a well-paced entry in the genre. It holds a solid average rating of 7.0 from 97 ratings.
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Did You Know?
Henri Verneuil directed this film with over 1500 extras. The 'battle for the dam' sequence is one of the largest practical effect explosions ever filmed in Mexico at that time.
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