Une raison pour vivre, une raison pour mourir

Titre original : Una ragione per vivere e una per morire

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James Coburn, Telly Savalas, and Bud Spencer in Une raison pour vivre, une raison pour mourir (1972)

Union Colonel Pembroke (Coburn) rescues seven condemned men from the gallows in order to attack Fort Holman, which is commanded by the insane Confederate Major Frank Ward (Telly Savalas, Kojak). Under the guise of seizing the fortress for its strategic location, Pembroke in fact wants revenge for Ward's cowardly murder of his son. The siege that follows pits criminals and Confederates against each other in bloody battle. On this impossible mission, against impossible odds, who will survive?

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Spaghetti Western Drama Western

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueBranded a coward for surrendering his New Mexico fort to the Confederates without firing a shot, a Union colonel leads a band of condemned prisoners on a suicide mission to recapture it.Branded a coward for surrendering his New Mexico fort to the Confederates without firing a shot, a Union colonel leads a band of condemned prisoners on a suicide mission to recapture it.Branded a coward for surrendering his New Mexico fort to the Confederates without firing a shot, a Union colonel leads a band of condemned prisoners on a suicide mission to recapture it.

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

NOTE IMDb

6,1/10

2,3 k

MA NOTE

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

Anecdotes
The homestead encountered when the group leave the train (at 43 minutes) is the same as the McBain homestead in Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

Gaffes
The film is set in 1862 but features Gatling guns that, presumably, formed part of the fort's arsenal when it was in Union hands.The gun was designed by Dr Richard J Gatling in 1861 and patented on November 4, 1862. Though two examples were employed near Petersburg and eight fitted on gunboats, it was not accepted by the American Army until 1866. So it's most improbable that it would have been available in a remote theatre of the Civil War.

Citations
Colonello Pembroke: Gentlemen, I can promise you nothing, except a chance to die honorable, and possibly live. In any case, freedom at the end.

Versions alternatives
For its initial American release, the film was cut to 92 minutes. This version still airs on the MGM-HD Channel.

Connexions
Edited into Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 9 (2002)

Avis des utilisateurs22

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8/10

The Dirty Bunch

Disgraced Union officer James Coburn saves himself and a few degenerates, including Bud Spencer, from hanging by suggesting a daring raid on the impregnable Fort Holman, currently being held by mad rebel General Telly Savalas. As the introductory crawl suggests, Coburn has greater motivations than that of simple patriotism.

Inspired by The Dirty Dozen with a bit of Where Eagles Dare and The Wild Bunch thrown in, this is an entertaining Italian western/Civil War movie that makes good use of the massive sets previously built for the film El Condor.

Generally worth recommending, Massacre At Fort Holman (also widely known as A Reason To Live, A Reason To Die, with Coburn dubbed by someone else and Bud Spencer apparently by character actor R.G. Armstrong!) sags some in the middle but things pick up and the final battle is fairly exciting.

There's a great performance by the always cool James Coburn, while that of the supposedly insane Telly Savalas is actually more subdued than usual. He was much more zesty in Pancho Villa and A Town Called Hell, though this is still a better movie.