zardoz-13 "A Reason to Live; A Reason to Die" is a American Civil War saga about a cashiered Union colonel who commands twelve condemned men to carry out a suicide mission. Initially, this do-or-die adventure epic opens like a "Dirty Dozen" clone before it turns into quasi-"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Although Colonel Pembroke (James Coburn of "Duck, You Sucker") wants to clear himself of being a traitor, he really wants to appropriate a half-million dollars in gold from impregnable Fort Holman. Pembroke's nemesis at Holman is none other than Telly Savalas! Savalas' presence bolsters the allusion to "The Dirty Dozen." As the commandant of Fort Holman, Savalas is not going to take the easy way out. Tonino Valerii of "Day of Anger" helmed this standard-issue, Spaghetti western. Rafael Azcona and Ernesto Gastaldi co-wrote the screenplay about treacherous men with Valerii. Gastaldi had penned his share of Spaghettis, including "My Name Is Nobody," "Man from Nowhere," "Arizona Colt Returns," and "10,000 Dollars for a Massacre." Previously, Azcona and Gastaldi had co-written the Bud Spencer comedy oater "I Can Be Done, Amigo." The splendid, sun-baked scenery of Southern Spain; a seasoned cast headed up by Coburn and Savalas, and Riz Ortolani's flavorful orchestral soundtrack are the chief assets of "A Reason to Live; A Reason to Die." Actually, most of Ortolani's score sounds like excerpts from his "Day of Anger" soundtrack. Valerii creates some moments of suspense, particularly when they are stringing a rope to themselves. Bud Spencer goes in undercover as a Confederate soldier to help Pembroke and his men get into Fort Holman.Interestingly, although neither the director nor the writers drew any parallels to history, "A Reason to Live; A Reason to Die" sounds something like the siege of Vicksburg. At Vicksburg, on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, Pennsylvania born John Pemberton commanded the city and forted themselves up against the Union Army and U.S. Grant. Eventually, Grant starved the Confederates out of Vickburg and Pemberton was branded as a traitor for surrendering the city. When the Union Army captured Vicksburg, they cut the Confederacy in half, severing the Eastern Theater from the Western Theater. The officers in "A Reason to Live; A Reason to Die" depicts Fort Holman as a stronghold for the Union. When Pembroke gave up the fort, he was branded as a traitor like Pemberton for losing Vicksbug. Of course, events have been changed throughout the film, but you can see the dregs of history percolate up to the surface. In this respect, "A Reason to Live; A Reason to Die" isn't strictly a western

lastliberal Another western taking place during the Civil War.Colonel Penbroke (James Coburn) is trying to redeem himself after losing a fort to the rebs, and, like The Dirty Dozen, gathers condemned men to take a fort. He only has six or eight, not a dozen, but they manage to get to the fort anyway. Getting in is another matter.This is where it changes from a western to a commando flick, a la WWII. The condemned all die thinking they would be rich off the gold supposedly buried in the fort, and Coburn gets his chance to once again face Maj. Ward (Telly Savalas).Lots of dead Rebs and only Pembroke and Eli (Bud Spencer) survive, but his honor is restored.

FightingWesterner 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.

wes-connors This English re-titled "A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die" is a thoroughly unconvincing United States Civil War swipe of "The Dirty Dozen", done in the Clint Eastwood "spaghetti western" style. James Coburn (as Pembroke) leads a less than star-studded group of seven desperadoes. (Still pre-Kojak) Telly Savalas, who appeared as one of the original "Dozen", is Mr. Coburn's major foil. Mr. Savalas (as Ward) has interesting taste in sculpture art. The locations are nice, but don't seem very American. The film's relatively high level of explosions, shootings, and stabbings must have been the box office draw, back in the early 1970s. Today, you only need to play a video game.** Una ragione per vivere e una per morire (1972) Tonino Valerii ~ James Coburn, Telly Savalas, Bud Spencer