merklekranz While there is plenty of Van Cleef time in "Barquero", and the Warren Oates factor is a plus, this talky western borders on boring. Almost the entire film takes place in one location, and the script just doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean if Oates would have at least tried to find a shallow river crossing, instead of obsessing about Van Cleef's barge, things might have moved along at a more tolerable pace. As it is, with all the shouting back and forth across the river, nothing really happens for long stretches. "Barquero" to me was somewhat of a disappointment, and in no way challenges Lee Van Cleef's performance in "The Big Gundown" or some of his other non Leone westerns. - MERK

zardoz-13 Seasoned Hollywood helmer Gordon Douglas of "Them" directed this gritty, no-nonsense shoot'em up "Barquero" with Lee Van Cleef as the eponymous frontier type named Travis who owns a ferry on the Rio Grande. What sets "Barquero" apart from all other westerns is that this is the first time that a horse opera has been made where the hero is a ferry man. Indeed, he doesn't ride a horse, he owns a ferry. In other words, "Barquero" qualifies as unique. Furthermore, the William Marks & George Schenck screenplay is simple, clear-cut, but violent. The guys blast it out with each other and the filmmakers throw in a lot of tongue-in-cheek, tough guy humor.A crazy, pot-smoking outlaw, Jake Remy (Warren Oates of "Return of the Seven") and his bloodthirsty gang shoot up the town of Buckskin--though massacre might be a more descriptive word--and then hightail it for the border to make their getaway. Travis is the only man who stands between Remy and freedom and Travis isn't about to let Remy cross. A lot of bloodshed ensues as the villains try to make the crossing. Composer Dominic Frontiere contributes a memorable orchestral score. Lee Van Cleef is at his gimlet-eyed best and Warren Oates is as slimy as a villain can come. As Mountain Phil, Forrest Tucker is fun to watch as a rough-hewn frontiersman who joins forces with Travis. There's an amusing torture scene between iconic western character actor John Davis Chandler of "The Outlaw Josy Wales" and Forrest Tucker's mountain man. Surprisingly, Mariette Hartley is cast as Travis' woman.One of the highlights of this offbeat western is the river attack when Jake's men construct small wooden craft and attack Travis. Lee Van Cleef had only recently made a name of himself in Europe as a star and this United Artists movie takes advantage of his rejuvenated career. Anybody who calls himself a Lee Van Cleef fan should definitely watch this solid shoot'em up.

rise22 This is one of those often-overlooked types of movies that should have gotten a lot more consideration.Just a plain, down-to-earth western, with good guys, bad guys, a little bit of steaminess and a lot of action. It's delightful to watch just an ordinary ferryman outwit and outsmart a bunch of badmen, while enlisting the help of a town full of losers. Lee Van Cleef does a superb job!If you want to watch an old-fashioned shoot-'em-up with a hero, his "partner" and a whole lot of others thrown in to make it interesting, then this is the movie for you.Quite simply put, it should be shown on The Western Channel a lot more often - and it should definitely be released on DVD - what are they waiting for? I loved it if only for the fact that it does NOT have gobs of special effects all done with computers!!

ma-cortes The picture narrates as a renegade motley group (Warren Oates, Kerwin Matthews, Armando Silvestre) executes a massacre when they are robbing the village's inhabitants . They flee but are stopped by a barge's owner (Lee Van Cleef) in the frontier on river Grande . The barquero called Travis has his own life-style and his own death-style . He is only helped by a mountain man (Forrest Tucker) . The confrontation will be terrible and they will fight until death .The highlights of the movie are the initial slaughter by the cutthroats and facing off between the good and bad guys on the lumber barges . This picture along with ¨ Hang'em high¨ (by Ted Post with Clint Eatwood) belongs to numerous filmed in the 60s and 70s influenced by Spaghetti Western , thus it develops ordinary themes such as : revenge , violent facing , similar musical score , tough antiheroes , spectacular gun-down and excessive baddies , all of them common issues in Italian Western . Lee Van Cleef , recent his success in Leone Western (A few dollars more) is top-notch . Warren Oates is magnificent as the ominous and hideous villain . The secondary cast is excellent , Forrest Tucker as the wry and impulsive trapper , Kerwin Mathew as Marquette , Mariette Hartley as Anna , Armando Silvestre as Sawyer and John Davis Chandler plays a cocky villain , as always . Dominic Frontiere's musical score is atmospheric and adjusted to action western , similar to ¨Hang 'Em High¨ soundtrack that he also composed . The motion picture was well directed by Gordon Douglas , though Robert Sparr was originally set to direct, but he was killed in a plane crash while scouting locations , then Gordon was hired to replace him . Gordon Douglas direction is nice , he had formerly got a lot of experience in Western genre (Only the valiant and Chuka). The yarn will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fonds and Western movies fans.