This drab Robert Mitchum western set in Mexico has little to distinguish it in terms of either action or drama. Robert Parrish's "The Wonderful Country" looks scenic and the locations are genuine, but there isn't much to the screenplay by Robert Ardrey of "Khartoum" and Walter Bernstein of "That Kind of Woman.
A competent and fairly entertaining western.Non of the characters were either interesting or compelling.
This is a film for those who wish to understand the Mitchum mystique. I first saw this film with my father when Bill Kennedy was still on Channel Nine in Canada.
I'd seen some good things about this one, but I was largely disappointed in "The Wonderful Country." First off, I applaud Robert Mitchum for stretching here: he plays a white Missourian raised in Mexico, his accent and even his posture a departure for Mitchum.
The fifties saw a series of existential Westerns - whatever that means - and this is one. It is the story of a gringo with a past (Mitchum) who comes north over the Rio Grande to buy weapons illegally during Mexico's chaotic late nineteenth century for a warlord.
American gunman Martin Brady (Robert Mitchum) is helping to run guns for the Castro brothers in Mexico. He breaks his leg in Texas and gets treated by Dr Stovall.
Mitchum reprises his Mexican gun-running, wife-stealing role from 'Bandido' (filmed just 3 years earlier) but this time as a pseudo-American-Mexican instead of just a mercenary American. The plot differs from Bandido in many ways, but the basic storyline is gun-running and wife-stealing, something at which Bob Mitchum apparently excels.
Based on a story by artist Tom Lea (who cameos as a barber), The Wonderful Country stars Robert Mitchum, Julie London, Gary Merrill, Charles McGraw & Pedro Armendáriz. It's directed by Robert Parrish, the score is from Alex North with Floyd Crosby & Alex Phillips on cinematography around the Durango location shoot.
I love watching Robert Mitchum films....the guy, despite his protests to the contrary, was a genius at making acting look so simple.
