[BNAT] The Professionals

The overture to this film is on one of my favorite CDs, "The Wild West Essentials". So if this is an obscure western, it was one that I had at least heard of. It stars Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode as four guys who are hired by Ralph Bellamy's character to go and get back his wife (Claudia Cardinale) who has been kidnapped by a Mexican revolutionary (Jack Palance). Yes, you read that right - Jack Palance plays a Mexican. And it's pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

I *loved* this movie. From the great title sequence to the gorgeous setting to Burt Lancaster foiling Claudia Cardinale's attempt to seduce him to Lancaster talking with Palance about revolution to the heroes' moral decision at the end, this is just amazing. And Lee Marvin gives Ralph Bellamy one of the Great Disses of All Time. Bellamy calls him a bastard, and Lee Marvin says "Yes, sir. In my case an accident of birth. But you ... you're a self-made man." Wow.