Behold a Pale Horse

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Behold a Pale Horse

1964

1h 58m

War

Drama

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Popcornmeter

90%

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10 Reviews

70%

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500+ Ratings

At the end of the Spanish Civil War, soldier Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck) flees to France as part of the defeated forces. After 20 years there, he learns that his mother is dying and plans to return to Spain to see her. However, Viñolas (Anthony Quinn), a police officer with a vendetta, prepares forces to trap Artiguez. A priest, Francisco (Omar Sharif), tries to advise Artiguez not to travel to Spain, but Artiguez ultimately chooses to leave for a fateful confrontation with Viñolas.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Omar Sharif shows a warm, sensitive side in this film, playing the role of a young priest torn between obligations of personal morality and the official laws of government.

Nov 1, 2007

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

The drama is too diffuse for excitement.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 9, 2005

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Liz Smith

Cosmopolitan

Fred Zinnemann has done it again.

Feb 1, 2020

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Gregory Peck is appropriately more gruff and guttural than usual in this interesting drama.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 17, 2019

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Isabel Quigly

The Spectator

Fred Zinnemann's Behold a Pale Horse, from a novel by Emeric Pressburger, isn't pretentious but just dull: dully, creakingly made.

Jan 28, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The film's best asset is the stirring performance by Gregory Peck as an aging revolutionary.

Rated: B

Apr 29, 2008

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Steve D

Strong acting and not much else.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/24

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isla s

This is very much what I'd consider a contemplative film. The plot is a bit slow and meandering but it also has a poignancy about it and a sort of symbolism too. I liked the child featured (I'm unsure of his name) and how the two people, from either side of the earlier Spanish civil war, regard each other. There are some good performances from Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif. Such names did make me keen to see this. I wouldn't say its a great film and I wouldn't say its a bad film either - it does reasonably well at portraying people who are quite contemplative, trying to perhaps make sense of the situation they find themselves in but its not entirely a coherent film as such. I feel it was lacking something to really bring things together but it does have some good scenes, so I'm sort of in two minds about it. If there were a few less of the overly long and somewhat drab scenes then I'd probably prefer it but for what it is, its an ok film. I wouldn't personally recommend this as such, unless, of course, your a big fan of the cast, in which case its worth a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Eby some expectedly great acting.. Peck is very good, Quinn is superb.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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ashley h

Behold a Pale Horse is a decent film. It is about famous Spanish bandit Artiguez who returns to his native Spanish village after 20 years in French exile. Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Fred Zinnemann did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

good historical drama

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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s r

Ambitious project and unique for the time. The writing was alright, but it struggled at times. Too bad pressburger couldn't have produced it. Despite it dragging from time to time and the music not matching well, I enjoyed it and would watch it again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Fred Zinnemann

Director

Gregory Peck

Manuel Artiguez

Anthony Quinn

Viñolas

Omar Sharif

Francisco

Raymond Pellegrin

Carlos

Paolo Stoppa

Pedro

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Synopsis

At the end of the Spanish Civil War, soldier Manuel Artiguez (Gregory Peck) flees to France as part of the defeated forces. After 20 years there, he learns that his mother is dying and plans to return to Spain to see her. However, Viñolas (Anthony Quinn), a police officer with a vendetta, prepares forces to trap Artiguez. A priest, Francisco (Omar Sharif), tries to advise Artiguez not to travel to Spain, but Artiguez ultimately chooses to leave for a fateful confrontation with Viñolas.

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Producer: Fred Zinnemann
Screenwriter: J.P. Miller
Production Co: Columbia, Highland-Brentwood Production
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Runtime: 1h 58m

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