Gritty, well written movie. For some reason, friends that are fans of both Burt Lancaster and/or westerns have not seen this movie. The action is taut. The supporting cast is very good.<br /><br />Burt Lancaster's Valdez attempts an act of compassion and in return is brutally beaten. He survives, begins to dole out his own justice and slowly each of his antagonists (and his main nemesis' girlfriend) begin to respect and admire this older man's inner morality, courage and prowess. It's a classic understated performance.<br /><br />There is one scene that I always remember. Valdez has successfully kept his pursuers at bay with his long range Sharps rifle. One of the men giving chase catches up with him and seeing the rifle (and having seen his compadres picked off with it) asks, "Did you hunt buffalo?" Valdez responds, "No, Apache...before I knew better."