The Undefeated (1969)

I grew up watching westerns, if you hadn't already guessed as much. This particular one I had not watched as much until maybe i turned 17 and I really liked it. Now that i'm 3 years older I still like it but I can see where someone who is not as big of a fan of John Wayne westerns might not enjoy this one for the same reasons I do. But, none the less there are plenty of reasons for anyone to love this movie and I will do my best to point them out.

Well the plot of this "moving picture show" is as follows. Union Colonel John Henry Thomas, (played by John Wayne) and Confederate Colonel James Langdon, (played by Rock Hudson) are both on their way to Mexico. Thomas and his men are herding horses down to sell them to the Emperor of Mexico, Maximillian, and Langdon is taking his men down to gain military support from Maximllian for the rebuilding of the confederacy. Both parties with their differences come to find friendship and the trust in the other. Specifically John and James, learn to overlook their individual opinions and forgive each other for the hostilities due to the war that had before cast them as enemies.

This film like a lot of John Wayne's films, has a few actors that you may recognize from some of his other westerns. Such as Edward Faulkner, and Ben Johnson. If you have seen some of the other John Wayne westerns with these players, it will feel as if you're watching a new chapter to the previous story. But if you dont like John Wayne type westerns, then you most likely wont enjoy this one.

The humor in this film is typical of westerns, which is good considering its a western movie. Grown men getting into massive brawls and in the end not having any distasteful feelings for one another. Like a big football game made up of old buddies!

There is also a romance that takes place in this film, and that's interesting to watch play out. But that's mostly for the ladies in my opinion and not really needed but at the same time it helps to build your understanding of the time line in which this flick takes place in.

The dialogue from the actors in this film is always a big win for me, because it gives me new phrases to use in my daily talk. One such line being "I hope you're in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead." Lines like that really make the movie for me, because that's just the sort of thing you'd expect a cowboy to say in the old west!

This one is a good one, but again its not a must see. 4 out of 5! I still love this movie, but that also comes from it being part of my childhood. John Wayne reminds me a lot of my grandfather who passed away when I was young, and also of my father because when I was younger we always watched his movies together.