It is 1866 and many Americans have traveled across the Rio Grande to become mercenaries in the Franco-Mexican War. Colonel Benjamin Trane (Gary Cooper) of Louisianna is one of those. Unfortunately, his horse has broken a leg. However, he encounters Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster) who has a horse for sale. It is not a particularly good horse and the price is steep. Trane accepts. No sooner has he purchased the horse than a column of troops approach and give chase. Trane is perplexed by this until Erin reveals that the horse he just purchased belongs to them. Despite their difficult start, Ben finds himself joining with Joe and his band of mercenaries, an impressive crew that included Pittsburgh (Charles Bronson), Tex (Jack Elam), and Donnegan (Ernest Borgnine). They are hired by Marquis Henri de Labordere (Cesar Romero) to escort the Countess Marie Duvarre (Denise Darcel) from Mexico City to Vera Cruz, where she will set sail for France. Of course, there is something more valuable than the countess in the wagon - 3 million in gold - and Joe has notions of getting his hands on it. The road to Vera Cruz is crowded with Juaristas, who seek to unseat Maximillian I and want that money to fund their efforts.
Joe Erin is a black hat to the core. He never misses an opportunity to cheat or steal. When offered the commission from the Marquis, a couple of men decline the offer so he shoots them. Nice. I'll bet that does wonders for morale. He repeatedly makes plans that don't include his cohorts and is then startled when they turn on him. When his goal is in sight, he gladly abandons allies or even shoots them. There's very little nuance to him.
Ben Trane is mostly a white hat. Sure, he shows a willingness to abscond with the gold, but decides that's not the right thing. He's always rescuing ladies from Erin's band of brutes, showing his noble attitudes, proving to have culture and grace, and helping anyone in need, even Joe Erin. For a guy who made a living by owning a plantation full of slaves and fought to keep that state of affairs, he's a pretty cool guy. Despite being the good guy, Lancaster scene-chewing overshadows Cooper's subdued performance.
There is plenty of action, usually in the form of an ambush on the road to Vera Cruz. The incompetence of the Marquis by riding down narrow defiles that have not been scouted is embarrassing. In the final battle, it was dumbfounding how easily Ben and Joe were able to flank and take out a key gun emplacement, showing a catastrophic - and obvious - hole in the Marquis' defense. Don't let our heroes win because the bad guys are abysmally stupid. It would have been nice if Joe weren't quite so bad and Ben wasn't quite so good.
As for the history, it's pretty weak. Vera Cruz was the entry point for Spain, France, and England during the 1861-1867 Mexican Adventure. This was the main port for all support and the port where France made its exit. It was not captured by Juaristas in a mass attack in 1866. By 1866, the United States was providing arms to the Juaristas and was intent on kicking the French out of Mexico, per the Monroe Doctrine. Also, the Gatlin gun that appears in the final battle is not yet in service. Many of the guns seen were not yet available in 1866. Maximillian I was only 34 at the time of the film, but is portrayed by the 54 year old George Macready.
Entertaining and fast-paced, but too predictable. Good popcorn fun.
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