Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Jeff (actionrating.com) See it - William Holden plays his trademark role as a smooth-talking womanizer caught in a war he doesn't want to be a part of. He's a rich cattle driver in the Civil War looking to sell his horses to the highest bidder. Richard Widmark plays the eyepatch-wearing Confederate villain. Some might say these two actors can't carry a movie by themselves, but together they are fantastic. The script in this movie is surprisingly sharp and smart. This is rare for a western. The dialogue is very witty and actually pretty funny at times. The movie has also aged very well, meaning that it is still relevant and doesn't have that "old" feel to it. For example, the things that are supposed to be funny are funny, etc. The only problem with this movie is that there's not much action until the end. This is easily forgivable because of the good story. After seeing the movie, I immediately compared it to Horse Soldiers, which Holden co-starred in with the Duke. Worth seeing once. 2 out of 5 action rating

SipteaHighTea I love the movie itself; however, it does seem to keep the Civil War alive even though the event was closed out 142 years ago. I saw the movie while attending a Southwestern military academy back in the late 1970s. Some of the cadets from the Southern states like Texas didn't like it when a Union sniper up in a tree shot one of the Confederate calvary men who was escorting the cattle. After the Union sniper was brought down by Colonel Rossiter (Richard Widmark), they chapped while those of us from the Northern states booed it. One of my teachers at the school kept saying that the South will rise again. If people from the South don't like the U.S. military because they lost the war, then maybe they should not join the military because then they would have to wear the blue uniforms of the United States Air Force, the Marine Corp dress blues), and the Army (the Old Presidential Guard dress blues) since they called the Northern Soldiers "blue bellies."

bkoganbing Alvarez Kelly, Mexican national, has just sold a herd of cattle to the North during the American Civil War. Yankee Major Stedman insists he accompany the cattle all the way to Richmond where they're to feed Grant's troops besieging the city. Only Confederate Cavalry hero Tom Rossiter has different ideas for the cattle and for Kelly.William Holden as Kelly and Richard Widmark as Tom Rossiter settle down in roles familiar to them. Ever since Sunset Boulevard Bill Holden has brought us a fine line of cynical protagonists to the silver screen. Holden's good, but he's not breaking any new ground here.Richard Widmark as Rossiter is a bit more idealistic than Kelly, but only because he believes in a cause. He's no less cynical than Kelly in his methods of getting Kelly's cooperation in his scheme. The scheme being to get the cattle passed union lines to Richmond. We're not talking here about slavery and the causes of the Civil War. Just the prevention of disease and starvation.The only other larger role of note is Patrick O'Neal as Major Stedman of the Union Army. He is such and unctuous and boring man and written deliberately so by the writers that we will understand why Kelly is tempted by the Confederate offer. Of course Widmark uses other forms of persuasion, but you have to see the movie for that.It's a nice action film by two very capable male stars who were passed the peak years of their respective careers in the Fifties. Also you will not be able to get the title song, sung by the Kingston Trio over the opening credits out of your mind. Very catchy indeed.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) This film starts very well showing William Holden as a man taking no part in the civil war, because he does not identify with either side. He also is better than anyone in delivering herds of cattle, being paid extremely well. Richard Widmark is a confederate officer who places his cause above everything else. The relationship between both of them could be the material for a great epic, but it finishes too soon for what it started. Another 30 minutes might have done it. There are two beauties , Janice Rule and Victoria Shaw and their brief appearance is like an appetizer for a meal that does not show up. The film is interesting and well made, but incomplete