When you think of a movie western, surely the words Brigitte Bardot DON'T come to mind. Well there she is decked out in black from head to toe and wearing A LOT of make-up in SHALAKO, an interesting adventure tale of a European hunting party out in the badlands led onto an Apache Indian reservation by their unsavory guide. Edward Dmytryk directs with uncharacteristic flair as the Indians close in to remove the "arrogant white men (and women)" from their land. Sean Connery appears out of nowhere playing the title role and while he's his usual solid self, it's difficult not to see him as James Bond gone wild west. There's surprisingly little chemistry between Connery and the great Bardot. As the villain, Stephen Boyd is very dull. He seems to have less and less personality with each film he makes. He's nearly invisible here. Woody Strode plays a particularly nasty Indian and Honor Blackman (perhaps in a nod to GOLDFINGER, in which she and Connery tussle in the hay) is a kinky British Lady who tussles in the hay with Boyd and is later disposed of by a very imaginative Indian.
Review of Shalako
