The Film Movement Classics division of indie and/or foreign film god Film Movement goes above and beyond regarding the November 14, 2017 Blu-ray release of the 1966 Western with substance "Time to Die." This film based on a story by Nobel Prize winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez and dialogue by fellow literary great Carlos Fuentes is one of many examples of "oaters" being much more than a series of saloon fights, cattle stampedes, and showdowns on a deserted main street.
Commenting on the beautiful 50th anniversary remastering of the film, which easily passes the "no glasses" test, is mandatory. You will not find a clearer or sharper image on any screen.
This variation on the classic Western "High Noon" opens with Juan Sayago (Jorge Martinez of "The Magnificent Seven") returning to his home village fresh from an 18-year unfortunate incarceration for killing a ranch owner. The rude awakening for Juan is learning that Julian Trueba, who is the elder son of the slain man, is eager for revenge and that his younger brother Pedro also feels the impact of a lifetime of stories about Juan gunning down the father whom Pedro never knew.
Juan literally stands his ground despite his supporters almost constantly begging him to leave town to avoid what it considered an otherwise avoidable fate of ending up either in jail or the cemetery. Julian equally persistently psychotically hounding Juan supports that prophecy. This torment includes an element of "Carrie" that is equally disturbing and entertaining.
One of the most notable scenes in terms of plot and cinematography occurs early in "Die." Juan is sitting at the bar of the local saloon when the camera slowly pans behind him to his left to reveal the man whom we soon learn is Pedro sitting at a table. The significance to the story is that neither man knows the identity of the other, and a moderate kindness creates what soon is shown to be an unlikely friendship.
The homecoming of Juan also involves reuniting with lost love Mariana, who lives a largely sequestered life in a highly symbolic home. Much of her conflict centers around wanting to restart her life with Juan but realizing that doing so prevents her young son from having a proper life.
Meanwhile the girl next door who is dating Pedro is trying to persuade him not let Julian persuade him to kill Juan; she soon learns that a man gotta do what man gotta do.
All of this lead to a couple of showdowns that keep the artistic symbolism going to the end. These events show that there is no stopping fate and take the prediction related to jail and the cemetery to the next level.
The bonus features that meet all criterion for quality cinematic study include a video introduction by director Alex Cox of the cult classic "Repo Man," an fascinating in-depth written essay by film expert Carlos A. Gutierrez, and audio commentary by "Die" director Arturo Ripstein.
Anyone with questions or comments about "Die" is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy,
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