Appaloosa, The (1966)

Ma'am.
I'm- - I'm havin'
a little trouble
gettin' started, Father.
You are in the house
of God now, my son.
Speak from your heart.
Well, uh...
I've done a lot of killin'.
I've killed a lot of men and
sinned with a lot of women.
But the men l- - I killed
needed killin'
and the women wanted sinnin',
and- - and I never was
one much to argue.
Most of the men I killed
was in the war.
So I suppose that
makes it all right,
don't it, Father?
Go to the altar, my son,
light a candle,
and ask God.
All right.
I'm home here now
for good, Father.
I have a little family here.
And, uh, I don't want
no more trouble.
I just want a peaceful life
with God's blessing.
Did He forgive you
everything?
Perhaps another time?
Lazaro, bring the men
to the cantina for a drink.
Is this the kind you meant?
Chuy, I want to
go back to Cocatlan.
Six months you beg Chuy
to take you to Ojo Prieto.
And when you see him
talk to one blonde woman,
you are afraid
you'll lose him to a gringa.
It is not the woman
that frightens me.
One man
with his filthy hands
in the church.
He touched you?
He is still in the church?
If he is, you will know him.
He is dirty and has a beard.
This is for you.
Thank you.
Before you finish,
make one prayer
to Our Lady
to beg forgiveness.
All right.
Se0r,
my woman wished
to be married in this church.
She says you like
to love here.
I think you should die here.
I don't know
what you're talkin' about.
Seor,
my woman tells me
you violated her here.
Oh, you got
the wrong man, mister.
I don't know you
and I don't know your woman.
I never...
I haven't been here
but one hour in this town.
I never violated no woman.
No, seor, if you had,
He would have killed you.
Does you try,
I will kill you.
Are you talkin'
about that woman
that was just in here?
I never touched her.
If she told you
that's what I did,
then she's lyin'.
Because that's not true.
Get up.
You better start
makin' some sense, mister,
'cause you're
makin' a big mistake.
Get up!
Chuy!
She was tryin' to run away
on that horse, Chuy.
I was buying that horse
from the gringo
in the church.
I tell her to mount the horse,
to ride it
to see if it rides
as well as it looks.
You must forgive
these stupidities,
mi am0r.
Now, you just tell me
about the horse.
I, too, have always
admired the appaloosa.
Such a beautiful animal.
Tell me, then,
does he ride
as good as he looks?
You were tryin'
to run away from me?
In front of my pistoleros?
No.
You were tryin' out a horse
you wish me to buy for you.
Thanks for holdin' my horse.
Don't do it again.
It was all
a misunderstandin',
seor.
You know
how are the women.
She could not decide
which one to choose,
but now that
she has ridden it,
it pleases her very much.
I will buy it for her.
No, you won't.
This horse
ain't for sale.
Oh, seor,
I can understand your anger.
The horse is worth much more
than I offered for it before.
But do not take that
as an insult.
Seor, I, uh, I, uh,
must have your horse.
I will give you $500,
American money.
All you're gonna give me,
mister, is a bad case
of worms.
No, seor.
You agreed
to sell me your horse.
You cannot now
go back on your word.
Well, I'll give you
my word.
The next time
you point a gun at me,
you better pull the trigger,
because I'm gonna blow you
into so many pieces,
your friends will get tired
of lookin' for you.
Pap! Mam!
Pap! Pap!
Pap! Pap!
Pap!
Pap!
Pap, look!
ndale.
Get everybody inside.
Mam! Get everyone
into the house.
Get in the house.
Why don't you ever
listen to me?
Where is the baby?
In the house.
Get in the house.
Get in the house.
Tomas, Raimundo.
Get into the house.
Paquita!
ndale. Go to the bedroom.
Tomas! Tomas!
Paquita!
Paquita, get into the house!
Tomas, Ramon and Paquita.
Hurry up. Inside.
Inside, in the bedroom.
No, Tomas, ven ac.
Take Esmeralda.
Huh? Mateo?
Mateo!
Ana, it is Mateo!
You're back!
Ana!
Ana!
It is Mateo!
Mateo.
Mateo.
Mateo,
this is Esmeralda.
This is Paquita.
Shy Paquita.
This is Raimundo
and this is Tomas.
Hi, Tomas.
Well, I pretty near
scared the dickens
out of you.
Well, Paco,
You did real good.
It's the best family
in the world.
Vam0s, muchach0s,
go feed his horse.
Give him some water.
Treat him nice.
Well, let me get out
of this rig and sit down.
What a beautiful appaloosa.
Where did you get it?
Paco, Mateo is tired.
Mateo, I will go
prepare you some food.
Bring me some water,
Ana, will you?
I'd like to wash up.
I'll put on some now.
Paquita!
What are you lookin' at?
How about a kiss?
Give him a kiss.
Come on.
You smell like a goat.
I what?
Smell like a goat.
Well, you don't
smell like a goat.
You smell real good.
Go help your mother, Paquita.
Paquita, come help mam
with the tortillas.
Mateo.
Yeah, I can use that.
That's it.
You didn't have that
the last time I saw you.
I'm older.
Well,
to home, Paco.
You just don't know
how to grow corn, Paco.
We had grasshoppers
last year.
Grasshoppers?
Oh, God,
are you goin' to tell me
about grasshoppers?
Listen, I wanna
tell you somethin'.
You've grown your last...
You've grown your last
ear of corn
on this piece of ground.
Hear what I'm tellin' you?
Paco.
Yes?
Come here.
See them chickens
up there?
Yes.
Well, I say
we fence it in
and go out like this
down here,
all the way down
to the river.
That's where we're
gonna put the yearling's.
Mateo,
What yearling's, what?
What?
Well,
I'm gonna build...
See where the pig house is?
I'm gonna build my house
right there,
so I can look down
at all them
spotted ponies.
What ponies?
I'm gonna tell you
what ponies, brother.
You're gonna be a cowboy.
Cuesta diner0, money.
Where is the money?
The money?
S.
I got $200 American
about yea big,
and I got a horse up there
that's the best damn stallion
in the whole Southwest.
And we're gonna have
un ranch0.
And that's gonna be
you and me.
Ranch0?
That's right.
We're gonna
have ourselves a ranch.
Ana! Ana!
Ana!
Ana! Ana!
Ana!
Mateo.
Mateo.
Is it- - Is it true?
We're going to have
a ranch0?
Hmm, ranch. Ranch.
Oh, Tomas,
we're going to have
a ranch.
Look, the horse!
Mateo, the horse!
Get inside the house.
Get inside the house.
Come back, Mateo. Wait.
Mateo, please don't go.
Stay here with us.
Get inside the bedroom.
Mateo!
Mateo, no!
Mateo!
Mateo!
He will kill you!
Come here!
You are drunk, Mateo!
What are you doing?
Stop!
Stop, Mateo!
Lazaro, look at him.
He is drunk.
He is drunk.
Are we going to have
some fun?
Where is the gring0
who is going to chop me
into so many pieces
no one would find me?
If you see him, tell him
Chuy Medina has his horse!
Bring me more shells!
Lazaro, you know,
I think the gring0
needs a bath.
S, amig0.
Come back, Mateo! Come back.
You tired, gring0?
Then rest.
Lazaro, how is my appaloosa?
You ready, gring0?
You are wet, gring0.
Now I must dry you out.
Gives you
a nice clean bath, s?
S.
But you are
such a filthy gring0,
I could spend all day here
cleanin' you up.
I want to thank you
for your nice present.
I would have paid for him.
I pay all my debts, se0r.
You want
your horse back, hmm?
Would you
like your horse?
Well, then,
come to Cocatlan.
Oh, you're not
very good at that.
You're not very good
at anything.
Adis, amig0.
Well, I wanna tell you,
it sure feels good
to get that
goat hair off of me.
You got somethin'
I can wipe my face with, Ana?
Where in the hell
is Paco?
Probably gettin' drunk
all over again.
Okay, sweetheart,
how do you like me now?
It's so white
from where the beard was.
Yeah. Let's see,
hmm,
if we can
work this thing out.
Yeah. That ought to do it.
Ana, bring...
Oh, here, good.
Mmm- hmm.
Leave that stain on a while.
Coffee grounds
do not make a Mexican.
Go and get
the old man's jacket,
will you?
I wanna try it on.
Mateo, do not go.
Ana, excuse me,
sweetheart.
Do not go.
I'll be back in a few days.
No, you will not be back
in a few days,
or a few weeks,
or a few months.
We will be lightin' candles
for the dead.
If we're gonna have a ranch,
we gotta have a horse
around here.
A ranch. W- what do we need
with a ranch?
It's only more work.
Yeah, that's not
what you were sayin'
yesterday.
We want you, Mateo.
You're more important to us
than any ranch.
Oh, Ana, I'll be back here
with that horse
before you can turn around.
It'll be as easy
as cuttin' butter.
It is your throat
that will be cut, Mateo.
You do not know
about Chuy Medina.
Well, the man stole my horse.
What the hell
am I supposed to do?
Go over there and, uh,
and sit down in the river
and forget about it?
Horse.
Horse. I am tired
of hearin'
about that horse.
You drifter.
You come in here
worryin' about a horse.
What do you think
will happen to my family?
All right, go to Mjic0.
Go get it.
He will cut you up
in little pieces,
and we will bury you
and plant more corn.
You just
don't understand.
It's not about a man
stealin' my horse, Ana.
It's about somethin'
that happened
a long time ago,
before you was even born.
It started when Paco's dad
picked me up
when I was a scared,
dirty, skinny, little runt,
and brought me home here,
to live.
Scrubbed me up and treated me
like I was his own blood.
And he never
gave up on me, Ana.
Not- - not even when I stole.
Not even when I lied
or when I cheated him.
I've seen him sweat
like an ox
in the corn field
all so as he can get
some grub on the table for us.
No matter
how hard he worked,
no matter how worn out
he was after workin',
he used to come here
and sit in this chair
and play the guitar
and sing us a song,
teach us a little bit
how to read,
best he knew how, anyway.
About that time,
I left here with that old
one- eyed mule and $1.86
in my pocket.
And that was
all the grubstake
he had to give me.
And I had big ideas
about what I was goin' to do,
how I was going to
get myself a hat full of gold,
come back here
with a real pretty lady,
and build us a big
old hacienda out there
by the pig house
so as the old man
wouldn't have to work no more.
I thought,
maybe with a good stallion,
we can build us
a little horse ranch
and give it to the kids.
That old man spent
a whole lot of years
tryin' to make...
A decent man out of me,
and gettin' that horse
was about the only way
I can see
to payin' him back.
I never realized
that his arms
were so short.
Well, here comes Paco.
Paco, Paco,
reason with him.
Tell him not to go.
There is nothin' I can do.
Okay, kid,
where are we goin'
and how do we get there?
Once you go
across the river into Mjic0,
you take the main carretera
to Cocatlan.
Always keep goin'
in the southwest.
It's one, two days' ride.
Remember,
Chuy is not just one man,
Chuy is an army.
Please,
don't trust anyone.
Mateo,
you may get cold.
Hope not.
Flaco.
Pulque?
S.
Permit me, se0r,
to buy you a pulque.
With pleasure, amig0.
Is this your first visit
to this pulquera?
Yes.
It's a nice
little place, though.
They got a few flies
in the pulque,
but not too many.
Do you know, se0r,
where the custom
comes from,
to drink the first litr0
without stopping?
No, I don't know
how that started.
I was just wondering.
I do not know, either.
For you.
No, gracias.
You don't have a light
for my cigarr0?
Gracias.
Where you go, se0r?
Do you have business
somewhere in Sonora?
No, I'm going to Batopilas.
Batopilas?
S.
That is a long
ways from here.
Do you know this town?
Sure.
I want to ask you a question.
Does, uh, Catamaria still have
her little cantina there?
Catamaria?
It's just one
room and she has, uh,
only two tables
and she cooks on the floor,
but her chicken mole,
ay yi yi,
c0mpadre, it is the best.
There is a girl there now,
I wonder if you know her.
What is her name? Uh...
She has red hair
and almost white eyes.
I have- - I have not been
there for a long time.
But I don't remember any girl
with red hair and white eyes.
Hmm.
I'm going to tell
you something, se0r.
I don't think that you know
too much about Batopilas.
Hmm.
You are very smart, se0r.
And you are very impolite.
Unless it is the custom
to try to make
a fool of strangers
in this little place.
That's for your pulque,
amig0.
Flaco,
you been in Batopilas?
S.
Is there a woman
there named Catamaria
who is famous for
her chicken mole?
There is only one
cantina in Batopilas
run by a blind man
named Pedro
and his chicken mole
is terrible.
Hmm.
Against the wall.
Now, who are you?
I'm coming from the north,
se0r.
I'm going to my
home in Batopilas.
Then you are not one
of Chuy's pist0ler0s
looking for
some lamb to roast?
No, se0r.
Ah.
Batopilas, eh?
You go to Cocatlan, se0r?
Yes.
Come.
You will have
something to eat first.
Hmm? Chuy.
The gring0 you wait for
is coming to Cocatlan.
I am sure it is him.
If the stew is not hot enough,
here is some more pepper.
Very hot.
Poor Maria,
her mother is in the stew.
She was killed by one
of Chuy's pist0ler0s.
Just practicing to kill.
Enjoy, se0r? Is good.
She is pleased. She watches.
You do not have to
go to Cocatlan, se0r,
to get to Batopilas.
I know a very good road.
It will save you five,
maybe six hours.
Well, I've heard about
the women in Cocatlan,
and I've been
alone for 2 weeks now,
and I was looking
forward a little bit
to see them, you know.
And they look forward to you.
You will be
wise to take, se0r,
the road that
Ramos shows you.
Do not go to Cocatlan,
se0r.
Go back to your home.
Go back to Ojo Prieto,
gring0.
When I woke up from siesta,
that pig, Lazaro,
was sitting on my bed.
It does not matter to you?
Did he harm you?
I run to Manuela's room.
Amig0, you are getting old.
I remember when your legs
were faster than a woman's.
When your arms
were strong enough
to break down a door.
You sent him.
You are the pig.
S, I sent him.
And next time I will tell him
not to stop.
Next time I will tell him
to bring these two along.
Next time?
S.
Next time you think
to run away from Chuy Medina
in Ojo Prieto, or anywhere.
Put that light out.
Put out that damn light.
If you holler once,
I'm gonna blow your arms off.
Who are you?
I'm looking for a horse
with spots on his rump.
Remember?
Come out of there.
Come the hell out of there.
Move over there.
Sit down.
Now you're going
down them stairs
and mount up.
You're gonna walk my horse
out of town real slow
and I'm gonna be behind you,
staring at your spine
in case you just don't
twitch the right way.
I am not permitted
to ride alone.
Chuy knows I
would never come back.
I can get a lady
to tell me lies
better than that one,
only costs me
a dollar and a half.
I am telling you the truth.
They will stop me
and find you.
Maybe.
But you cost me that horse
and you're gonna
get it back for me.
I am sorry for
what happened in Ojo Prieto.
I know you
do not believe that.
But you must believe
that if I do as you ask,
you will die.
Please, go.
Trini!
I must go.
If I do not go down,
they will come up.
They will kill you.
Trini!
We have been waiting for you.
You gringos take
so much trouble
to go somewhere,
and then you are in
such a hurry to leave.
Come in.
Have a drink with us.
Come. Venga.
You like my cantina?
Mi casa es su casa.
Tequila.
Amig0, forgive me,
you always did
prefer the cognac, no?
I don't mind.
Sit down.
Wouldn't hurt if I
took my hat off, would it?
Make yourself comfortable.
Salud.
Cigarr0?
I don't believe so.
I've got my own smokes.
The last time I
see you, se0r,
you were very drunk.
Do you remember?
I remember taking a cold bath
and getting
hung up to dry like
a pair of
stinking old underwear.
You have humor.
It is very good.
Our lives would be
very sad without it.
Another drink, se0r.
You don't want to
see me drunk again,
do you?
No.
I just think that
maybe now
you are afraid
to be in Cocatlan.
Hmm?
A little bit?
Yeah. A little bit.
Buen0.
But then,
I never was too much afraid
of a horse thief.
Do not be impolite, se0r.
I was thinking,
that day when I hanged
you up on the gate
and I made you an invitation
to come to Cocatlan,
I did not think you would
accept my invitation.
Se0r.
Why did you do
such a stupid thing?
Well...
Suppose a fellow
came into your backyard
and made a damn
fool out of you.
Stole your horse.
What would you do?
I would kill him.
But I do not expect
that you will try that
here in Cocatlan.
Hmm?
Well, I'll tell you something,
Mr. Medina.
I don't know you
and I don't like you.
But I didn't come
here to kill you.
If that'd been
any other horse,
I wouldn't have
made a fuss about it.
But that Indian pony
is a whole lot
of things to me.
And, uh, if I don't
leave here with it,
I'm not gonna
leave here without it.
All right.
I'll give you a chance.
Do you have strong arms?
Yeah.
As strong as mine,
do you think?
Yeah.
Then you think you can
force my arm down, no?
Yeah.
Then you'll have your chance.
Do you know alacranes, se0r?
These are from Durango.
Perhaps you do not know that
the scorpion of
Durango is very deadly.
In Mjic0,
everything must be
stronger to live.
We will use these.
Because if you
wish your horse,
you will have to kill me.
I have done this
many times, se0r.
It is always I
have never lost.
But it is possible.
Is it?
If I lose, se0r,
I fill my belly with tequila
and I die with my woman.
If you lose, se0r,
what is your wish?
A priest?
We have no priests
in Cocatlan.
But we have a church.
If you lose, se0r,
I will see to it personally
that you die in the church.
Buen0?
I'm not worried about losing.
I'm just thinking about
what's gonna happen if I win.
Hmm?
I said, I'm worried about
what happens if I win.
Lazaro,
the gring0 is
afraid for his life,
if he should win.
Lazaro, if I lose,
bring him his horse
and escort him
safely away from Cocatlan.
Now, we begin.
The sleeve, se0r.
The scorpion
prefers the skin.
Hmm?
Se0r, many
generations of the Medina
have defended
Cocatlan with their hands.
Before my family,
you gringos come
and take horses, gold,
women, whatever you wish.
Now, se0r,
because of the Medina,
it is we who take things
and bring them
back to Cocatlan.
I gave you your chance.
Adis, amig0.
Good?
Hmm?
Is he alive?
I do not know. He was.
We have looked everywhere.
She is not in Cocatlan.
She must have
gone with the gring0.
Find them.
Muy bien, Chuy.
It is a grave
I have dug for myself.
One day when I
am tired of living,
I will come here
for a long rest.
Go down.
I must cover you both.
But it is a grave.
That is a word.
This is a place of safety.
You must hide here now.
Come.
Where are we?
Ramos says you must be quiet.
How long have we been here?
Most of the night.
Ramos says we
will be safe here
for a little while.
Where is the old man?
He is in his hut.
Did you haul me here?
Yes.
Thanks.
You must drink this.
As much as you can.
Ramos made it from herbs.
You've done about
all for me that you can.
You better get on back now.
No.
If you go back now,
you might have to
take a bad licking,
but he's not gonna kill you.
You're too
good- looking to kill.
I do not go back.
Will you bring me with you
just to the border?
Lady...
I, uh...
I can't even
bring my horse back.
I've come a long way
to wind up in this hole.
I probably won't
get more than 5 feet
if I ever get out of it.
If he catches you
trying to make
a run for it with me,
you won't have
hardly any time
to say your prayers
before he'll
open up your back.
You're better off
staying here in Mexico.
You've got some
pretty dresses
and you've got
some grub coming in.
You've got it
a whole lot better
than most of
the women I know.
I was 15 when my
father sold me to Chuy.
We were poor.
I was the only girl.
Chuy promised my father
that I would be his woman
and have a good life.
When I left,
my mother gave me
her wedding dress.
I thought I would be
married in a church
with a priest
and all the pretty robes,
three rings,
silk cord
around our shoulders.
But there was
no priest in Cocatlan.
And I learned what
the good life was.
When Chuy's finished with me,
he will give me
to his pist0ler0s
like the other girls.
I will not go back to that.
I would rather be dead.
All right.
We'll give her a try.
Buenas n0ches, se0r.
What can old Ramos
do for you?
Old Ramos will not
live to be any older
unless he tells me
where they are.
Where they are, se0r?
The two who came here together
on one horse.
Two on one horse?
The gring0 guy,
the hembra linda.
The pretty one.
Horse tracks.
Oh...
I have sheep,
se0r, and goats.
These tracks are the same
as the ones we found
in the arr0y0 in Cocatlan
where
the gring0 left his horse,
and they lead to here,
only heavier.
Oh.
Oh, many horse pass
my humble casa, se0r.
I do not see them.
It is possible.
Maybe your goats see them.
H0la.
Have any of you seen
the gring0 and the girl?
You have foolish animals,
old man.
They do not answer.
I hope you are
not so foolish.
I can tell you nothing,
se0r.
I cannot shoot an old man
who maybe wishes to help,
but only has
trouble remembering.
I help you to remember.
Mateo!
Hey!
Se0r.
You do not go to
the border now?
No.
You are going
back for your horse.
I know Cocatlan,
I will help.
I'm not going in
for the horse.
I'm gonna...
I'm gonna kill Chuy.
I've got a word
for Chuy Medina.
Tell me
what else he say.
These words,
they are not from my mouth,
they are from
the mouth of the gring0.
He said that the poison
of your scorpion is weak
like the blood
of the Medina.
That you tie up your woman
like you tie up your horse.
Or she run away.
He say that
you are a coward.
Afraid to fight if we
are not with you to help.
He wait until tomorrow.
He wait to see
if you come alone.
You drink too much, amig0.
Hoya.
Where is the gring0?
He waits in
the high canyon, Chuy.
You think it is
like the gring0 say?
I need help to fight?
Pride is not enough, amig0.
Now we can go.
Mateo!
Oha!
Oha, gring0!
You ask me to come.
Here I am!
What is it you wish
to do now, gring0?
I tell you what:
Send me my woman,
and I'll let you go.
I even let you
have your horse.
I will go.
Stay where you are.
A Medina always
keeps his word.
You know.
Gring0!
Listen to me.
Soon my muchach0s will come
to look for me.
Then you are finished,
gring0!
Do not be a fool, se0r!
I no longer wish to kill you!
But no man can take away
any woman of Chuy Medina.
You think maybe
you wait till tonight
and get away, se0r?
You make a mistake.
My pist0ler0s will
be here before then!
What do you say?
We make a deal, gring0?
Here's the deal, Medina.
You keep the horse.
I'm sending him out.
You send out your horse
and I will kill him
to start with.
He will kill the horse.
He'll have to show
his gun to do it.
He's all yours, Medina.
Mateo! It is Mateo!
Mateo!
Ana! It is Mateo!
Mateo!
Mateo!
Mateo! Mateo!
Mateo!
Mateo!