A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die

The Dirty Seven. Una ragione per vivere e una per morire (AKA: A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die & Massacre at Fort Holman) is directed by Tonino Valerii, who also co-writes with Rafael Azcona and Ernesto Gastaldi. It stars James Coburn, Telly Savalas & Bud Spencer. Cinematographer is Alejandro Ulloa and the music is scored by Riz Ortolani. Plot sees Coburn as Union Colonel Pembroke, who during the Civil War is given a rag-tag group of criminals to go win back the fort he lost to Confederate Major Frank Ward (Savalas). For him it's a chance to regain his honour, for them it's a chance to…

This might have worked better had it not taken us forty-five minutes to get to the business end - there is just way too much explanatory preamble telling us why disgraced “Pembroke” (James Coburn) is determined to recapture a fortress he was compelled to surrender during the US Civil War. It’s now occupied by “Maj. Ward” (Telly Savalas) and a platoon of very heavily armed Confederate soldiers. What does “Pembroke” have? Well broke would seem to be operative word, as his tally of men would make the “Dirty Dozen” look like the Blues and Royals. One of his number, though, might just have the…