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The picture narrates as a renegade motley group (Warren Oates, Kerwin Matthews, Armando Silvestre) executes a massacre when they are robbing the village's inhabitants . They flee but are stopped by a barge's owner (Lee Van Cleef) in the frontier on river Grande . The barquero called Travis has his own life-style and his own death-style . He is only helped by a mountain man (Forrest Tucker) . The confrontation will be terrible and they will fight until death .

The highlights of the movie are the initial slaughter by the cutthroats and facing off between the good and bad guys on the lumber barges . This picture along with ¨ Hang'em high¨ (by Ted Post with Clint Eatwood) belongs to numerous filmed in the 60s and 70s influenced by Spaghetti Western , thus it develops ordinary themes such as : revenge , violent facing , similar musical score , tough antiheroes , spectacular gun-down and excessive baddies , all of them common issues in Italian Western . Lee Van Cleef , recent his success in Leone Western (A few dollars more) is top-notch . Warren Oates is magnificent as the ominous and hideous villain . The secondary cast is excellent , Forrest Tucker as the wry and impulsive trapper , Kerwin Mathew as Marquette , Mariette Hartley as Anna , Armando Silvestre as Sawyer and John Davis Chandler plays a cocky villain , as always . Dominic Frontiere's musical score is atmospheric and adjusted to action western , similar to ¨Hang 'Em High¨ soundtrack that he also composed . The motion picture was well directed by Gordon Douglas , though Robert Sparr was originally set to direct, but he was killed in a plane crash while scouting locations , then Gordon was hired to replace him . Gordon Douglas direction is nice , he had formerly got a lot of experience in Western genre (Only the valiant and Chuka). The yarn will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fonds and Western movies fans.

Lee Van Cleef had already become an international star late in his career, following his success in the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns, when he starred in "Barquero", made in 1970. The film is clearly influenced by the Spaghetti tradition, most clearly displayed in the drugged-up, psychotic villain, Jake Remy, who bares similarities to the character of Indio in "For a Few Dollars More". However "Barquero" is far superior to the many "Spaghetti" imitators and deserves to stand on its own as a great Western.

The plot is fairly simple, beginning with the massacre and plundering of a peaceful town by Jake Remy and his crew of assorted bandits. Their only escape from capture is to cross the river to safety but the only person who can help them is the Barquero, played by Lee Van Cleef, who refuses, and a violent stand-off ensues.

The film is aided immeasurably by the performance of Warren Oates as Jake Remy, in one of his best roles. Remy makes even most the evil Western characters look saintly in comparison, as he kills and butchers anyone who gets in his path (check out the scene in which he sleeps with a woman and then casually kills her) and his only redeeming feature is his loyalty to his men. This is perhaps the only Western in which the bad guy is given more screen time than the hero and is one of the most complex villains ever seen on screen. Remy has a past which he is haunted by, and is slowly driven mad by his determination to cross the river and by the stubbornness of the Barquero.

The film does not really have a hero, as the only two characters to resemble this are the Barquero and Mountain Phil, a truly bizarre character, excellently played by Forrest Tucker. The Barquero is prepared to help the endangered townsfolk against Remy, but only because he wants to bed one of the women and Mountain Phil does not help out of kindness but more so because he is slightly insane.

"Barquero" was directed by the undistinguished Gordon Douglas, although he did direct the classic 1954 Sci-Fi/horror "Them". Fans of Sam Peckinpah will be pleased to see the villainous pairing of Warren Oates and John Davis Chandler, although Van Cleef fans may be disappointed as he is given little to do, besides having to wear one of the worst shirts ever committed to film.

"Barquero" should be seen by anyone who is serious about Westerns and is required viewing for fans of the great Warren Oates.

"Barquero" ended up on my must-see list for a number of reasons. First of all because it's a so-called American Spaghetti western, which basically means (in my book, at least) that it's raw, uncompromising and violent in comparison to those polished and politically correct John Wayne flicks. Secondly, the basic premise is incredibly simple yet original and intriguing. A gang of outlaws and a bunch of townsfolks each find themselves stuck at the wrong side of a river, leading to a tense ego-contest between the embittered and asocial ferryman Travis and the vicious but indecisive gang leader Remy. And last but not least, because the lead actors in "Barquero" are two of the most robustly charismatic but criminally underrated actors in history. I think it's safe to say that both Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates lift the film to a much higher level, and it wouldn't be even half as recommendable if their roles were played by different actors. Even with a broad river separating them, there's a continuously intense and ominous rivalry between these two über-machos. The film suffers from a few very tedious parts and Gordon Douglas' direction is rather monotone, but the locations and performances are great. Van Cleef receives good support from Forrest Tucker as the eccentric "Mountain Phil", while Oates' can rely on the excellent Kerwin Matthews.

Beautiful Colorado scenery and a fine attention to detail in this western set in the late 1860s.

Several American attempts at a spaghetti western surfaced in the late 1960s: this one is a much more compelling film than Eastwood's "Hang 'Em High", in that all of the lead characters are well-drawn and mysterious.

Van Cleef, in his finest lead, plays the title character, a man more interested in protecting his barge than in the well-being of the "squatters" who populate the town. Oates is a bit hammy as Remy, but an effective psychotic villain nonetheless.

Tucker practically steals the film in a role that would have gone to Edgar Buchanan two decades earlier, that of Mountain Phil, a man loyal enough to put his life on the line for his best friend, and who holds the "squatters" in even more contempt than the barquero does.

Should be on DVD by now. An overlooked gem that anticipated "Tom Horn", "Unforgiven", and other stripped-down westerns that would follow over the next 25 years.

Barquero is directed by Gordon Douglas and written by George Schenck. It stars Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker, Kerwin Matthews and Mariette Hartley. Music is by Dominic Frontiere and cinematography by Gerald Perry Finnerman.

When is a Spaghetti Western not a Spaghetti Western? When it's Barquero is the answer. It has the feel of a Pasta Oater, from the colour photography and musical scoring, to the pungent dialogue delivered in various guises of grizzle and accents, Barquero clearly takes its lead from Europe. Which as it happens is absolutely fine because this is a hugely enjoyable exercise.

"I would give anything in the world to spend the night with you... Except my barge"

Plot basically involves a cat and mouse scenario played out on each side of a river. On one side is a gang of thieves led by Warren Oates' Jake Remy, who after executing a robbery in town are trying to leave the country. On the other side is the townsfolk headed by Cleef's Travis, who is the most important man in the play because he owns the ferry barge that is apparently the only means of crossing the band of water.

"Back east I read books about men taming the wilderness. I dreamed about those men. They weren't like you. They weren't like you, they were statues that people could look up to. The only resemblance you bear to a statue is pigeon droppings"

What unfolds is a twin telling of the character dynamics at work in either side of the camp. Remy is a mercenary bastardo who rules his gang with a rod of aggressive iron, Travis is hard bitten by life and actually doesn't care much for the townsfolk he serves. The two men are battling for supremacy not just of the "barge" situation, but of their psychological well beings. Hostage situations come into play, there's plenty of scowling at each other across the water, some piercing violence and it builds to a grand finale with a battle fit for some viking based epic!

Casting aside the cheese laden dialogue, and it's best just to run with it to fully enjoy the picture, it's a production of some serious quality. With two of the genre's best brooders leading the cast, the acting side of things is in good hands. Backing up Cleef and Oates (both excellent) are Tucker (Travis' comic side-kick but still hard as nails) and Matthews (Remy's voice of reason), and although she's under used, the adorable Hartley hits the right notes for the key female role that tempts and taunts Travis' core masculinity.

The Colorado location photography is gorgeous, the beautiful shimmering landscapes alive in De Luxe Color. Frontiere's (Hang 'Em High/Chisum) score is dynamite, blending Spaghetti style clangs with military percussion, it swells and explodes at all the key points of plotting. Douglas (Rio Conchos) is unfussy in direction, maintaining interest during the talky character expansion scenes. And finally I simply have to mention the sound mix (Robert Miller and Ben Sad), it's tremendous, the thunder of hooves and the crack of gunfire literally splinters the ears, joyously so. I viewed this in HD on UK TCM on my home cinema system, suffice to say if possible I recommend you see it that way as well!

Awash with caricatures and the sort of tongue in cheek scripting that lends it a vibe to not be taken serious, it's clearly not a hidden masterpiece, but this is fascinatingly muscular fun that also looks and sounds tremendous. 7.5/10

Like contemporaries Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef did his sojuourn in European films mostlywesterns and graduated to leads. Unlike Marvin, Bronson, and others like Claude Akins, Neville Brand, and Jack Elam, Van Cleef never did explore a comic side. Maybe he just didn't have one. He's also one strange hero as he is in Barquero.

In this film Lee Van Cleef is the man with the barge who ferries people across a deep river. He doesn't even particularly like the settlers in the town on the river bank that has grown up. But when Warren Oates's gang of renegade cutthroats want to use that barge, Van Cleef proves to be the savior of the town.

Oates who usually plays with a comic twist either as a good guy or a bad guy is one deadly serious villain here. His gang massacres a whole town to leave no witnesses to a shipment of arms that they are robbing. Van Cleef knows well what they are capable of.

Forrest Tucker who can be comic here provides the comic relief as a mountain man. the last of a breed who proves to be Van Cleef's salvation. He rescues Van Cleef when he's captured by a couple of Oates's men who were sent to secure the ferry man for the gang. He has some sardonically funny scenes with John Davis Chandler, the captive.

Mariette Hartley is in this and she's the wife of a local storekeeper who is also a most pious reverend. When he's left behind and captured by Oates, Hartley makes Van Cleef an offer that an old time gentlemanly cowboy hero would never take up. Think of Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter, that's the kind of hero Van Cleef is.

This one is a must for fans of Lee Van Cleef.

The Quick Pitch: Remy (Warren Oates) is the leader of a band of outlaws. He wants to cross a river on his way to Mexico. The titular barquero, Travis (Lee Van Cleef), isn't going to let him use his barge. He knows it will be destroyed to prevent others from following. A stand-off ensues.

Until I stumbled on this last night, I had no idea Barquero even existed. What a find! Warren Oates and Lee Van Cleef in the same movie. These guys just ooze machismo. Throw in a supporting cast featuring Forrest Tucker and Kerwin Mathews and there was no way I wouldn't enjoy Barquero. The opening shootout as Remy and his men slaughter everyone in a small town to steal a wagon load of guns is an over-the-top joy to behold. And the last act where Remy and Travis are drawn into their final, inevitable showdown is just plain old awesome.

The problem with Barquero is the bits that come between the beginning and the end. Unfortunately, the second act really drags with Remy and Travis separated by a river. They shout back and forth, but there's really not much else that happens. Too bad, because with this kind of cast, some fantastic locations, and plenty of blood and violence, Barquero had the potential to be legendary.

6/10

A motley crew of bandits led by Jake Remy(Warren Oates)have finished plundering a defenseless town and their get away and escape from capture hits a snag. The gathering of thugs need to cross a river and the only way across is by a barge controlled by the Barquero(Lee Van Cleef). The struggle over the access of the barge becomes a standoff. The Barquero is determined to not let the plunderers cross.

Van Cleef is methodically cool while in control. Oates comes across as a bull headed bad ass...ruthless and calculating and even demonic as he fires his gun into the river as if to leave a message. Forrest Tucker aptly plays Mountain Phil who takes sides with the Barquero. Also in the cast are: Mariette Hartley, Armando Silvestre and John Davis Chandler excellent as a cocky member of the cutthroat gang. Kudos to director Gordon Douglas and how about that beautiful Colorado scenery.

After a massacre in a nearby town, outlaw Warren Oates and his gang flee towards Mexico. But there's a river in their way and they can only cross by ferry barge. The problem is the barge is operated by tough cuss Lee Van Cleef, who takes his barge to the other side of the river to prevent the bad guys using it. What follows is a stand-off between the violent outlaws and Van Cleef, who finds himself the reluctant protector of the villagers across the river.

Unique, cynical western may not sound like much on paper but it's a treat. The cast is great. Lee Van Cleef's western résumé speaks for itself. If Steve McQueen is the King of Cool, it's only because Van Cleef turned down the title. Peckinpah favorite Warren Oates is completely crazy but undeniably fun to watch. He gets many of the film's best lines. Forrest Tucker is a hoot as Van Cleef's mountain man friend. Busty cigar-smoking Marie Gomez will no doubt make a few pulses race. Mariette Hartley and Kerwin Matthews are also enjoyable. The script is good and the action is exciting. It's an underrated gem; one of the better American westerns of the period.

Of course you've heard of a Mexican Standoff, but BARQURO takes that concept of two sides waiting in deadly/suspenseful anticipation of who'll strike next to the next level, owning more than half of what begins an ultra-violent town-takeover-Western the likes of Sam Peckinpah's famous open from THE WILD BUNCH, and one of that bunch is down-and-dirty villain Warren Oates as Remy...

Like many American-made Westerns from the 1970's... albeit this one heavily borrowing music, main star and style from the Italian Spaghetti format... the bad guys are more like gritty, disgusting, marauding bikers from the previous decade's exploitation drive-in flicks...

But once Lee Van Cleef as a stealthily heroic river ferryman named Travis refuses to send his barge back (after saving the town) so the vicious gang can take their stolen gold to Mexico, the long, long wait begins, and it's a rather dull, slow ride with a few good moments in-between...

Like Tucker Forrest's Mountain Phil goading bandit-patsy John David Chandler while Cleef... whose presence and dynamic should have been equally intense as Oates's monologue-spouting menace... seems stuck in a lethargic Sergio Leone daydream, only partially pulled-off by director Gordon Douglas, more interested in what Oates is mad at (curbed by classy Spaniard Kerwin Matthews) than what Cleef is made of.

Barquero has really no excuse for not living up to its full potential. The inspired casting choice of piting genre stalwarts Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates in opposite sides of the river against each other and the idea behind the film – a group of ragtag cut-throats led by Oates transporting rifles and silver after a successful raid at a nearby town to the Sonoran territory in Mexico and desperately in need to cross the river before the army gets them while Lee Van Cleef as the boatman holds the barq at the other bank and refuses to pick them up. That should have been enough to keep Barquero afloat and my terrible puns at bay (ahem).

What really keeps the film down is the unpolished, roughly sketched script. The first and closing acts sustain interest through lengthy bouts of gunfighting but some kind of semi-compelling plot needs to be assembled for the middle act where sadly Barquero fails to kick the conflict into high gear, a hard feat to accomplish with a story that seems to invite conflict and could have gone into so many different places. Instead what we get by the end of act two is the good guys outwitting the bad and saving the hostage Warren Oates was keeping tied up and Oates half mad and desperate (as the army draws closer with every passing moment) shooting holes at the water and saying to his henchman "I shot the river". Not particularly endearing, don't you think? Forrest Tucker steals scenes in the role of ant-eating Mountain Phil while Van Cleef and Oates seem to be representing two different western archetypes – Van Cleef the romantic hero eclipsed by the coming modernization of the west, represented in the movie by a bunch of squatters he's called to protect, Oates the rough-hewn, murderous son of a bitch, the gritty and hardboiled aspect of the western, pioneered at the time by spaghetti westerns of whose villains he's somewhat reminiscent of.

Definitely better seventies westerns to keep the genre aficionado occupied out there but it's worth a watch for its marquee value, Van Cleef and Oates a dream match made in heaven and both in pretty good shape.

It's all about the two stars in this Western drama. Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates square off in this tale about a maniacal bandit named Remy (Oates), who has his gang stage some wholesale slaughter while they make off with some booty from a robbery. However, it's vital that they obtain a barge in order to cross a river and make it to freedom. And the man in charge, Travis (Van Cleef), turns out to be a very cool customer. The balance of "Barquero" shows what happens as two men engage in a battle of wills.

Being a fan of Van Cleef and Oates, this viewer would have liked to have enjoyed this a bit more. The problem for him was that the movie ended up overlong and didn't have as much tension as he would have liked. The frighteningly intense action scenes early on seem to be setting us up for something different; for several minutes there's a multitude of gunfire (and a rather hard edge to the proceedings that may turn some viewers off). "Barquero" ends up turning into a not uninteresting, if plodding, character study, as we get to see, bit by bit, the mental deterioration of the Remy character. He clearly wasn't expecting to have such problems trying to secure his transportation.

"Barquero" is a MUST for those who love Van Cleef and Oates, though. The two actors are at their best. Van Cleef is as cool as can be and Oates is wonderfully flamboyant. The strong supporting cast includes such familiar faces as fantasy genre star Kerwin Mathews (who's damn good as a Frenchman who rides with Remy), lovely Mariette Hartley, and the entertainingly weaselly John Davis Chandler. It's co-star Forrest Tucker, however, that steals much of the show. He makes the most of his colourful part as "Mountain Phil", who delights in showing Chandler his idea of fine cuisine.

Decent enough guidance by journeyman director Gordon Douglas, excellent music by Dominic Frontiere, and gorgeous cinematography by Gerald Perry Finnerman help to result in a reasonably rousing show. The unusual action climax makes it worth the wait.

Six out of 10.

A whiskey stream of consciousness review.

Never try to separate a man from his barge. Especially if that man is Lee Van Cleef. Sweaty Travis (Van Cleef) has a showdown with a gang of outlaws and matches wits with their boss. Cleef is great as the stubborn, enigmatic barge master, who heroically, albeit reluctantly helps a river town escape the ruthless gang. Interesting tidbit: there is a scene where a side character has two different colored eyes. Lee Van Cleef also has two different colored eyes. What are the chances!? Unique, entertaining western with good gunfights and clever drama. My first venture with Van Cleef as the lead hero- instead of a villain. He definitely pulls it off well. Crossed with an Elijah Craig BP Store pick.

I couldn't remember if I had saw it or not, but watching it again I can see possibly why. An interestingly hearty western, that's a little more than your copy and paste genre effort and helping out are the imposing two leads Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates. Oh they were outstanding adversaries, but when it came to shove they were given too little to do as they basically stand-off against each other from across a river. Yep that's right. After an ear-splitting gunfight to open up proceedings, it really does slow up mid-way and even stalls before reaching a crackerjack climax where Cleef and Oates come to blows. It's all about the slow winding suspense of the morality situation, than just cracking out the gritty and bloody violence. The script tends to focus on the struggle for control, where it's a game of tug of war to grab the upper hand. Quite a personal angle too with an odd sense of humour. It could've have been more memorable, even compelling if it wasn't as well-worn in its occurring developments.

A highlight of the feature would be the professional scope of the cinematography as it captured the glittering river and beautiful backdrop. The leering camera-work would focus on the faces and actions just as well. At times it feels like a TV movie, but director Gordon Douglas' accessibly tight handling and patient style seemed to be influenced by the material's drawn out structure. The support cast are fine additions with a lively Forrest Tucker giving the best performance.

While there is plenty of Van Cleef time in "Barquero", and the Warren Oates factor is a plus, this talky western borders on boring. Almost the entire film takes place in one location, and the script just doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean if Oates would have at least tried to find a shallow river crossing, instead of obsessing about Van Cleef's barge, things might have moved along at a more tolerable pace. As it is, with all the shouting back and forth across the river, nothing really happens for long stretches. "Barquero" to me was somewhat of a disappointment, and in no way challenges Lee Van Cleef's performance in "The Big Gundown" or some of his other non Leone westerns. - MERK

Around 1970 the Western genre had a new lease of life from the success of the Spaghetti Western. This is one of many attempts to marry the classic Western with this new style, and it does it quite convincingly. In the title role we have Lee van Cleef as the most impressive ferryman in film history - making his colleague at the Styx worry about the security of his job. Lee is up against Warren Oates and his bandits who need his ferry to transport their booty. Consequently, we are treated with the rare sight of a naval battle in a Western.

The villains of this piece are rather traditional Western villains (John Davis Chandler plays a delightful little dirtbag) while the heros (van Cleef and Tucker), all enigmatic and a bit on the shady side, seem to have been borrowed from Cinecitta. The excellent music by Dominic Frontiere is also presented in Italian style.

Lee Van Cleef pulls a barge across the river for a living. Things get turned upside down when Warren Oates and his men kill a whole town and steal a bunch of guns. They then head for the boat with a plan of crossing the river then burning the barge. The two sides finally meet with each one on opposing sides of the river. Warren needs the boat and Cleef won't give it to him to protect the town.

The two actors switch roles as Lee Van Cleef plays a good guy while Warren Oates is the bad guy. Warren of course steals the show with his I don't care about anything attitude. Cleef gives his cold stares and quips a line or two.

If you get a chance to see this please do. It's almost 2 hours but worth the time invested.

Warren Oates and his gang need to be portrayed as ruthless killers; we understand that. But the town massacre in the opening scene just goes on and on, with senseless killings of innocents. That violence overshadows the epic performances of Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker, Kerwin Matthews, John Davis Chandler, and Marie Gomez. Perhaps there is an edited version available that shortens the opening sequence. I would have given this an 8 or 9 rating, but I simply cannot recommend a movie that needs dozens of murders to set the stage.

Finely crafted production by Aubrey Schenck, with most of its action confined to a spot on the Rio Grande where a bunch of "squatters" have set up a primitive frontier town and a man (the "barquero", Van Cleef) has built a barge connected by rope to cross the river. When a bandit leader (Oates) and his group plunder and burn a nearby town, killing everyone, they make fast tracks to the barge, only to find the town evacuated and the barge on the other side of the river, with Cleef and his woodsman friend (Tucker) reluctantly defending the mostly nebbish townspeople. The script's sardonic tone is probably indebted to contemporary Italian oaters, but its ferocious drive and its focus on a personal confrontation between to determined, opposed strangers is very effective. Cleef is good at showing that he has no real concern for the villagers, but is absolutely set on not letting Oates' bandits burn his barge. Oates is a bit over the top (method acting is the worst type to go over the top with), especially in the poorly-conceived scene where he shoots the river. Solid action film with a significant difference going for it.

Part of what I love about spaghetti westerns are the hammy over-the-top elements combined with the gravity of unhinged violence, and Barquero has a bit of both of those. It does have its moments that make you raise an eyebrow for being either a bit nonsensical or a bit disagreeable, but I suppose that's part of what makes it interesting. It does lose a fair amount of momentum as the plot locks into its stalemate, and it doesn't resolve in the most satisfying of ways, though not displeasing either.

So I've seen better but I've seen worse; overall this was fun for what it is to be worth the watch for spaghetti western lovers, and certainly if you like Lee Van Cleef and/or his mustache. And really the entirety of the cast put on solid, enjoyable performances, and of course left some really fantastic lines that already have me chuckling thinking on it.

I watched "Barquero" on tv hoping to find another good western but sadly this wasn't it. The opening battle is long and violent but nonsensical as the situation wasn't set up well enough beforehand; I didn't know who was who or why they were fighting. And the movie continued on this line. I lost interest halfway through and struggled to finish. It has nice cinematography and scenery though. But I also didn't like how the bargeman went after that other woman when he had a nice one of his own. So not a western that I would recommend. My rating 3/10.