"Chino" ("Valdez il mezzosangue", which translates to "Valdez the Half-Blood") is an unusual hybrid film. It's sort of like an Italian spaghetti western and a Hollywood film combined. Aside from the main characters, the actors are all Italians and the film was made in Spain....just like spaghetti westerns. But, unlike spaghetti westerns, the director is an American and the music, violence level and gentle pacing are not exactly like any Italian western I've seen.

The story begins with young Jamie (Vince Van Patten) coming to the ranch run by Chino (Charles Bronson). Chino is an odd sort...sort of a white man/American Indian combined. He also is a quiet man who prefers the company of horses over people...which is why his befriending the orphan Jamie is so unusual. At first, Jamie is just going to spend the night but soon Chino asks him to stay and mentors the boy....teaching him his gentle way of taming, not breaking, wild horses. Of course, there must be some conflict somewhere...as well as a romance for Chino...and to know about that, you should see the film.

So, is it any good? Well, I really liked it but know many who see it won't. This is mostly because of the ending. It seemed VERY realistic, but also was the sort of ending Bronson fans would hate. It's more true to the character but not true to the style film you'd expect. Overall, even with the downbeat ending (which I didn't hate),it's well worth seeing....and very atypical for the genre and for Bronson.

By the way, in a tiny scene near the beginning, you see a Native American funeral platform...something some tribes did practice. However, the skeleton on it was fully articulated...meaning the bones were all fused together like a prop skeleton. In reality, the bones would have simply separated from each other and NOT remained articulated.

John Sturges who created so many classic westerns like Gunfight at the OK Corral, Hour Of The Gun, The Last Train From Gun Hill, The Law And Jake Wade, The Magnificent Seven, so many good ones really gave us a let down with his final trip west in Chino. This was also the only western he did in Europe, in Spain to be precise.

Charles Bronson is in the title role as a mixed race horse rancher who dares to aspire to Jill Ireland as a wife. That's not something her family wants to see happen. Bronson's only real friend is young Vincent Van Patten, an orphan kid roaming the west looking for work and to grow up. He does both.

Bronson, his wife Ireland, and Van Patten are the only Americans in this cast populated by continental names. The action moves at a snail's pace, deadly for a western and the climax is quite unsatisfactory, especially those looking for some Bronson like heroics.

Sturges had only three more films to make in his career, all of them away from the western genre. Too bad he couldn't have finished his career in the west on a higher note.

This Italian/Spanish co-production concerns upon a mestizo , Chino Valdez (Bronson at fifty-one years of age) , the Halfbreed , he's a horse breeder rancher who fights to maintain his way of life by facing off foes . 'The Valdez Horses' refers to Chino's equine herd . The half-Indian man lives solitary until the arrival a young (Vincent Van Patten) . Chino decides to take him in and teach him the art of rodeo , raising , breeding and round-up horses . The movie follows the Bronson's adventures and his imposing black stallion that represents the freedom and proud what the white men impede him to enjoy . Meanwhile , Chino has a sensitive romance , as he falls in love with the sister (Jill Ireland) of a wealthy owner (Marcel Bozzuffi) who doesn't approve the relationship and taking the subsequent vengeance.

It is a Spaghetti Western shot in Almeria (Spain) where by that time lots of Maccaroni/Paella Westerns were shot , and its source 'The Valdez Horses' , a novel written by Lee Hoffman (published in 1967) ; but being a little bit boring and slow-moving , although there are some shootouts , action , and emotion . Interesting storyline though monotonous and tiring by Clair Huffaker , he was a prestigious screenwriter who wrote several notorious westerns . Clair Huffaker is credited as the sole writer on American prints , though in the Italian ones is also signed by Massimo De Rita and Arduino Maiuri . There's a brief exploring about Native American Indians and dream sequences that tend to undermine the easy action . As always , Charles Bronson performs a tough and silent man in lame manner , he plays as Chino Valdez , he is mixed Native American Indian/white European genealogy , he's a horse breeder who breeds , tames , and trains ; while Jill Ireland (Bronson's real wife) , as his sweetheart , is enjoyable and enticing . This film is one of Charles Bronson's 70s westerns , his westerns made during the seventies include Red sun (1971) by Terence Young , Chato (1972) by Michael Winner , From noon till three (1976) by Frank D Gilroy , Nevada Express (1975) by Tom Gries and White Buffalo (1977) by J. Lee Thompson , being most of them produced by Dino De Laurentiis . Spectacular outdoors well shown by cameramen Armando Nannuzzi and Godofredo Pacheco , but the film-copy is a little worn-out . Set in New Mexico , USA , this movie was actually filmed in Almería , desert of Tabernas , Andalucía , Spain . Musical score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis is effective and evocative , they are composers of numerous spaghetti western soundtracks .

Weak though slick direction by John Sturges, , he previously made classic westerns as ¨Gunfight OK Corral¨, ¨Last train from Gun Hill¨ and ¨The magnificent seven¨ and his former Western film had been ¨Joe Kidd¨ with Clint Eastwood . Being fifth and ending film that filmmaker Sturges made with star Charles Bronson . This Italian/Spanish/USA co-production was premiered in Europe in 1973 but didn't open in the USA until 1976. In the Italian version appears credited as co-director Duilio Coletti . Duilio was a good craftsman who mainly filmed adventure genre such as ¨Captain Fracassa¨, ¨Il Fornaretto Di Venezia¨, The Mask of Cesare Borgia" , "Merchant of Slaves" and wartime genre , such as ¨Anzio¨ co-directed by Edward Dymitryck , ¨Divisione Folgore¨, "The Earth Cries Out" , "Hell Raiders of the Deep" , and ¨Under ten flags¨ . The motion picture is a Charles Bronson vehicle along with his wife, Jill Ireland , both of whom sadly deceased . Rating : Acceptable and passable.