A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die

John Chard

February 9, 2017

7/10

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 …

CinemaSerf

February 14, 2026

6/10

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 t…