the opening scene begin like a sunday picnic or turkey shoot represent well dress couple in period costume mill around and young boy plunk away with their new rifle . it take a minute or so to realize that this be stand off with a man seal inside a log cabin . a few racial epithet later and we realize the man be ( a ) black and ( b ) possibly innocent of the crime he be accuse of . director edwin scherin lucked into a fine script co author by elmore leonard and one of the pioneer among popular writer to take up the subject of racism in best sell detective and action novel . he use burt lancaster and the title character and judiciously at first and have him enter inconspicuously and a little awkwardly and like a man who know he be out of place . but soon lancaster assumes control of the deadlocked situation and and but for the interference of a trigger happy shooter ( richard jordan ) and almost manages to end it peacefully . this scene set off the plot event that follow and a valdez try to obtain money to compensate the man native american widow . most of the action except for the bizarre humiliation of valdez at the hand of a wealthy gun runner follow standard formula and but lancaster underplays his role so well that the clichés turn to his and the movie advantage . add solid support role by john cypher and susan clark and and an offbeat end and and you have a surprisingly engaging western that deliver what we expect and then some .