Technical data
- Ttile: TAKE A HARD RIDE
- Año: 1975
- Producción: Televisión y Cine S.A. (TECISA) and 20th Century Fox.
- País: Italy, Spain and USA.
- Dirección: Antonio Margheriti.
- Cast: Lee Van Cleef, Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Catherine Spaak, Jim Kelly, Dana Andrews.
Description and synopsis
Lanzarote has hosted comedies, thrillers, science fiction, historical films, superhero movies, horror and even erotic films, but one of the classic genres that the island did not have to its credit before this film was made, was Westerns.
The truth is that the landscape of Lanzarote is perfectly suited to Westerns set in arid areas, because this is an island historically marked by the lack of water, so it’s easy to find many locations – mountains, ravines or plains – with discernible dryness and scarce vegetation, as well as landscapes of pure desert. Another advantage of the island’s typical climate is that there are few rainy days, making it possible to film outdoors almost all year round, a circumstance that is further enhanced by the quality of the skies in the Canaries, an archipelago that is home to some of the largest telescopes in the world.
Take a Hard Ride is an example of the successful Spaghetti Westerns of the time, productions that mixed Spanish settings with Italian-American crews. This type of cinema was initially not much appreciated by critics, but it ended up serving as a springboard for the careers of iconic names in cinema such as Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood. An actor who filmed with these two figures in great films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ( 1966) was the star of this film, which was partially shot in Lanzarote: Lee Van Cleef, an American actor regarded as one of the most memorable villains in film history.
This film has several scenes in the rocky outcrops of Guatiza, in Timanfaya and in the Charco de los Clicos, a unique geological landscape that has been chosen for almost twenty film productions. What is most striking about this lake or lagoon is its greenish colour, which is due to the plant organisms it contains. This body of water is affected by the nearby ocean and forms part of a colourful open crater facing the sea that adds brown, reddish and ochre colours. The ancient volcano has been worn away by the waves, forming a picture of curious geological and chromatic shapes, completed by the powerful blue of the sea and the deep black of the lava and ashes that surround the area. It is a truly impressive site.
