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| “ | I'll be goddamned. | „ |
| ~ Father Oliver Van Horne's most famous quote. |
Father Oliver Van Horne is the main protagonist of the 1972 Western movie, The Wrath of God. He is an American Catholic priest, formerly of the Boston diocese after being excommunicated by a corrupt bishop prior to the events of the movie.
He was portrayed by the late Robert Mitchum.
Personality[]
Despite his excommunication by a corrupt bishop and his current part-time job as a bank robber, Father Oliver Van Horne forever remains a kind, caring, gentle, selfless, spiritual, religious, charming, and generous man with quite a sense of humor and a never-ending love, loyalty, and respect for God, often considered a father to all people as well.
As an eternally, highly devoted man of the church, Father Van Horne doesn't take kindly to sinners and sacrilegious people who dare to defy God and disrespect the church in any way and will not hesitate to react in such situations even if it means committing a sin through murder, but for good purposes and against wrongdoers.
Biography[]
Prior to the events of the movie, Father Oliver Van Horne was once a highly devoted priest of the Boston diocese until one day, he was embittered, declared heretic, and excommunicated by a corrupt bishop after the former had "chased the Merchants from the Temple". From then on, Father Van Horne supposedly went into the bank robbery business using an automatic machine gun while still retaining his state of priesthood and eventually ending up somewhere in South America.
One day, while driving into town during the Day of the Dead festivities, one of Father Van Horne's car tires breaks down, drawing the attention of an Irish political assassin named Emmet Keogh who comes over to offer the former a match for his cigar. After a brief conversation, Father Van Horne is suddenly called upon by a man about to be condemned to death along with two other prisoners in a public execution by a firing squad asking for forgiveness and absolution. When a sergeant aims to kill him, Father Van Horne doesn't hesitate to stop the former and asks that he provides the latter and the other prisoners with absolution at the very least, thus, allowing him to give all three men the last rites before being executed.
Later in the day, Father Van Horne appears to have had a flat tire on his way and is having problems repairing it. Fortunately for him, he comes across Emmet who happens to be driving a truckload of Scotch whiskey. After Emmet helps Father Van Horne out, both share a drink and introduce themselves before going their separate ways while promising to meet each other again at a nearby station on the way later on even after Emmet playfully shoots Father Van Horne's empty bottle thrown in the air.
At night, Father Van Horne arrives at an inn just in time to find both Emmet about to be hanged and a slightly mute Aymara Indian woman named Chela about to be raped by soldiers led by Sergeant Luis Delgado serving under Colonel Francisco Santilla, the leader of the revolutionary forces. When Delgado points out that there are travel restrictions even for priests, Father Van Horne claims he has credentials until he surprisingly takes out an automatic machine gun from his bag and guns down all soldiers minus one who unfortunately manages to escape, thus, saving both Emmet and Chela. Warned by Tacho the innkeeper that the soldier who escaped will eventually bring more soldiers and have all roads blocked by fast telegraph due to Colonel Santilla being a very smart man, both Father Van Horne and Emmet escape in the former's car as quickly as possible while bringing Chela along to guide them on her way back to her own people in the Wind River Country; much to the former's slight reluctance despite being forced at gunpoint by Emmet earlier.
In the morning, thinking that they have outran and outwitted Colonel Santilla, Father Van Horne and his friends savor their moment of triumph until they unintentionally run across and through a nearby military campsite, thus, provoking the soldiers led by Sergeant Cordona to chase after them and eventually capture them when their car comes to a halt on an unfinished bridge despite Emmet's best attempt to shoot at them with the former's machine gun. Then, both Father Van Horne and Emmet are subjected to a cruel mistreatment when being slightly stripped then tied and pulled to the back of the car by the sergeant while Chela is forced to sit in the backseat and watch with horror on their way to prison. On the way, when the soldiers stop to rest their horses, Father Van Horne is denied water provided by Chela thanks to the sergeant unlike with Emmet. After a long drag walk, at night, Father Van Horne and Emmet are put into the same cell along with Emmet's former British partner, Jennings who forced Emmet to reluctantly drive his truckload of Scotch whiskey for him in the first place, which actually turned out to be a truckload of weapons consisting of rifles, pistols, and grenades to be sold to the counter-revolutionary forces.
The next morning, all three men are subjected to what later turns out to be a mock execution by a firing squad in a bullring before being introduced to Colonel Santilla himself in person. After Colonel Santilla describes each of them and reveals $53,000 stashed inside Father Van Horne's bag (presumably stolen bank money), both Father Van Horne and the others are generously invited to join the former for breakfast. Though forced to say grace by their host, Father Van Horne doesn't hesitate to ransack the table afterwards and question the colonel out of suspicion of his true motives behind sparing their lives in the first place.
As it turns out, Father Van Horne, Emmet, and Jennings (referred to as Santilla's unholy trinity) have been selected in particular for an important mission: kill a man named Don Tomás de la Plata residing in the town of Mojada (the very same man whom Jennings was anonymously selling guns and ammunition to through agents in the first place). Through a forged letter in Jennings's name and sent to de la Plata by Colonel Santilla, both Jennings and Emmet are to pose as a mining company representative and engineer to help with the re-opening and financing of a silver mine de la Plata has recently shown interest in as he is in desperate need of money for wealth and power and also buying weapons as well whereas Father Van Horne is to help them out with the upcoming killings and at the same time, help the people of Mojada through spiritual counsel and guidance as they are in desperate need of a priest since de la Plata has had quite a reputation for desecrating the church and killing priests in the past (and anyone who so much as helped them): the last one (sent by the Church) hanged and the one before that left wandering in the desert naked and out of his mind by de la Plata. If the mission is successful, all three men will earn their freedom and an equal share of Father Van Horne's $53,000. The colonel also reveals that he had released Chela earlier on account of her written story involving his troops' misbehavior towards her.
At night, after being provided with good service and such, Father Van Horne stops Emmet from a fight with Jennings due to the latter's grudge over the other for his misleads and past involvement with the Black and Tans back in Ireland during the Irish Revolution (as described earlier by Colonel Santilla earlier in the day) and suggests that he take a walk to calm down instead. Then, Father Van Horne and Jennings make amends and shake hands.
In the morning, on their way out, Father Van Horne and his friends are briefed by Colonel Santilla (having prudently withheld the money for safekeeping) on the additionally provided supplies needed with conducting a very satisfactory requiem mass for de la Plata and his army aside from the former's machine gun in his car. Before leaving with the others in his car for Mojada, Father Van Horne first blesses then insults Colonel Santilla; much to the latter's amusement.
On their way to Mojada, Father Van Horne and the others are greeted by a tribe of Aymara Indians including Chela and their chief, Nacho whom Emmet had already met earlier last night when Chela came to visit and bestow an amulet on him symbolizing their love and marriage. During the journey, Father Van Horne and Emmet are asked by Jennings about it, which they reply to despite Jennings' warning to Emmet about the Aymaras when it comes to love, marriage, and divorce involving death. As they approach Mojada, Father Van Horne finds it best to snug back out of sight when they notice a guard on the hilltop.
After being greeted and welcomed to Mojada by de la Plata's second-in-command, Jurado and his men, Father Van Horne and the others enter a hotel whose owner, Carlos Moreno has been expecting them. However, given de la Plata's fierce reputation for murdering priests in Mojada, Father Van Horne is told by Moreno to leave the town for his own safety and out of fear of his and his family's lives if they do anything to help him in any way. Therefore, while Emmet and Jennings keep their dinner date with de la Plata at his hacienda tonight, Father Van Horne is dropped off to the desecrated church which has been left in a rather dilapidated state where he finds a young choir boy named Pablito whom de la Plata had orphaned years ago sleeping in and whom Father Van Horne decides to adopt as his own son later on.
At night, after dinner, Father Van Horne and Pablito continue fixing and cleaning up the church as much as they can even when approached by Emmet and Jennings. After introducing his adopted son to his friends and revealing the latter's tragic story, Father Van Horne inquires his friends for any useful information about de la Plata, only to learn that the tyrant knows of his presence in town and is threatening to kill him should he give either a service or a sacrament during his stay. To make matters worse, de la Plata won't be present at the mine as expected the next day since he will be out there trying to find and kill Colonel Santilla whom he suspects might take advantage of Emmet and Jennings' visit as a diversion to allow the latter's revolutionary forces to invade and liberate Mojada, thus, leaving the three men to deal with de la Plata's kind-hearted, spiritual mother, Señora de la Plata instead. Nevertheless, that doesn't discourage Father Van Horne from coming over to the mine the next day and blessing it now that it has been re-opened.
After blessing the mine in the morning with Pablito's help, Father Van Horne unsurprisingly finds himself warned and threatened of his upcoming demise by Jurado for defying his master's orders, but not before Señora de la Plata intervenes and tells Jurado to tell her son that she is to blame. Although Señora de la Plata apologizes for putting his life in jeopardy, Father Van Horne simply brushes it off by stating "what God wills for him here is God's will". Then, Father blesses both Señora de la Plata and Emmet's ventures before they enter the mine with Jurado.
When the silver mine suddenly collapses, trapping both Emmet, Señora de la Plata, Jurado, and a few miners inside, both Father Van Horne and Jennings rush in to save and free them while Pablito is told to stay behind. However, during Señora de la Plata's rescue, Father Van Horne and the others are left for dead by a cowardly Jurado when the mine continues to collapse despite Emmet's pleas for his assistance. Then, Father Van Horne decides to stay behind to give the last rites to a dying man named Don Jardona while the others leave and rescue more people as well. Luckily, with Jennings's help, Father Van Horne eventually makes it out of the mine alive and well. Then, Father Van Horne informs everyone that he intends to hold a mass at 4 for the deceased, which further angers Jurado who doesn't hesitate to ride out and inform his master of the priest's current actions; unaware that the priest's defiance is merely bait to lure de la Plata to his demise.
Back at the church, Father Van Horne briefs his friends on his plan of attack once de la Plata shows up at 4 for the upcoming mass. At 4, Father Van Horne and his friends take up their firing positions in the church when de la Plata arrives to kill him as expected. However, when de la Plata's mother unexpectedly shows up, enters the church, and threatens to die with the priest at her side if one more priest is killed in her name, Father Van Horne's life is spared in return for having saved her life earlier today for now, but not before he is warned and threatened by de la Plata for the last time. When Father Van Horne states he will "die when it is God's will", de la Plata takes the moment to mock it up and finally reveal the reason behind his hatred of priests and other God related things.
Two years ago, while de la Plata was somewhere in the North, Colonel Santilla and his men partially liberated Mojada from his tyranny. In doing so, they brought ruin to his home, beat his father to death before defecating on his body before the very eyes of his own mother, Señora de la Plata, and finally, violated both his mother and sister (who later killed herself out of shame). Then, Father Van Horne curiously asks de la Plata if anyone did anything to help, but unfortunately, no one, not even the town's priest did anything to stop them due to the latter's corruption involving liquor and laziness (lying all day in bed of the widow who kept house for him). Such betrayal eventually led to a sudden deep, abnormal hatred of priests and anything related to God and religion in de la Plata's mind and soul once he had returned home afterwards. From then on, no more services, masses, and sacraments provided by the church in town and any priest who would dare set foot in Mojada and try to defy his orders including anyone who so much as helped the former would be killed while the church itself was desecrated and left it in its former state; much to the horror of his mother who hadn't lost faith in the Catholic faith. Thus, leaving the people of Mojada heavy with sin, their confessions unheard, many marriages made unholy, both children and babies not baptized, and the dying not having faced the end of their years in peace as well.
To conclude the matter, Father Van Horne says that he will pray for both the corrupt priest and de la Plata's soul. After de la Plata instructs Father Van Horne to leave Mojada tomorrow at 9 or die and leaves with his men while his mother stays behind, Father Van Horne is warned by Señora de la Plata that eventually her son will kill him unless he leaves. Nevertheless, Father Van Horne believes that his place is here and then brings Señora de la Plata over to a confessional to hear her confession, thus, making the three men abandon their first attempt on de la Plata.
Later, Father Van Horne delivers a speech to the people of Mojada, promising them that tomorrow, he will make a procession around the square and that they will be liberated from de la Plata and his men's tyranny once and for all, bringing to both de la Plata and his men the wrath of God despite Jennings' doubts later on.
At night, at the hotel, Father Van Horne and Jennings enjoy a few drinks while Emmet spends the night in his room with Chela. Later on, Father Van Horne, Jennings, and Pablito witness both Emmet and Jurado fighting after the latter deliberately insults Chela since Aymara Indians aren't allowed in a canteen despite drunkenly suggesting taking her out and possibly raping her as well. Even though Jurado cheats during the fight, Emmet wins the fight by knocking him out even after Chela finally speaks out for the first time to warn him about the latter's final attempt with his dagger and both Father Van Horne and Jennings come in to stop another one of de la Plata's men from finishing him off. While Emmet spends the night with the Aymaras at their village to recover from all the bruises and beatings received during the fight, Father Van Horne and Jennings return to have another drink.
Horrified to learn from Moreno and another villager named Antonio about the situation in Mojada concerning unbaptized children and babies, sinners, unheard confessions, unholy marriages, and no peace for the dead since de la Plata's return two years ago, Father Van Horne instructs the two men to inform everyone that he will open the church to the public all night long where he will perform marriages, hear confessions, serve communions, celebrate mass, and baptize all the children and babies that have yet to be baptized; hoping to earn themselves an army by tomorrow as well.
After a long night of services and sacraments even with Pablito's help, Father Van Horne and Jennings prepare themselves for the upcoming battle at 9 while wondering where is Emmet. When Emmet finally shows up after being temporarily held against his will by the Aymaras for his own safety, Father Van Horne and the others take up their firing positions when de la Plata and his men arrive at the square as expected. During the ambush, however, Father Van Horne only manages to wound de la Plata mainly on the right arm and kill some of his men with his machine gun as both Emmet and Jennings manage to kill a few more men with guns and grenades as well before de la Plata and the rest of his remaining men flee and retreat.
As the villagers clean up the mess left out in the square, Father Van Horne and his friends recruit and instruct Moreno and a few others on how to defend themselves if and when de la Plata and his men return. However, Father Van Horne and the others are horrified to find a wounded Nacho arriving on horseback with a message from de la Plata to Father Van Horne, stating that unless he shows up at the latter's hacienda alone and unarmed, he will proceed to kill all the men, women, and children he has taken hostage including Chela as well.
Fearing for his own life and unwilling to make a martyr of himself, Father Van Horne secretly decides to run away with Jennings, using their remaining ammunition on Santilla's men should they give them any trouble along the way, but Emmet refuses to leave as he is determined to find and rescue Chela. During an argument with Emmet, Father Van Horne confesses about his past leading to his embitterment by the corrupt bishop. Although Emmet states "once a priest, always a priest", Father Van Horne simply insults him in return and proceeds to his car with Jennings, but not before Jurado and some of de la Plata's men return to town with Pablito as one of their hostages whom Jurado murders in cold blood in front of Father Van Horne and everyone else's eyes when trying to rejoin them in order to prove their master's point and coerce Father Van Horne into coming to his master; informing them that every half hour, they will proceed to kill another hostage and the next one being Chela unless Father Van Horne heeds to de la Plata's demands.
After mourning for Pablito's death, Father Van Horne vows to kill de la Plata once and for all and rides out to the hacienda armed with nothing more than just a Bible and a crucifix while Emmet and Jennings round up all the men with guns to storm the hacienda. Once there, Father Van Horne enters the place while all the hostages are released minus Chela whom de la Plata plans to keep and use as bait in order to lure the former's friends as well. Inside the place, Father Van Horne is searched for any possible hidden weapons and then taken away to pay the price for wounding de la Plata. Despite Señora de la Plata's protests, Father Van Horne is relieved of his Bible by Jurado under de la Plata's orders, only to discover a gun hidden within it due to the latter having suspected he might have had some tricks up his sleeves. Then, Father Van Horne uses his crucifix which turns out to be a switchblade he uses to kill de la Plata when the latter deliberately insults and defies God in his presence. When Father Van Horne tries to seize a gun from the corpse, he is shot non-fatally by one of de la Plata’s men whom he manages to wound on the left arm with one shot in return, but then, he discovers that the man he killed was, in fact, a double de la Plata used for one of his own tricks; much to the tyrant's amusement. Partially passed out, Father Van Horne is contrived to something "devilish and poetic" by de la Plata despite his mother's disgust of her own son's transformation into a "devil".
Later, Father Van Horne is tied up tightly to a stone cross by Jurado as instructed by his master. When one of his men informs him of Father Van Horne's friends and the other villagers' arrival, de la Plata and his men take up firing positions. After most of de la Plata's men are killed by Emmet and Jennings in the ensuing battle (some taken prisoners by the Aymaras when rescuing Chela), Father Van Horne has his legs untied by Emmet before the latter is shot on the right arm during his rescue. Then, after Jennings has been fatally shot by de la Plata when trying to kill him, Father Van Horne warns Jennings about Jurado who shoots him as well before getting shot by Nacho in return. With both Jennings and Jurado killed by a grenade deliberately set off by a dying Jennings, Father Van Horne is left to watch de la Plata shooting Emmet on the right leg and continuously trying to kill him in vain.
After de la Plata has been shot twice by his reluctant mother when saving Emmet from her son, Father Van Horne watches de la Plata stumble out and collapse near the stone cross he has been tied to. When he notices de la Plata trying to shoot someone in a final attempt, Father Van Horne manages to topple the cross onto him as the latter screams in horror before being killed, thus, putting an end to his tyranny once and for all. Then, Father Van Horne is freed by Nacho and one of his men while Señora de la Plata mourns for her son's death before everyone generously tends to both Father Van Horne and Emmet's wounds as church bells are being sounded across the countryside. Rejoiced, Father Van Horne laughs with great enthusiasm as he claims that the church bell sounds are a gospel, at least, according to him.