SCALPS

Cinemavixion Review

Bruno Mattei's "Scalps" (1987) plunges viewers into the brutal landscape of the American Civil War, offering a revisionist Western that blends revenge tropes with a critique of Southern aggression. The narrative centers on a brutal massacre of a Native American tribe and the subsequent abduction of the chief's daughter. Her escape and alliance with a hardened rancher, who harbors his own animosity towards the Southerners, sets the stage for a visceral quest for vengeance. Starring Vassili Karis, Mapi Galán, and Alberto Farnese, the film, despite its gritty subject matter and a reported IMDb rating of 5.4, presents a compelling, albeit violent, tale of unlikely partnership forged in the fires of injustice. It's a potent reminder of the often-overlooked conflicts and moral ambiguities of the era, presented with Mattei's signature directness.