Barbarosa poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Willie Nelson, Gary Busey, Isela Vega, Gilbert Roland, Danny De La Paz ... see more see more... , Alma Martinez , George Voskovec , Sharon Compton , Howland Chamberlain , Jake Busey , Harry Caesar , Luis Contreras , Roberto Contreras , Wolf Muser , Kai Wulff , Joanelle Nadine Romero , Robert English , Michael O'Rourke , Berkley H. Garrett , Bruce Smith

Barbarosa is a western starring the unlikely screen team of Willie Nelson and Gary Busey. Nelson is an outlaw, Busey his country-bumpkin buddy. They decide to ride together, since both are on the run ... read more read more...from separate family feuds. Directed by Australian filmmaker Fred Schepisi, the screenplay for Barbarosa was written by William D. Wittliff who would later gain acclaim for his adaptation of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

54% liked it

1,584 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

5 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Fred Schepisi

Release Date: February 19, 1982

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 18, 2003

Get It:

Stats: 53 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Barbarosa
Upload a Photo | View All Barbarosa Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (53)

  • TheCreeper11
    April 3, 2012
    TheCreeper11
    Great western fun with plenty of grit.

    PLOT:After farm boy bumpkin Karl (Gary Busey) flees home after accidentally killing a couple of people, he runs into the most notorious criminal in the area, Barbarosa (Willie Nelson), who also has family problems. They are an unlikely team... read more, but they decide to ride together and become the legends of the west. It's a basic western plot, but it's executed in a way that it comes off as an homage to most past westerns.

    ACTING:Willie Nelson isn't my favorite singer of all time. In fact, I can hardly stand him, but his acting is more worth it than I thought. I think he should have taken up acting over singing more often. Busey did a great job as well, adding a bit of fun charm to the role that could come off as a comic relief to some. Every other performance was decent, but not anything truly special. These two clearly own the show.

    SCORE:Most of the score was played for comic effect, but it did have some nice Mexican mood-setting music at times.

    OTHER CONTENT:This film resembles what I would call a worthy homage. This passes out a fine salute to the westerns of yesteryear with enough scenes of grit, camp, and toughness to make a western fan grin with nostalgia. Though it is pretty cheesy in some parts and pretty generic in plotting, it is a pretty fine western that can bring memories of the Man with No Name from its character backstories all the way down to its cheaply made effects.

    OVERALL,a great western homage with a basically lovable plot, surprisingly good and decent acting, mood-fitting score, and enough grit and camp to be considered a rightful homage, but it was merely a western of ordinary proportions.
  • mpghoul1973
    November 12, 2006
    mpghoul1973
    This film shows Willie Nelson can act with the best of them. Great western. Busy is great. Barbarosa!

View All Barbarosa Reviews

Critic Reviews

Adam Lippe
May 28, 2011
Adam Lippe, Examiner.com

Schepisi doesn't have time to show off; Despite the opportunity for some beautiful widescreen vistas, he doesn't use them as a crutch or a cheap conduit for a scene transition without a proper segue. ... Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
February 4, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Barbarosa comes along just when we thought Westerns were extinct: this gritty mongrel saga ought to satisfy all sagebrush devotees. Full Review

June 20, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 13, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Randy Shulman
November 4, 2004
Randy Shulman, Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

No review available.

Carol Cling
August 22, 2003
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Stagecoach
    Stagecoach (100%)

More Movies like Barbarosa

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Barbarosa : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Barbarosa. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Barbarosa to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?