Gritty Western of cavalry and Apache warriors

SimonJack

Of the many Native American nations, groups and tribes, the Apaches were among the most clever and fierce fighters. They raided with small bands among themselves and against any and all outsiders to gain goods. And they waged war in larger numbers at times with the Mexican government, U.S. Cavalry and other Indian groups. As with other American Indian groups, most movies and stories about the Apaches well into the late 20th century strayed far from the truth. Yet, history does record the almost barbaric savage behavior of some of the Apache groups in the 19th century American Southwest.

"Ulzana's Raid" is a film set in the last years of the Apache Wars (1849-1886). Ulzana is the name of an Apache leader during that time, but he wasn't part of any insurrection and he died peacefully on the San Carlos reservation. So, his and other characters of this story are mostly fictitious. What this film does show is the brutality that was displayed at times by some of the Apaches, and some of the Apache culture that is considered barbaric by western culture. It also attests to the cunning, skill and strength of the Apache character in fighting and war.

This is certainly one of the very best Westerns ever made that focuses on the cavalry and Indian confrontations. The acting, scenery and directing are all very good. The film gets its "R" rating from the several scenes, however short, that picture the graphic torture and mutilation of bodies.

The plot is weak in places. It has some apparent lapses in story development between scenes. And the script is confusing in places, especially in the depiction of two of the characters. The first is Burt Lancaster as McIntosh. In early scenes at Fort Lowell (in present day Tucson, AZ) McIntosh describes the Apaches bitterly as ruthless barbarians out to kill and plunder. He seems clearly to hate the Indians. But, later in the film, he says he doesn't hate the Indians, but he does fear them.

The second glaring incongruity of characters in the script is with Bruce Davison as Lt. Garnett DeBuin. He is only six months out of West Point and is given his first "battle" command. His father is a "man of the cloth." Early on DeBuin questions McIntosh and Apache scout Ke-Ni-Tay (played very well by Mexican actor Jorge Luke) about the Indians overall and the Apaches in particular. He is appalled at their brutality, yet he insists that the dead Apaches be buried. He wonders about White men misunderstanding and not knowing the Indians. Then, he says that he hates the Indians.

At the start of the film, one senses that this young green Army officer will change his "naïve" views about the Apaches by the film's end. But the script doesn't play out that way, and instead, we have this conflicted character throughout. Toward the end, McIntosh utters a classic line after DeBuin has chastised some troopers for stabbing a dead Indian. "You don't want to think of the white man as being savage like the Apache," he says.

score 8/10

SimonJack 12 September 2014

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3085403/