A western to chew over.

lost-in-limbo

The US cavalry have just learned that apache leader Ulzaza has left his reservation with a band of followers and now has gone on a killing rampage. They get in Indian tracker McIntosh to help young idealistic Lieutenant DeBuin and his small cavalry track him down and bring him back. However what DeBuin encounters on his journey, the aftermath of Ulzana's raids begin to have an affect of him. His naïve and bias standpoint comes to the forefront, as he tries to come to grips by questioning McIntosh and his trusted Indian guide Ke-Ni-Tay.

Director Robert Aldrich's grim and savage western is a lot more thoughtful in its conservative context (allegories to war --- Vietnam) than its blood-drenched images might suggest. Still while trying for this angle; it's not something we haven't already encountered in other films of its ilk. With it having varying viewpoints (Christian values of everyone being one, the matter of trust and simple racial conflict) towards the Apaches from the greenhorn Lt., his men and that of the Indian scout and his apache guide. Where emotion (hate) gets in the way of rationality (the motivation might not be any better for both sides --- as no-one is clean-cut), and it becomes a calculative mind game between the two parties of waiting for the slip-up to finally pounce. Early on the narrative feels episodic, but then it straightens up for the chase but Alan Sharp's well-rounded script is compellingly respectable in its detailed descriptions. Aldrich's competent handling keeps it hardy and earthy with the unsparing tone and brutal acts (violence, torture and rape) suiting the scathing sun-baked Arizona terrain. Burt Lancaster looking rugged gives a rock solid performance as McIntosh and the fresh-faced Bruce Davison is agreeably good as Lt. DeBuin. Joaquín Martínez is stout-like as Ulzana and Jorge Luke is excellent as Ke-Ni-Tay. Luke's character is the bridging aspect to both sides. Burly actor Richard Jaeckel also would appear.

score 8/10

lost-in-limbo 22 May 2010

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2253287/