Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Wuchak RELEASED IN 1954 and directed by Robert Aldrich, "Apache" is based on the real-life story of Massai (Burt Lancaster), a Chiricahua Apache who was exiled with other Apaches to a reservation in Florida to be held with Geronimo and Chihuahua, but he escapes the train somewhere near St. Louis and travels 1200 miles back to the Mescalero Apache tribal area, conducting one-man raids near what is now the Arizona-New Mexican border. John McIntire plays the chief of scouts commissioned to capture Massai while Charles Bronson (Buchinsky) is on hand as an Apache scout. Jean Peters plays an Apache babe who, in real life, was Zanagoliche.Massai actually escaped the prison train with a Tonkawa Native named Gray Lizard and they traveled the long journey back by foot together, eventually parting company in Southeastern Arizona. Gray Lizard is, unfortunately, completely omitted in the film.To enjoy this movie you have to look past Lancaster in the lead role or, at least, imagine him to look more like a real Apache. But, keep this in mind: Since Massai is the sympathetic protagonist of the story the movie would've never been made in the early 50s without a known Hollywood star playing the role. Why? Simple: Producers needed to attract viewers in order for the film to make money. Actually, Lancaster isn't too unbelievable in the role, as long as you can disregard his blue eyes. Unfortunately babelicious Peters looks way too European to play an Apache squaw, even though they tried to hide it by darkening her skin. On the positive side, there are a lot of real Natives in peripheral roles.The whole first act is great as Massai is a fish-out-of-water in the city of St. Louis. Unfortunately there are dull stretches in the second and third acts. Nevertheless, "Apache" was better than I thought it would be and inspired me to look up the real-life Massai. It was also a hit at the box office despite falling into relative obscurity since then. The score is surprisingly bearable for an old Western."Apache" made Native Americans (who aren't really 'native' since their ancestors emigrated from Asia) sympathetic characters in cinema, along with earlier Westerns, like "Buffalo Bill" (1944), "Fort Apache" (1948) and "Broken Arrow" (1950) and later Westerns, like "The Last Wagon" (1956), "A Man Called Horse" (1970) and "I Will Fight No More Forever" (1975).THE FILM RUNS 1 hours & 31 minutes and was shot in California, Arizona and New Mexico. WRITERS: James R. Webb wrote the script based on Paul Wellman's novel.GRADE: B-

Spikeopath Apache is directed by Robert Aldrich and adapted to screenplay by James R. Webb from the novel "Broncho Apache" written by Paul Wellman. It stars Burt Lancaster, Jean Peters, John McIntire, John Dehner, Charles Bronson and Paul Guilfoyle. Music is by David Raksin and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo."This is the story of Massai, the last Apache warrior. It has been told and re-told until it has become one of the great legends of the Southwest. it began in 1886 with Geronimo's surrender."Apache has problems, undoubtedly, from the casting of overtly bright eyed Americans in the principal Native American roles, to the shift into love story territory, and on to the studio enforced compromised ending, it's a mixed bag for sure. If you can get over these "issues" then there is still a lot to enjoy here. You're not a warrior any more; you're just a whipped Injun.Apache follows in the footsteps made by Broken Arrow and Devil's Doorway that saw a shift in how Native Americans were being represented on screen. The story of Massai (Lancaster) is a fascinating one, even if the movie doesn't quite be all that it can be. It shows him as a stoic and complex individual, fiercely determined in a last man standing type of way, while his confusion with the world he no longer understands - or cares to be part of - is expertly realised by Lancaster and Aldrich. One sequence has Massai walk through town observing the alien white man world at work, including Chinese folk busying themselves in a laundry, it's a smart piece of writing, proving that there is intelligence and points of worth in the story.You are like a dying wolf biting at its own wounds.Thankfully the film doesn't go too far the other way and paint Massai as a saint, we know what he is capable off, and he shows us his skills as a warrior as the story moves on. There's even a scene of major manhandling of Nalinle (Peters) that is uncomfortable viewing but actually integral to Massai's emotional state and how the story between the two unfolds. Here in is the problem, once Massai and Nalinle "fall" for each other the picture loses its edge, where even though Aldrich inserts some more action sequences, the grit, intelligence and narrative thrust has disappeared. This all leads to the ending, that as written originally should have seen a cold and dark finish along the lines of the brilliant Devil's Doorway. Instead we get something approaching cuteness and not as profound as the studio obviously thought it was.The casting of Lancaster and Peters gives the film athletic muscularity and beauty (respectively), certainly in Lancaster's case he throws himself into a role he actively courted to take him onto another acting level (he co-produced it with Harold Hecht). It takes some getting used to, but they provide wholesome characterisations even if they never convince as Native Americans. Support work from McIntire and Dehner is strong, but unfortunately Bronson (here billed as Buchinsky) is short changed by a screenplay that doesn't enhance a very promising character. Raksin's score blends the usual Indian thrums with a love theme that is not dissimilar to the love theme used by Alex North for Spartacus six years later. While Laszlo's Technicolor photography is grade "A" stuff where the landscapes (a number of locations were used, primarily in California) form a telling part of the plotting. Problems for sure here, and in truth it's the weakest Western made by the Aldrich/Lancaster pairing, but it has good strengths, it was a financial success and it's a story well worth being told. 7/10

Jay Raskin There is a problem with Burt Lancaster and Jean Peters playing Native Americans and not really looking like Native Americans. Paul Newman had the same problem in "Hombre". Yet, this film was made in 1954 and it was pretty much the rule to cast according to box office and not according to racial characteristics. Remember that Anthony Quinn played a Native American in both the classics "The Plainsmen" and "Buffalo Bill" Forgetting about that Hollywood convention, we have a really nice action-adventure which is also sympathetic to the problems of Native Americans and shows them reacting to the American settlement of the West in a number of different ways. Some were forcibly resettled far from their home, some learned to farm and settle down, some became scouts, some wage-slaves building railroads and some hit the bottle in despair. A few, like the lead character in this film, Massai, remained a warrior and continued the battle to preserve their independent ancestry.The movie is really complex and thoughtful besides being filled with nice action sequences. It should be compared to the over-rated John Ford Western "The Searchers" made the following year. In sharp contrast, Ford's film has poor action sequences, boring and terribly racist, just portraying native Americans as sadistic rapists and murderers. Both films have great cinematography.The movie reminded me of another interesting Burt Lancaster film, "Valdez is Coming". There he is a lone Mexican facing long odds battling a gang of outlaws. Lancaster made about a dozen Westerns. I've seen about half of them and so far they are all offbeat, fun, and well worth seeing. This one is no exception.Jean Peters is also very good as Nalinie, the female lead. She expresses the proper strength and loyalty to make her role believable. Peters starred in about 15 films from 1947 to this film in 1954. Sadly, she only starred in 2 more films in the following year. She then married billionaire Howard Hughes and her career ended. She did have a few small roles when she started acting again in the 1970's and 1980's. She is another fine actress and star who should have made many more films.

bkoganbing Burt Lancaster essays the second of his American Indian roles in Apache, the first being in Jim Thorpe - All American. As Jim Thorpe Lancaster plays a man who is living in the world the white man made for him. As Masai, the last Apache warrior, Lancaster is going to live on his terms.In fact the real Masai was killed, but Hollywood wanted a happy ending. Ten years later Lancaster would have had Masai killed, but he didn't have the clout yet to override the studio.In fact Burt's having trouble all around in this. He's not getting along with any of his fellow Indians either. Not getting along with Charles Bronson. But Bronson is viewed rightly so as the Pierre Laval of the Apaches. That's understandable.But I think the most interesting scene is his meeting with Cherokee Morris Ankrum. Morris's wife acts more like a white house wife than a subservient squaw. That's something Lancaster is having trouble digesting. The Indians weren't real big on women's liberation.But Jean Peters is your more traditional Indian female. She's going with her man no matter what. And Burt actually does humanize under her influence somewhat.It may be the Apache has been beaten, but they won't be broken and that's the message that Lancaster wants to convey to his people.In the great tradition of Broken Arrow and Fort Apache.