Review of Apache

Mr B.Lancaster was one of Hollywood's greatest athletes.He had the grace of Astaire,the menace of Cagney and the magnetism of Welles. From "The Killers" onwards,he grinned and grimaced,loping across the screen and hypnotising the camera. Arguably the zenith of his career was "The Crimson Pirate",with his performance as Masai in "Apache" approaching it,despite the film itself being inferior. This wasn't the movie Mr Aldrich set out top make,with studio bean - counters interfering with his vision,but it is arresting and intriguing nonetheless. External factors aside,Mr Lancaster manages to outpower the production with the sheer energy of his performance. In the days when First Nation actors were generally reduced to "rhubarbing" and riding around wearing huge headdresses it was quite common for big stars to display bronzed faces and torsos,look grim and speak pidgin English. Masai (Mr B.Lancaster) escapes from a train after the Apache surrender and takes a cold - eyed look at "civilised" white society which confirms his belief that he wants no part of it. He is only "tamed" by the love of a good woman (Miss J.Peters) who although she may not have turned him into a New Man,succeeds,by having his child,in turning him away from the path of conflict. A not particularly convincing ending shows him accepting the White Man's terms. Just occasionally Masai looks a bit pouty - but who's to blame him for that? Even in it'd flawed state,"Apache" is an interesting film hat helped to open the way to a more fair - minded treatment (at least in the movies) of First Nation people.