I'm always curious about the casting of name actors in Native American roles. You had Chuck Connors as the title character in 1962's "Geronimo" and Paul Newman did a respectable job in 1967's "Hombre". The thing with me is, I don't have so much a problem with white actors cast as Indians, but more so in the fact that their celebrity serves as a distraction in watching the picture. That's the issue here as well, with Burt Lancaster in the role of Apache warrior Massai, most of the time I was watching Lancaster the actor while trying to pay attention to the story.
About the only thing that's historically accurate in this film is the capture of Massai the first time and his escape from the prison train. All the rest is poetic license taken for the sake of the story, so on that basis you'll have to judge for yourself. The real Massai virtually disappeared once he returned to New Mexico-Arizona Territory, raiding along the border and occasionally seeking refuge in Mexico. He kidnapped and married a Mescalero Apache girl and had six children with her. The idea presented in the movie that Massai could walk away from the Cavalry after killing a number of soldiers and scouts is plainly laughable, but Hollywood in the Fifties wouldn't have drawn an audience without a feel good ending.
The one thing the film does have going for it is the Indian dialog. There are some thoughtful conversations among the Native characters on screen, and one idea that intrigued me came from Santos (Paul Guilfoyle), father of Nalinle (Jean Peters). He stated that "even a hawk is an eagle among crows". I liked that imagery, it reminded me of a similar saying having to do with a one eyed man being king in the land of the blind.
The other thing that got my attention had to do with the egotistical and vicious bounty hunter Weddle (John Dehner). That time he walked into the trading post for supplies, one of the things he asked for was 'saleratus'. I couldn't let that one go and had to look it up. Wouldn't you know, he could have made things a whole lot easier by simply asking for baking soda.
About the only thing that's historically accurate in this film is the capture of Massai the first time and his escape from the prison train. All the rest is poetic license taken for the sake of the story, so on that basis you'll have to judge for yourself. The real Massai virtually disappeared once he returned to New Mexico-Arizona Territory, raiding along the border and occasionally seeking refuge in Mexico. He kidnapped and married a Mescalero Apache girl and had six children with her. The idea presented in the movie that Massai could walk away from the Cavalry after killing a number of soldiers and scouts is plainly laughable, but Hollywood in the Fifties wouldn't have drawn an audience without a feel good ending.
The one thing the film does have going for it is the Indian dialog. There are some thoughtful conversations among the Native characters on screen, and one idea that intrigued me came from Santos (Paul Guilfoyle), father of Nalinle (Jean Peters). He stated that "even a hawk is an eagle among crows". I liked that imagery, it reminded me of a similar saying having to do with a one eyed man being king in the land of the blind.
The other thing that got my attention had to do with the egotistical and vicious bounty hunter Weddle (John Dehner). That time he walked into the trading post for supplies, one of the things he asked for was 'saleratus'. I couldn't let that one go and had to look it up. Wouldn't you know, he could have made things a whole lot easier by simply asking for baking soda.