Once upon a time it was considered not only acceptable but positively common-place for white men to play Native Americans; why, even that handsome non-entity Jeff Chandler got an Oscar nomination for playing Cochise. In "Apache" it was the turn of Burt Lancaster to grow his hair, wear a bandana and speak in broken English and not only that but his 'squaw' was none other than Jean Peters. Such miscasting virtually kills Robert Aldrich's otherwise fine western about the last Apache to defy capture.
It's a handsome and reasonably intelligent picture that cries out for real Native Americans or at least actors who don't sound like Burt Lancaster. He may vaguely look like an Apache but there's nothing you can do to disguise that distinctive Lancaster voice. It's certainly not an offensive film and I'm sure everyone involved thought they were honoring their Apache hero but a film needs more than just good intentions. It may not be Lancaster's finest hour nor is it Aldrich's but then even second-rate Aldrich is far from negligible.
It's a handsome and reasonably intelligent picture that cries out for real Native Americans or at least actors who don't sound like Burt Lancaster. He may vaguely look like an Apache but there's nothing you can do to disguise that distinctive Lancaster voice. It's certainly not an offensive film and I'm sure everyone involved thought they were honoring their Apache hero but a film needs more than just good intentions. It may not be Lancaster's finest hour nor is it Aldrich's but then even second-rate Aldrich is far from negligible.