Apache (1954) – Film Review

Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean Peters, John McIntire
Certificate: U

By Sarah Morgan

The phrase ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ is somewhat overused, but in the case of Apache, it’s certainly true.

In 1954, when it received its original cinema release, it was perfectly normal for white actors to wear ‘brownface’ to play Native Americans, so nobody would have thought twice about seeing Burt Lancaster as Massai, a tribal warrior who struggles to deal with the surrender of his chief, Geronimo, to the United States Cavalry.

“Remote”

More than 70 years on, Lancaster’s appearance in the lead role seems wildly inappropriate – even his use of a sort of pidgin English is just plain weird – but if you can get over that, the film is a decent Western, one that despite its problems, delivers a sympathetic portrayal of its central character and his people.

The story follows Massai following his escape from the cavalry during a train journey to a new reservation in Florida. He attempts to return home, feeling like a fish out of water all the way, and observing how other tribes have managed to live alongside white settlers rather than fighting with them.

He then tries to settle down with Nailinie (Jean Peters, another star in brownface) in a remote spot, where he becomes a farmer. However, the cavalry is still on his trail, leading to a memorable encounter on his new homestead.

“Odd and jarring”

Like Lancaster, Peters (who is now perhaps best known for having been married for more than a decade to eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes) delivers what can best be described as a slightly odd and jarring performance; Charles Bronson, then at the very start of his career, does the same.

But, as previously stated, if you can ignore our 21st century sensibilities and imagine the film as it would have been seen in the 1950s, it’s a rather impressive time-passer, more than ably directed by Robert Aldrich, who would go on to make such memorable movies as The Dirty Dozen and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?.

Special features include two new featurettes about the film and Aldrich, and there’s also a limited edition booklet accompanying the release.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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