Customer Reviews

Ulzana's Raid [VHS]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Burt Lancaster made an offbeat little group of western movies in the early seventies ("Lawman," "Valdez is Coming," and "Ulzana's Raid") that managed to transcend the typical western cliches of "a man, a horse, and a gun." "Ulzana's Raid" is a fine film of the culture clash between white people and the Apache. Movies typically make one group or the other the "good guys." For years, white people were portrayed heroically, and Native Americans were portrayed as murderous savages, only good for six-gun fodder. Later, some films (e.g., "Dances With Wolves") reversed the pattern and made Native Americans noble, brave, and admirable while white people were portrayed as cowardly, cruel, and shallow. Thankfully, this film cuts through the nonsense of personal biases and politically correct causes, and portrays both sides as three-dimensional human beings caught in a hopeless conflict.

An Apache named Ulzana leads a samll party of warriors off their Arizona reservation, and they launch a brutal campaign of murder and violence. A world-weary Indian scout named McIntosh (Lancaster) and the enigmatic Apache soldier scout Ke-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke) are ordered to guide a cavalry detail in pursuit of the war party. Lt. DeBuin (Bruce Davison) commands the soldiers. The inexperienced Debuin has a modicum of military training, but doesn't understand the Apache and their seeming ruthlessness. Debuin comes from a religious background, and he initially struggles with the belief the Apaches should be extended the hand of Christian fellowship, and not hunted down as animals. Viewers of the film share a learning experience in Apache practices and motivations through Debuin's eyes. After the grisly victim of an Apache raid is found Ke-Ni-Tay explains to the bewildered lieutenant the Apache concept of personal power taken from a conquered enemy. As the story unfolds, we find there is little essential difference bewteen the two cultures. Both are capable of extreme cruelty, racial hatred, and cunning. Both cultures endure sorrow and suffering in warfare. The vaunted courage of the Apaches is portrayed somewhat ironically because much of the violence they commit is against defenseless homesteaders. The chicanery of the corrupt Indian agent at the reservation displays the doubtful integrity of many white Americans in their treatment of Native Americans. The U. S. Army's by the book approach of dealing with the "Indian problem" speaks volumes of the white man's insensitivity. Ironically, DeBuin's repugnance at the cruelty of the Apaches boils over in racist comments directed at Ke-Ni-Tay. McIntosh, the ultimate realist, knows hating the Apache for their cruelty is like "hating the desert because there is no water on it." Deal with it for it is without illusions or idealistic visions.

This film is an excellent portrayl of a bitter struggle in a grim land. There are no winners in this conflict, only losers. There is enough action to please outdoor fans. The intelligent script is thought provoking. The story is tightly drawn, and the movie doesn't waste time on unnecessary dialogue or sub-plots. The violence is realistically portrayed, but not glorified. Family viewing is not advised. For those viewers interested in an intelligent western movie that moves well beyond the typical cliches, this film is highly recommended.

Robert Aldrich is a well known film director with more than 30 titles in his account. Many are great "hits" as "The Dirty Dozen" (1967) and "What ever happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and some are standard stuff.
Apaches and the Wild West figure more than once in his filmography as "Apache" (1954) and "Vera Cruz" (1954).

When he directed this movie he was almost ending his career and felt free to take some risks. This film is risky and gives a stern look to Apache and White Men confrontation. Many of the scenes presented are cruel and barbarous but not gratuitous. They blatantly are inquiring for "Why this cruelty?" and the explanation come from Ke-Ni-Tay's mouth, voicing Apache's beliefs and traditions, giving a rationale to their procedures.
I've recently reviewed some films dealing with similar subject, not one of them is as bluntly direct and believable as "Ulzana's Raid".
Aldrich's movie shows no "Blue Coat Heroes", no "Native Shining Knights". Shows just rough men immersed in a deadly confrontation trying their best to outsmart and annihilate the enemy. Yet, best human traits still emerge from this dry opus: self-sacrifice and loyalty; need for understanding and respect for the defeated.

The story centers in a group of nine Apaches leaded by Ulzana, which flee San Carlos Reservation and start a raid, creating havoc and devastation in their path. A small detachment conducted by a very "green" Lieutenant, an old White scout and an Apache scout follow the rogue party to put an end to their "amok run".

Burt Lancaster fleshes McIntosh with all his skill depicting a hardboiled scout having to bear the "authority" of the inexperienced military. Jorge Luke as Ke-Ni-Tay, Joaquin Martinez as Ulzana, Bruce Davison as Lt. De Buin and Richard Jaeckel as the Sergeant are very convincing.
A tough movie to watch, not commendable for young and/or impressionable audience. Nevertheless a "keeper" if you like "untamed realistic" Western!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Being an author and Indian War researcher, I just have to take a minute and tell anyone interested in the Indian War conflicts in the 1867-1890 period of our western settlement to take note. This movie is a motion picture in real time action of what it was actually like in the southwest territory during the Indian War period. The Writer/Director and technical assistants have gone well above the Hollywood norm to bring to you the actual sights and sounds of small unit cavalry actions against Apache Indian hostiles, and have left no stone unturned. The panoramic scenery is a bonus in itself. The Apaches helped write the book on guerilla warefare and this is what this movie is about. The small Apache hostile band depicted in the movie were terrorists, make no mistake about it, and their acting is superb as well as their movement and presentation. Every scene in this movie and it's script is as if it were taken directly from official war department reports in the National Archives. Every still frame could be mounted on a wall as a portrait. Even the proper number of buttons on uniforms, horse equipment, and the exact firearms used (with the exception of a few Winchester model '92'rifles)are correct as well as the Army-Scout-civilian personal inter-action and relationships. The Apache warrior dress, mindset and demeanor is exact. Their knives and motives are razor sharp. Of all the motion pictures I have studied beginning with "They died with their boots on" to date, this one is the real thing. From the very first scene until the last, there are NO mistakes. It shares the absolute terror, fear and uncertainity of this type of warfare with it's viewer. You have no choice. This is not a "Hollywood Western" in anybody's book. It is a Classic. It is a brutal, no holds barred, brilliantly directed and performed production. It should be viewed in high school or college classes to drive home a very true and clear picture of the cultural clashes involving the settlement of the west and civilization everywhere. It would open some eyes. If you want an action filled evening's entertainment with popcorn, this is it. If you want to see what the Indian Wars were really like and ride in the saddle, Apache or Cavalry, this is it. The situations in the film can be just as easily repeated today. Please don't let this one pass by you, even if you only see it once in your life. It's a keeper. When it's finished, remind yourself as you turn off your system that things like this DID happen, and probably will happen again in our history. The Writer/Director did the homework for you on this one. It's a undusted classic. As for Burt Lancaster? Just watch it. Thank you.

I really don't understand what's going on in the mind of the people who decide which movies may have the honor to be released in the DVD standard. Take Robert Aldrich's ULZANA'S RAID for instance. Everybody knows or at least should know that only the curious ones and the movie lovers would bought this 1972 movie and that this category of viewers prefers a wide-screen version than a butchered version of the movie they choose. Alas, it seems that our beloved DVD producers are the sole unaware of this fact. Shame on them.

As usual, Robert Aldrich doesn't present in this film what the majority of people would expect from a mainstream western. All the characters featured in ULZANA'S RAID have a good reason to act the way they did, even Ulzana, an apache parked in a reservation, almost starving and deprived from his pride. The scout Burt Lancaster (or the director Aldrich) doesn't judge nor hate Ulzana, he's just scared to death of what could do a bunch of bloody warriors to farmers lost in the Arizona desert.

Aldrich, like Samuel Fuller, is a punching-ball director who likes to shake his audience so let's enjoy this dreadful vision of the West when men were searching frontiers, geographical and ethical.

A DVD zone your library. And for the garbage can as soon as a wide-screen version is available.

This is one of my favourite westerns, but never have I seen a film in so many different cuts! Ulzana's Raid has appeared in at least two different cuts on British TV in the last few years; the UK video release is different again; and - you guessed it - this US DVD release is yet another cut. This edition is one of the fullest (it is nearly seven minutes longer than the UK video, and contains several segments that I've not seen previously) but there are some interesting omissions.

1) During the Major's briefing at Fort Lowell, after McIntosh and DeBuin have left Captain Gates suggests DeBuin for command of the detail. The Major is unimpressed, as Gates is clearly showing cowardice because he expects a transfer back east in the near future. "What is it you have back there? An uncle?" says the Major. "My mother's brother," says Gates. "Out here, that's what we call an uncle," sneers the Major. But, realising Gates's utter uselessness, he gives the detail to DeBuin anyway. In the scene shortly afterwards, of course, Gates implies that he has done DeBuin a great favour.

2) When the detail settles at Rukheyser's for the night, DeBuin comes upon MacIntosh reading from what is in fact the dead settler's family diary. MacIntosh comments briefly on this, and gives DeBuin a potted history of the Rukyeysers' fortunes before Ulzana's attack.

3) After DeBuin has despatched the Sergeant and Miller to hunt down MacIntosh's wounded brave, there is a scene in which both men are pinned down by the lone apache. Miller is wounded, then killed as he tries to hang on to their horses while the Sergeant gives covering fire.

I think this DVD is the most satisfactory viewing I've had so far, but it really seems extraordinary that there is no definitive cut of this fine, timeless classic.

Lancaster's brilliantly understated portrayal of a war weary indian scout must rank as one of his best ever screen performances. 'Ulzana's Raid' is an unusual and insightful Western, it daringly tries to peel back the established stereotypical images of this genre giving us a more three dimensional take on the usual cast of Western characters, even the eponymous Ulzana is allowed a credible flesh and blood character instead of the more accepted cardboard cutout redskin. It's this willingness to train a fresh eye on the native American indians and their adversaries that sets 'Ulzana's Raid' apart from other, more run of the mill Westerns. The downside to this disc is it's presentation, I'm not sure in what aspect ratio 'Ulzana's Raid' was originally released but I'm pretty sure it wasn't 1:1.33 - what a shame a little gem like this couldn't have been given a fresh full-screen transfer to justify it's release on this exciting new format.

Ulzana's Raid ranks with Go Tell The Spartans as two of Lancaster's finest performances. In each, he portrays a war weary soldier/scout in what he understands as an unwinnable conflict. Ulzana's Raid is somehow able to describe the hidious nature of the wars against the Apache without losing track what motivates each side. Like all good films, there is substantial character evolution and understanding. As Lancaster says when asked why he doesn't hate the apaches, "you might as well hate the desert for being dry". I only wish Ulzana's Raid will be released in wide screen DVD. It deserves better than having one third of the image deleted.

Only the US DVD release is complete, though sadly it isn't letterboxed. Horse tripping as well as two sequences are missing form this version. Avoid.

Is *Ulzana's Raid* the greatest Western ever made? "Best-of's" inevitably boil down to opinion, but it cannot be denied that this movie comfortably stands with *The Wild Bunch*, *The Searchers*, *High Noon*, *Stagecoach*, and so forth. *Ulzana's Raid* has particular affinites with the first movie in that list; it's one of those "anti-Westerns" that proliferated generally from the mid-60's to mid-70's. Among its many distinctions is its unusual attention to detail: one comes away after watching it knowing a heck of a lot more about the ins-and-outs of scouting and cavalry protocol. The movie is based on a book by a Scot named Alan Sharp, who apparently brought a researcher's mentality to the material. This is one accurate movie, ... In any case, it FEELS accurate. I myself have a middling interest in the Old West, and the matchless scene wherein a cavalry trooper "rescues" a young mother and her son from a marauding band of Apaches by simply shooting her in the head and then turning the gun on himself (with the instinctive knowledge that the Indians wouldn't have much interest in torturing a child), corresponds to accounts of "last-resort" tactics used by the Army during the Indian Wars. Later, when the bloody scene is discovered by his fellows, they assess the evidence and pronounce the trooper "a good man". All of this has a discomforting stab of reality that must bother viewers ... Condescending pity isn't doing anyone any favors today, and it was just as useless on the frontier 120 years ago. (Of course it's easy to be on the "Indians's side" in 2002. Try being a settler in 1882.) The movie is absolutely even-handed: the Army troops -- avatars of "civilization" -- are just as brutal as Ulzana's gang . . . while also being callow or racist or ignorant in the bargain. The most underrated director I can think of, Robert Aldrich, makes the most of his on-purpose ugly desert locales and brilliant script. He also gets brilliant performances from Burt Lancaster, a very young Bruce Davison, and Jorge Luke as the turncoat Apache scout. Aldrich and Lancaster had tackled this subject matter almost 20 years earlier with *Apache* -- but *Ulzana's Raid* is the masterpiece. Influential, too: having read Cormac McCarthy's *Blood Meridian* and Larry McMurtry's *Lonesome Dove*, I can't help but wonder how much they borrowed from this movie. McMurtry, in particular, might be accused of virtually stealing the scene where Lancaster is forced to use a fallen horse as cover during a gunfight on an open prairie...

This isn't a critique, much less a review. Call it a stunned reaction. It's great to see a film for the sixth or seventh time and finally, irrevocably, have it blow me away with its sheer power, vision and brilliance. This has to be in my Western Top Five now. Hell, it's in my all-time-genre Top Twenty as one of the few movies that make sense of violent racial conflict (the sense being, of course, that there's no sense!). I read somewhere that Aldrich wasn't happy with the result. Well, that could have been Frank DeVol's cheesy "cavalry" music I guess; it's the only nit I can pick with the film. Hats and scalps off to everyone involved, but most especially Alan Sharpe for a script that really tells it like it must have been.