Clevercell Very disappointing...

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

avik-basu1889 I think I had read/heard somewhere that John Ford's favourite things to capture on camera were a man riding a horse and a couple dancing to music. These two things are present in abundance in 'Fort Apache'. There is a rhythmic similarity between the dance scenes and the horse riding scenes which maybe because of Ford's use of Richard Hageman's beautiful music. The film has absolutely breathtaking visuals when it comes to the outdoor scenes. When it comes to capturing the sight of a man riding a horse in the wide expansive desert of Monument Valley, John Ford is second to none. The moving camera capturing the running horses in this film, just like the case was in 'Stagecoach' is a sight to behold. Ford makes the white American cavalry officers look tiny and minute in this wide landscape which serves a thematic purpose similar to the opening shot of Werner Herzog's 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' - it shows that these officers are completely out of their elements and somewhat insignificant in terms of having any effect in resolving the disputes against the Native Americans. When it comes to some films from this era of American cinema, especially the Westerns, I've come to realise that the viewer will have to expect some problematic racial politics. The portrayal and overt vilification of Native Americans in many of these films is tough to digest while watching them in the 21st century. But interestingly 'Fort Apache' actually is comparatively far more progressive than some of the other Westerns of this era that I have seen. I'm not saying it doesn't involve some questionable racial content, but at the same time it subverts a number of tropes and conventions. The Apaches are shown to be dangerous, but at the same time honorable people who have a code and a sense of morality. But for me the more significant surprise was the portrayal of Lt. Col. Owen Thursday played by Henry Fonda. At first it seems as if Thursday will be made to look like the honorable, hard and badass soldier. But over the course of the film, Ford, screenwriter Frank Nugent and Fonda deliberately make the Thursday more and more unlikable. He falls prey to his bloated ego, his foolish ignorance as well as a rigid and inflexible subservience to the established rules. For a film released in 1948, to show a U.S. Government officer being an absolute jerk and be far less honorable and trustworthy than the Apaches. Fonda is really good as Thursday. But I think John Wayne has to be given a mention too for giving a grounded and emotive performance as Capt. Kirby York who pretty much remains the voice of reason and empathy. I especially loved the ending to the film which(again acted brilliantly by Wayne) is rich with sarcasm. On one hand due to the upbeat music, it might lead one to think that it is supposed to be a patriotic ending honoring the army. But if Wayne's performance in the scene as well as the writing is examined closely, I think it becomes clear that the ending to the film is pro-soldiers instead of pro-army. The ending underlines how myths and legends can be perpetuated by pigments of fiction and convenient, 'necessary' lies.

paulccarroll3 Spielberg,Scorcese,and other Directors have said that John Ford is the greatest American director. Ford was a tough, often bullying director,who didn't like to talk about the underlying themes of His films. He was,however,a romantic and progressive storyteller. For romance look to films like "How Green Was My Valley","The Quiet Man",or "3 Godfathers". As a progressive,look at how in several different Westerns He portrays Native Americans as fighting to preserve their land,and way of life, while showing many white characters as ignorant and racist.After John Wayne was so good in Howard Hawks' "Red River",Ford said "I Didn't know He could really act!",and yet He repeatedly used Wayne as the lead in His films.This is probably an example of Ford running down an actor, to keep them from getting a high opinion of themselves. In "Fort Apache", however,Wayne is relegated to virtually a supporting role, as this is obliviously Henry Fondas' film,with a character that is so antithetical to His normal,likable,relateable,everyman persona.(See "My Darling Clementine","The Grapes of Wrath",or "Twelve Angry Men"etc.) But though His character is pompous and glory hungry,He's interesting, and you keep hoping that He might see the error of his ways before it's too late. But Ford didn't want a unbelievable reverse in the character's personality,just to have a happy ending. Instead, He let Lieutenant Colonel Thursdays' shortcomings run it's course,and let Him lead his command to ruin and massacre. All the better to show how our heroes are often a flimsy facade. You'd like to slap Thursday,but you can't stop watching. The two other films in Fords' Cavalry trilogy might be more fun, but they aren't as meaningful,or any better done.

Uriah43 "Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday" (Henry Fonda) is a former American general who served during the Civil War and has since been demoted due to a draw-down in the military. Along with that he has just been assigned to an isolated post in the Southwest which he feels is a dead-end assignment with little chance for him to demonstrate his leadership capabilities. Traveling with him to Fort Apache is his daughter "Philadelphia Thursday" (Shirley Temple) and a young lieutenant by the name of "Michael Shannon O'Rourke" (John Agar). As the three of them arrive at Fort Apache they discover that a number of Apaches have recently left the reservation and are in the process of trying to link up with the great Apache chief "Cochise" (Miguel Inclan) who has relocated his band of warriors just south of the Rio Grande in Mexico. "Captain Kirby York" (John Wayne) wants to try to convince Cochise to return his entire tribe to the reservation. Lt. Col. Thursday also wants Cochise to cross into the United States for a different reason. Anyway, rather than detail the rest of the story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this is a classic western in every sense of the word. I especially liked the performances of Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple along with the way in which the movie depicted the drab conditions of the soldiers assigned to such an isolated outpost. Definitely above average.

smatysia An enjoyable Western. Henry Fonda is spot on as the martinet new commander of the remote post. John Wayne is, well, John Wayne. Shirley Temple was quite fetching, although her acting may have left a bit to be desired. As always John Ford's use of Monument Valley was awesome. It would have really been something in color, but he did return and do so in, I think, Red River. The large number of women on the post was a bit surprising to me, but war was carried out differently in those days. If the fort were overrun by Apaches, all of those women would slaughtered, and some likely tortured first. And our "Native American" friends knew a lot (a LOT) about torture. Real torture, not namby-pamby waterboarding. Apparently even then (1948) the "noble savage" myth carried a lot of currency. Whatever. Didn't care much for the ending speech by Wayne, although Ford did indulge in that on several occasions.Nonetheless, everyone should see this, and the other Ford/Wayne cavalry films.