Ulzana's Raid (1972)

When an Apache by the name of Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez) escapes from an Indian reservation with a small raiding party, a young and inexperienced cavalry Lieutenant (Bruce Davison) is assigned the task of finding him. A superior if brutal western, the director Robert Aldrich is in his element here. During this period, most Hollywood westerns were concentrating on the unfair treatment and atrocities of the white man against the Indian in films like LITTLE BIG MAN, SOLDIER BLUE and TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE. Aldrich goes against the prevailing revisionism. His Apaches are barbaric, cruel savages who kill, rape, mutilate ... the white man's worst nightmare. Yet there's a respect of the Apache and his mysterious ways, even if it's beyond the ken of understanding to the white man (who aren't portrayed as noble either). Burt Lancaster is in fine form as the weary Indian scout just doing his job and Jorge Luke is impressive as the Apache scout working for the cavalry. The cinematographer Joseph Biroc (BLAZING SADDLES) makes splendid use of the Arizona locations but Frank De Vol gets the blame for the worthless score. With Richard Jaeckel, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson and Dran Hamilton.