It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Absolutely Fantastic

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Furious that the Apache chief Geronimo is about to make peace with the Americans, a warrior by the name of "Massai" (Burt Lancaster) decides he would rather die than surrender and continues to fight. However, he is caught and sent in chains on a train full of other Apache warriors to Florida. As luck would have it he manages to escape and makes it back to his reservation. Unfortunately, he is betrayed and captured soon after. But even then he doesn't give up hope and escapes yet again to continue his war only this time he seeks revenge on those Apaches who he feels betrayed him as well. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that considering the solid cast I honestly expected something better. Admittedly, the selection of Jean Peters to play the Apache maiden, "Nalinle" was a bit of a stretch, but all things considered she performed fairly well. Even so I cannot say the same for Burt Lancaster as he seemed totally miscast for the role. Throw in a very clumsy script and the end result was something that I didn't particularly care for. Accordingly, although I don't want to sound too critical I have to rate this movie as below average.

Burt Lancaster brings great dignity to the role of Massai, a fiercely proud Apache man who still thinks of himself as a warrior. Unwilling to be shipped off, along with other Indians, to Florida, he escapes his captors and makes life miserable for the white men in his midst. Eventually, he abducts a young woman, Nalinle (Jean Peters), and attempts to begin a life as a family man and a farmer. Meanwhile, Indian scouts such as Al Sieber (John McIntire) and Hondo (Charles Bronson) steadily track him down.In some ways, "Apache" is a product of its time, with an assortment of white actors playing Indians. If people are able to suspend their disbelief, they'll find that the acting is generally good. While Massai is stubborn and not all that sympathetic, Lancaster takes the role seriously, stressing the Indian warriors' pride at all times. At the same time, the film is rather progressive for having an Indian character in a leading / heroic role.Peters is appealing as the lady who helps to bring out more of his humanity. In addition to the robust McIntire and the typically low key Bronson, the very fine supporting cast includes John Dehner, Paul Guilfoyle (*not* the 'C.S.I.' co-star, but a different character actor), "High Noon" villain Ian MacDonald, Walter Sande, and Morris Ankrum.The action is first rate, with rousing music by David Raksin and lush colour cinematography by Ernest Laszlo and Stanley Cortez. The "happy" ending doesn't feel all that convincing, but at least getting there is somewhat interesting, with efficient direction by Robert Aldrich helping to keep things watchable.Six out of 10.

I enjoyed cowboy movies when I was young, but after TV and Hollywood together beat the genre to death with over-exposure and triteness (to be supplanted by space operas, car chases/explosions and, now zombie/vampire adventures), I wasn't sorry to see westerns die their slow death... though an occasional decent one pops up now and agin. The silliness of the casting and the seemingly requisite neat, dry-cleaned look of every single soldier and saddle tramp, just gets in the way of anything special this movie might have had when first conceived.What has me really puzzled about this movie is why Burt Lancaster would put himself in such a thing. It was, after all, a "Hecht-Lancaster Presentation," so, presumably, he would have had control over its creation. I guess Burt, an actor I have long admired, saw this as a step forward by adding some shades of gray to Hollywood's usual depiction of the Indian "savages." It is a bad movie, chock full of poorly-acted stereotypes, clichéd situations and unbelievable events. A few of my *favorites* - Burt, single-handed, turns over a wagon with two full-size bad guys in it. The almost virgin birth of his child: After doing almost everything allowable in a movie of this type (including clubbing the would-be girl friend), they finally get to romance and in the blink of an eye, she is pregnant, goes full term without a hint of a bulge and delivers her first child unassisted after about a 5 minute labor (while she is, seemingly, bed-ridden from having been tending the crops which are growing nicely in some of the driest soil ever photographed).Speaking of the soil: I re-watched this warhorse of a flick (Why do folks here consider this a great Altman movie?) after many years because it is on a long list of films shot in or around Sedona, Arizona. I have visited Sedona twice. It's redrock towers are a sight to behold and it is clear why it was a favored location. Even now, with most of the beautiful hills adorned by dense necklaces of cute SW modern homes and condos, occupied by the upscale folk who can afford to live there, it still has much to beguile. If you visit, check out the local funky museum and, while taking in the old photos and wrangler gear, ponder what we have wrought. If you are like me, you may wonder why such transitions seem so tragically inevitable.

This is an exciting and masterful movie by the great Robert Aldrich , at his first and the best Western . Many years later bloody fighting with the settlers in the American frontier and a bitter battle between the Apaches and the US cavalry in the struggle for the West , the chief Apache Gerónimo is obliged to undertake a humiliating defeat . But his warrior more radical and violent named Maasai (Burt Lancaster), renounces to accept rendition . Maasai refuses to surrender and takes on the relentless American cavalry (John McIntire , Charles Bronson) , attempting to get a step ahead of the perfectly trained troopers ,all of them have vowed to kill him . Meanwhile , he falls in love for a gorgeous Apache woman (Jean Peters) . And as his crusade will precipitate toward an epic final battle . Maasai to be realized that he must persevere , not only for his life , but also by the pride of all his Apache race . There really was a renegade Apache warrior called Massai, who was a bloodthirsty killer renowned for stealing, raping and murdering. He did indeed escape from a prison train bound for Florida and made his way back to his homeland.This thoughtful picture is an excellent adaptation based on the novel by Paul J. Wellman titled ¨Bronco Apache¨ . This film is , along with "Devil'S Doorway" and " Broken Arrow", one of the few titles of great quality shot in the 1950s to praise the figure of the Red Skins against White Men . Interestingly , the screenwriter James R Webb and the director Robert Aldrich found the character Maasai of the original novel very aggressive , so they decided to join an Apache woman well performed by the wonderful Jean Peters who married Howard Hughes . Lancaster makes an unforgettable and top-notch interpretation as a two-fisted warrior named Maasai , transmitting all the fierceness , nobility and ubiquity of his particularly stubborn role as well as unfriendly . A top-drawer western , the third feature film of the great Aldrich , here directing a Western masterpiece and to confirm with another great movie : "Vera Cruz" . "Apache" is a thrilling and vibrant story to deal with the figure of a rebel Indian ; the own Aldrich did in 1972 another splendid film with this theme : "Ulzana's raid" also with Lancaster as starring . The good of the screenplay is presented to the American Indian with dignity , honour and understanding . This is an intelligent , top-of-the-range piece for its time that had the original tragic final re-shot, against Aldrich's wishes , to make it more happy . He later concluded that "if you shoot two endings, they will always use the other one, never yours". In ¨Apache¨ Robert Aldrich gave a tense and brilliant direction , though was shot in 30 days . Aldrich began writing and directing for TV series in the early 1950s, and directed his first feature in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films, collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed in a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Attack , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . ¨Apache¨ is a masterful film in all aspects , is among the best westerns of the cinema . Rating : Above average , it's a must see and a standout in its genre ; thus, this film was a commercial success .