not as good as all the hype

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

FORT APACHE is quite possibly my favourite of the John Ford westerns I've watched thus far, featuring a winning combination of male stars Henry Fonda and John Wayne. The story is a thinly-guised version of the famous Custer tale in which a lieutenant colonel's hubris and hatred of the Apaches leads to an ill-advised venture against them, ultimately spelling disaster. Although the running time is lengthy, this is a well-mounted production that has a bit of everything, from humour to drama, romance to tragedy. Wayne's upstanding protagonist is a good guy to vouch for, Fonda's acting is commendable, and the supporting cast is chock-full of familiar faces including a grown-up Shirley Temple alongside Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond, Grant Withers, et al.

. . . as in Robert Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS, director John Ford's final upbeat paean to "victory" might be possible to swallow. Or if they'd just had Multiplex theaters in Monument Valley when FORT APACHE premiered, Mr. Ford's racist groveling at the Altar of Manifest Destiny might have been nipped in the bud before he churned out a half dozen more of these malicious horse operas there. Given that German film director Leni Riefenstahl deserves a rating of "10" for her movie entitled TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (when translated into English, which details Hitler's rise to power), a person can spare an "8" for Mr. Ford's strikingly-photographed (not unlike an Ansel Adams work) homage here to an American Mini-Hitler (obviously Henry Fonda's "Col. Thursday" is based upon the hatchet job that Republicans have done over the years on their assassinated Whistleblower, George Armstrong Custer, whose ACTUAL championing of Native Americans is wonderfully portrayed by Errol Flynn in THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON). In FORT APACHE, Mr. Ford wastes our first 90 minutes detailing an affair between an Irish cavalry trooper (acted out by an undistinguished newbie) and a stymied tap-dancing tea-totaler (who'll only drink Shirley Temples). Sounds like a match made in Hell!

John Wayne and Henry Fonda are iconic actors, and you have a tendency to know what sort of characters to expect from them. "Fort Apache" is a good movie, but what makes it really interesting to watch is that both Wayne and Fonda are cast a little bit against type in this. That's a bit jarring, and it forces you to watch, because you don't know exactly what to expect from them as the movie goes on. For a western that has surprisingly little action (the requisite "cowboys and Indians scene comes only in the last half hour) the performances from these two alone make this worth watching.Fort Apache is a lonely US army outpost in the years after the Civil War. Nothing much happens there, and it's not a particularly prestigious assignment. The officers and men are comfortable and unchallenged under the command of Wayne's Captain York. Things change when Fonda's Col. Thursday shows up to assume command. Thursday is a bitter character. He thinks he's better than Fort Apache, and he resents being assigned to the command. You get the impression that he was a well regarded Union officer in the Civil War who just got overlooked in peacetime. But he's an officer, and Fort Apache is his assignment and he's determined to make it the best outfit in the US Army. No more comfortable outpost. The men wear proper uniforms, they drill, they train. Thursday's awkward in the command. Fort Apache is a close knit post, and he just doesn't fit in. His interactions with the soldiers and other officers are stiff and formal. Wayne's relaxed York and Fonda's by the book Thursday make this an interesting character study more than a western for the most part.For all his attention to detail, though, Thursday has a basic problem: he yearns for glory, and he's not especially competent. Given the chance he orders his men to attack a group of Apaches returning from Mexico who've been promised by York that they could negotiate. But Thursday wants to beat them in battle and make his name, over York's protests. Not surprisingly, the end result is not unlike Custer's Last Stand.This is a character study, and the characters are strong. It's not only Wayne and Fonda. There are other good performances in this as well. I was quite taken with the very pretty 20 year old Shirley Temple as Thursday's daughter. Interestingly, her love interest in the movie is played by John Agar, her real life husband at the time. Ward Bond was also very good as Sgt. Maj. O' Rourke. The battle scenes are restricted to the last half hour or so, and they serve primarily to show Thursday making blunders and rejecting the advice of those who know the Apache better than he does. The last scene of the movie is the classic example of a manufactured hero. Killed by the Apache after his own incompetence doomed him, Thursday is turned into a gallant national hero. York assumes command of Fort Apache, but the portrait of Thursday hangs over him. Those we recognize as heroes aren't always the real heroes apparently.It's a well done movie. If you're expecting a traditional cowboy and Indian shoot out, you won't find it here. BUt it has a few humorous moments, and if you're looking for a solid, character driven western featuring two very good actors, Fort Apache will definitely satisfy. (7/10)

I wish they had shot this in color as planned or that there was a good "authorized" color version out there. Don't be fooled by the color cover. It's black and white. Henry Fonda and John Wayne do their best work here with Wayne taking the side of the Apache Indians. Shirley Temple is terrific as the Colonel's pretty young daughter. It's a long movie; over 130 minutes. At first I thought it was "slow." But with all that time, Director Ford gets to show life, tradition and chivalry on the old frontier. Details sadly missing in most other westerns. It shows the new recruits training and there is much humor until the movie gets "down to business." Based on a story entitled "Massacre" so it's obvious what's going to happen here, or is it? New post commander Colonel Thursday (Fonda) is disgruntled because he was transferred to this God-forsaken fort in Arizona. He wants his undeserved fame and glory so he lures Cochise into a trap, but he is the one that gets trapped; by his own arrogance and disrespect for the courage and intelligence of the Apache Nation. It is not the Apache that get massacred. Capt. York (Wayne) takes over the command when Colonel Thursday falls. He leads what remains of the troop not into victory, but an honorable truce. In true Calvary tradition, he does not speak ill of his fallen though misguided commander. Shirley marries her young lieutenant and the tradition of honor continues. A vivid portrayal of frontier Army life but probably not very accurate. Seeing the men march into battle is truly inspiring and thrilling to watch. A rousing musical score. John Ford knows how to tell a story well. Terrific staging and amazing stunt work. This film is so good that I soon forgot that it was in black and white and enjoyed it immensely. Even in b/w, the Utah mountains and photography are superb. Perhaps Ford decided against the use of color because of the somber drama in the final climax. Great performances by all, even Henry Fonda. I believe that this is Wayne's finest performance, and that's saying a lot considering how many movies he made. Also perhaps the best role John Agar ever had as well. He appeared in a few good movies with John Wayne but mostly is remembered for his "B" Sci-Fi movies. Violent but not bloody, Fort Apache was made in the tradition of the great American westerns.