Touches You

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

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

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

I'm a huge fan of director Walter Hill. For me he's made some of the most interesting and action packed films that I've enjoyed repeatedly. STREETS OF FIRE, SOUTHERN COMFORT, 48 HOURS, THE WARRIORS and THE LONG RIDERS to name a few. Hill has always made movies that would fall under the category of man's man films. So to learn he was making a movie about the old west and the hunt for Geronimo was not a surprise. As the Indian Wars were coming to an end the Cavalry was rounding up the remnants of the various tribes to escort them to reservations to live on. The story is narrated by young recently graduated military academy Lt. Britton Davis (Matt Damon). It is through his eyes we see the story unfold as well as his glimpse into the land it takes place in. Assigned to help Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric) escort Geronimo to a meeting with Brig. Gen. George Crook (Gene Hackman) he quickly learns what the west is all about.Learning from Gatewood and from Geronimo as they travel he develops a respect for the Apache warrior and the code of honor that he lives by. Gatewood has seen and done much while out west and is sympathetic to the plight this man is going through even though he follows the orders given to him. It is through these two that most of the story unfolds. Crook promises peace with the Indians as long as they remain on the reservation. He is a man they trust, one that they know will live up to his word. But the Apache were not farmers and it isn't long before one of the medicine men begins claiming visions and encourages war. As the Cavalry attempt to arrest him he is shot and killed resulting in the Apache warriors reacting in kind. The word broken Geronimo and his tribe head out on a rampage against the white man.Crook resigns after the failed attempt at peace and is replaced with Brig. Gen. Nelson Miles (Kevin Tighe) whose methods are not near so accommodating. Gatewood and his men accompanied by their long time tracker Al Sieber (Robert Duvall) hunt down Geronimo as he wreaks havoc across the countryside. But he is not their only problem. Bounty hunters trying to track him down turn out to be even more vicious than the Indian leader leaving bodies in their wake as well. The end result is known historically as Geronimo eventually was caught and surrendered spending the rest of his life in Florida, once more lied to as he was told he would only be there 2 years. One thing that makes this movie stand out as so different from others that discussed the same subject matter is that it doesn't condescend or preach about the topic at hand, the lies told to the Indians by a government intent of moving west. So many movies on the topic prior to this portrayed the Indians as "noble savages" which in itself seems to be an insulting phrase meant to be a compliment. On one hand we had movies made long ago that portrayed them as heartless killers but then after the 60s we had movies where they were the infringed upon owners of the west. Ignored was the fact that for centuries people around the world have been conquered by an invading force who determined their outcome.What made this different than most was the near attempt at genocide of the Native American Indian. And Hill doesn't dwell on this topic in a morose way that says oh poor me. Instead he shows a proud leader who is doing all he can to save his people from extinction even if that word was not in his vocabulary. It isn't until the final moments of the film when we see the Indians loaded in box cars on their way to Florida that one thinks of this. Images of Jews in the same sort of conditions making their way to concentration camps come easily to mind while seeing this.The movie is best because it doesn't take one extreme side or the other. It tells the tale of a vanquished people but never paints either side as wholly right or wrong. For the soldiers they are doing nothing more than following the directives sent to them from Washington. They're not the redneck gun toting soldiers as portrayed in those late 60s/early 70s films determined to do nothing more than "kill an 'injin". They are soldiers, nothing more. And in Gatewood, Crook and Davis we see that they not only learned to do their duty but learned something from the man they were sent to capture.All actors on hand here turn in great performances. Patric once more shows that he was an actor that should have been provided more and better roles that he received. Odds are it was his personal life (if memory serves me correctly) that prevented that which is sad. Hackman. Need I say more? Damon turns in a great performance as a naïve recruit in what is one of his earliest performances. The most wasted actor here is Wes Studi as Geronimo. For a movie with the character's name in the title it felt like he should have been onscreen more than he was. The moments with Studi there shows that we wasn't just a Native American Indian actor but a great actor. Here too we have an actor who has been wasted by Hollywood and should have had more and better opportunities than to just play Indians. The movie looks great in all the images presented with Hill being able to capture the vast openness of the west in golden hues that make you feel the oppressive heat as well as imagining inhaling the dust kicked up from the dirt strewn plains. It's beautiful and deadly at the same time. The costumes here are well done as well, a little thought of part of a movie but necessary in period films. When done wrong everything looks new and polished in the worst settings but here it was done perfectly with a well-worn look to clothing items making them seem real. My only issue with the movie was the sound. It seems movie makers are determined to shoot dialogue scenes with the lowest volume possible and action sequences as loud as can be. And having them occur back to back leads a viewer to strain to hear what's being said only to be blown out of their seats seconds later. Thank goodness for subtitles.When released the movie did decent numbers but nothing stupendous. That might be because at the same time another film based on Geronimo came out from Ted Turner that ran on TV. It might also have been the title which Hill is said to have been unhappy with preferring THE GERONIMO WAR to this one, a title that would have made more sense. The good news is that fans can now own a solid copy of the film and those that have never seen it have an opportunity to do so.Twilight Time. I never get tired of saying this. Twilight Time is releasing the film in the best possible format and presentation possible in 1080p hi-def blu-ray format. Perhaps the only disappointing thing about this release is that the extras are limited to an isolated music track and the original theatrical trailer. As with all of their releases this one is limited to just 3,000 copies so if interested pick one up soon.

This movie is about Geronimo, Apache chief, who chooses to rescue and save his tribe instead pointless battle against the superior fire-armed USA cavalry. The majestic music and scenic photography combine perfectly to compliment the stunning performances of Wes Studi as Geronimo. This masterpiece describes a true colo(u)r of Indian suffer. His secrifice still echoes in. In the present Geronimo's caput ( head ) has a high purpouse. Secret society The Sculls has preserved his scull as the ritual reliquiae which presents the symbol and pledge of their brotherhood. This is the most powerful secret society in USA. A several Ex-american presidents were the members of this cult. For example George Bush Senior, George Bush Junior and others. On the bottom of line. Sincerelly, yours Dushan Petrovic from Belgrade, Serbia

Geronimo: An American Legend is directed by Walter Hill and written by John Milius. It stars Wes Studi, Jason Patric, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Matt Damon and Pato Hoffman. Music is by Ry Cooder and cinematography by Lloyd Ahern. Story tells of what led Geronimo to being the most wanted Apache warrior on the American Government list, and his subsequent capture/surrender in 1886. Walter Hill takes his Westerns seriously, striving for authenticity in look, feel and narrative. He achieves all of these in Geronimo, only that this is hardly a biography of Geronimo the man. Film chronicles the great Apache leader courtesy of the memoirs of one of the cavalrymen who hunted him down, this thread is surrounded by historical points of worth such as land rights, the changing of the West, cultural clashes, racism and etc. Add in some lush Utah photography, traditional Western staples such as horseback chases, fights and shootouts, and it's just under two hours of good Western movie entertainment. But the screenplay doesn't open up Geronimo the man, in fact not really affording the excellent Studi (Geronimo) all that much screen time in the process. Film would have been better titled as Geronimo, Charles B. Gatewood (Patric) and Britton Davis (Damon), since the latter two are dealt with as much as the Apache warrior is. It's a good film that only deals in under two years of the Geronimo Campaign. Yes it redresses the balance by attempting to show both sides of the coin, and for sure it isn't found wanting for accuracy. But under developing the title character is a major problem. This should have been much much better and leaves us still waiting for a definitive Geronimo story. 6/10

In my humble opinion, this film spent a lot of screen time making U.S. Army characters appear honorable. Yet, those officers were carrying out evil orders from an evil regime. They were stealing the land of the Apache, moving those people to barren wasteland and denying them freedom of religion. When the U.S. Army shot the medicine man, how was that any different that a Nazi shooting a rabbi during a service? I suspect that film makers must insert white heroes into a movie or it will not get distribution.Nonetheless, this movie is still worth seeing and moved me deeply. It does show the basic facts of the Apache genocide and Geronimo's life. Jason Patric's performance as Gatewood is outstanding, understated and overlooked. His stunt work/horse skills are impressive; nothing flashy, he looks like so natural and efficient. (Just like a Cavalry officer of that era would be.)Now on to the heart of the matter: Wes Studi is a great actor and deserved an Oscar for this performance. This movie is worth seeing for him alone. The director gave the final scene (train to Florida) the proper time, editing and pacing. I will not give away any of the words in that final scene. They are too powerful and beautiful coming out of Wes Studi's mouth. It is an appropriate eulogy to the Apache people.In conclusion, this is a beautiful movie. Please give it the proper attention that it deserves.