At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

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

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Blistering performances.

Simply put , I liked it. Former decathlete athlete and football star Woody Strode plays Sergeant Rutledge accused of raping and murdering a young girl. The film is mostly shot inside what appears to be a kangaroo court, but as in any true hero's story the truth must prevail. Woody who plays a black Sergeant in the U.S. infantry, sits strong and proud of his military career and although there are many doubters in the courtroom as to his innocence of the crimes of rape and murder, the film's illustrious director, John Ford, provides Woody Strode with a terrific movie vehicle to shine in. And shine Woody Strode does.I wouldn't dare to compare Sergeant Rutledge to the better known classic 1962 three time Academy award winner "To Kill A Mockingbird" starring Gregory Peck as the defense lawyer of the accused black man of rape played by Brock Peters. I do feel though that Sergeant Rutledge stands up well some 58 years later as a decent court room western, which utilizes flashbacks by the various court witnesses to explain why Sergeant Rutledge is either guilty or innocent.We the audience can play judge and jury in this decent western, and I judge Woody Strode's and actress Constance Towers who plays Mary Beecher the love interest of Lt. Tom Cantrell (played by Jeffrey Hunter) performances as more than passing the smell test. I enjoyed Sergeant Rutledge as a full drama and action filled western.I give the film a 6 out of 10 rating

This movie is not a Western but it does have Indians and it is set in the west. It's not a romance although there are some romantic moments. It's not a "black" movie although most of the actors are black. It's not an army movie although many of the folks are in the film are in the army. So what is it?The movie is a murder mystery worthy of anything Alfred Hitchcock ever directed. There red herrings. There is confusion. There is evidence. There are cross examinations. There are flashback scenes. And best of all there is an absolutely stunning twist at the end that may make your head explode! This is a movie that is not to be missed.

Well, Woody Strode was finally given the opportunity to act in this 1960 film and acted he did in an especially emotionally charged court scene.As for the picture itself, it's routine fanfare. It's 1881 in the Arizona territory and the good sergeant has been accused of raping a young girl and killing her father. While this has occurred, the Apaches are on the attack.Jeffrey Hunter played Rutledge's fellow soldier who defends him at his trial. The young girl had a young admirer with the roving eye. The ending couldn't even be thought up by Perry Mason. Wait to you see who the real killer was.Billie Burke, with that sing-song voice is just a little too much out of place as the wife of the court administrator. The guys handling the trial break to play cards. Burke's outfit is appropriate for the period, but you will get very hot just looking at it in a rather benign cold film.Constance Towers is the love interest of Hunter who arrives back in Arizona after 12 years, only to find her father dead at the hand of the Apaches. Having met and been with Rutledge, when the stage master was killed, she testifies on his behalf.

Sergeant Rutledge (1960) *** (out of 4) Extremely well-made and dramatic film from John Ford about a black soldier (Woody Strode) accused of killing his superior officer and raping and murdering his daughter. Lt. Tom Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter) was the arrested officer and after spending time with the soldier agrees to defend him of the charges. In the court martial hearing we learn what really happened as Cantrell tries to save the soldier even though he admits being at the scene of the crime. SERGEANT RUTLEDGE, for some reason, never really gets mentioned when people discuss the films of John Ford and that's a shame because it's certainly one of the best films of his later period. I really enjoyed the way Ford told the story as we start off in the court room where we hear the charges and then through flashbacks we see all the events that led up to the murder and the aftermath. On a technical level Ford did a few interesting things here including how he would shoot the court scene in the dark with shadows and then cut to the flashback. This might seem like something minor but it actually has a strong impact. Ford also knew the best things to cut back to the court room scene. A lot of times when flashbacks are mixed into movies they're often done so just to move the story forward. That's not the case here because the director had to perfectly mix them with the court footage and I thought it really did a good job at building and keeping the drama from one to another. Another very strong aspect are the performances with Hunter leading the way. He never really seemed to get enough credit for his acting but the passion on display here is very powerful and I especially enjoyed the way he handled the court scenes. Constance Towers plays an important part as a witness and does a fine job as well. Billie Burke and Willis Bouchey appear in supporting roles. The real star is Strode who delivers an incredibly powerful performance and especially the scene where he must testify and finally breaks down. I don't think I'm overstating things when I say this was without question one of the strongest roles for a black actor at this period in time and Strode certainly did everything he could to make it so memorable. The actor contains a certain dignity and power that leaps off the screen. I think Ford did make one fatal mistake that really killed the film in spots and that's the horrid comic bits that are scattered throughout the film. The humor comes up in such horrid times and it's usually following something dramatic and it really kills everything that the story is trying to capture. Why Ford decided to make the humor so in your face is beyond me. With that said, the incredibly strong performances and strong story are good enough to overcome this one flaw and SERGEANT RUTLEDGE is worth viewing.