An American Western; A story about an arrogant cavalry colonel sent to a remote Arizona desert outpost which he considers an insult after his service in the Civil War. Determined to show his heroism, he plots to lure the local Apaches into waging war. The first of three remarkable films director John Ford made about the US Cavalry - a subgenre of the Western featuring the United States Cavalry fighting Native Americans, such as the Apache, the Sioux or the Cheyenne. It deals with topics such as leadership, responsibility, heroism and legend and is one of the first to present an authentic and sympathetic view of the Native Americans. It is characterised by a superb example of military academy stiffness and martinet approach which meets a more organic Western community of an isolated outpost. The portrayal of Lt. Col. Owen Thursday was inspired by General George Armstrong Custer and his ill-fated stand at Little Big Horn. Immaculate and painstaking detail was made to the story's period and setting. Henry Fonda and John Wayne give the drama authenticity and vigour. Ford's direction achieves broad scope, employing a non-linear narrative by using digressions from the main storyline to help produce the atmosphere of a military outpost, making the main theme about moral ambiguity in warfare powerful.
Review of Fort Apache
