This is a good Western, but it's a pretty dark film, which might be why it flopped on release. We see a soldier shoot a white woman to prevent her from being raped and killed by Indians. We see dead men, tortured by Indians. Well, it happened. In the end, the film is more respectful to Indians than films from the 50s where they were played by white, blue-eyed actors. And of course, white people committed similar crimes. The editing in the film seems a bit off, as if scenes have been cut. The older Lancaster fit well in Westerns, and Aldrich put the Vietnam war into this one.
The weird editing you mention is down to there being an Aldrich cut and a Lancaster cut (the Lancaster cut, I believe, is what is out in Europe). Someone out there created a 'mash up' cut, incorporating everything available, and when I watched it didn't encounter anything too jarring for this type of situation.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen The Hunting Party (1971) with Gene Hackman, Oliver Reed, and Candice Bergen? Another really dark western, almost plays out like a horror film.
Did it also include scenes with the horses being wire tripped? Apparently, the Australian dvd has the full version.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen The Hunting Party, but will look for it.