Ulzana's Raid

One from Lancaster’s late period, where he managed to rein in his teeth-gritting and portrayed a series of dignified and wise elder statesmen. In this one he’s an ‘adviser’ to Bruce Davidson’s idealistic young Cavalry officer while they’re on a hunt for some Apaches who have left the reservation for some gratuitous violence.

A lot of the time is taken up by pitting Lancaster’s world-weary and cynical point of view against Davidson’s, which is a bit of an uneven battle and is only likely to appeal to the converted. The rest is a more interesting battle of tactics with the Apaches, trying to outflank and outwit our ‘heroes’, punctuated by then-fashionable bouts of ugly violence. (That’s if you get the original version; Aldrich’s movie isn’t often seen on UK TV, and when it is, it’s invariably shorn of the nasty and gory stuff which made it notorious)

The leads are good, as is Richard Jaeckel in his usual stoic supporting role, the visuals are average and there’s a hideous score from Frank De Vol. Just when he needs to be sinister or sad he gives you a rousing Cavalry theme, and when he’s trying to build tension he fills the soundscape with random orchestral doodling.

Worth seeing but see Valdez is Coming for a better example of Wild West Burt.

Mild Peril Rating:

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