Stars: Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison, Richard Jaeckel
Best Quote: Just don't water the beef before you weigh 'em. You'd be surprised how many steaks there are in two gallons of river water.
I wish I could've liked Ulzana's Raid better than I did. It has a lot of good things going for it. An intelligent script, Indians that look and speak like Native Americans**, and a semi-realistic depiction of 19th Century Indian warfare. But its curiously cold and un-engaging - partly because Aldrich is no John Ford, partly because Davison is so mediocre, and partly because it doesn't take sides. As Lancaster says "hating the Apache is like hating the Desert" - so we root for no one.
Positives? The last 15 minutes are great, as Ulzana lures the Calvary into a trap and then is foiled by Ke-Ni-Tay. An excellent down-beat but realistic ending.
The Problem with Lancaster
Despite the critical praise, I think Burt was too bland. The Indian scout is just a standard "Good Guy" role - and he was never great at those. Too bad Mitchum, Stewart, Ford, Holden, Douglas, or Heston weren't available. Someone who could add some pizazz. And the wise old Indian scout is a bit of a bore. He's always right and always has a sardonic comeback.
** = many Apache are played by Hispanics, but at least its not Frank de Kova or Jeff Chandler!
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