Sangue de Heróis

First entry in trilogy cavalry including glorification of military life , familiar drama , love and sentimental nostalgia with interesting character studio of a varied assortment of individuals . This is the initial outing in John Ford's trilogy cavalry continuing ¨ She wore a yellow ribbon¨ and ¨Rio Grande ¨ based on stories by James Warner Bellah . It's a first-rate Western masterfully directed by the great John Ford . This is a great Western drama, John Ford's lusty realization and a real classic . Commandant Owen ( Henry Fonda ) is a new and rigid Colonel who arrives along with his young daughter (Shirley Temple) in a fort nearly to Mexican frontier. Owen decides to do a name for himself by beginning a war with the Apaches Chiricaguas and Mezcaleros led by Cochise , against the advice of his two experienced captains ( John Wayne , George O'Brien ). Then the commandant of the far outpost - who has a difficult relationship to his underlings - leads a dangerous campaign against the Indians .

This classic picture ranks as one of the best of John Ford's work. It contains Ford's usual themes as familiar feeling , a little bit of enjoyable humor, a community decided to build the civilization on a virgin territory , friendship and and sense of comradeship among people . Furthermore , ample shots on cloudy and nebulous skies , prairies and mountains filmed at Monument Valley and Professor Valley. Interesting screenplay portraying in depth characters and brooding events with interesting issues running beneath script surface is written by Frank S. Nugent based on a story by James Warner Bellah , booth of whom are John Ford's habitual . Spectacular scenes when the Apaches Indian-Chiricagua and Mezcaleros-spontaneously attack the unit in its last stand .

This excellent film featuring a magnificent performance by whole casting . Awesome John Wayne in a larger-than-life character . Enticing and intimate Shirley Temple , Irene Rich , Anna Lee in sensible roles with sensational performances . Excellent co-starring cast , introducing John Agar - subsequently remembered as the lieutenant in 'she wore a yellow ribbon' , here his first main role . Good cinematography by William H. Clothier and Archie Stout reflecting splendidly marvelous outdoors from mythical Monument Valley , a place that Ford was often to revisit and he befriends Indians tribes . Emotive and vivid score by Richard Hageman based on traditional music ; it contains a wonderful song that is sung on some touching scenes among sweet glances of John Agar and Shirley Temple . In the movie appears all habitual Ford's friends as War Bond , Dick Foran ,Jack Pennick , Hank Worden , Grant Withers , Jack Pennick , Guy Keebe, Pedro Armendariz and , of course , the great Victor McLagen as grumpy sergeant in charge of training the new recruits . The movie is stunningly produced by Merian C Cooper - Argosy Pictures Production- and magnificently filmed by Ford with direction assistant by Cliff Lyons . Avoid a horrible version shown in computer-colored . Rating : Very good, better than average.

John Wayne and Henry Fonda are iconic actors, and you have a tendency to know what sort of characters to expect from them. "Fort Apache" is a good movie, but what makes it really interesting to watch is that both Wayne and Fonda are cast a little bit against type in this. That's a bit jarring, and it forces you to watch, because you don't know exactly what to expect from them as the movie goes on. For a western that has surprisingly little action (the requisite "cowboys and Indians scene comes only in the last half hour) the performances from these two alone make this worth watching.

Fort Apache is a lonely US army outpost in the years after the Civil War. Nothing much happens there, and it's not a particularly prestigious assignment. The officers and men are comfortable and unchallenged under the command of Wayne's Captain York. Things change when Fonda's Col. Thursday shows up to assume command. Thursday is a bitter character. He thinks he's better than Fort Apache, and he resents being assigned to the command. You get the impression that he was a well regarded Union officer in the Civil War who just got overlooked in peacetime. But he's an officer, and Fort Apache is his assignment and he's determined to make it the best outfit in the US Army. No more comfortable outpost. The men wear proper uniforms, they drill, they train. Thursday's awkward in the command. Fort Apache is a close knit post, and he just doesn't fit in. His interactions with the soldiers and other officers are stiff and formal. Wayne's relaxed York and Fonda's by the book Thursday make this an interesting character study more than a western for the most part.

For all his attention to detail, though, Thursday has a basic problem: he yearns for glory, and he's not especially competent. Given the chance he orders his men to attack a group of Apaches returning from Mexico who've been promised by York that they could negotiate. But Thursday wants to beat them in battle and make his name, over York's protests. Not surprisingly, the end result is not unlike Custer's Last Stand.

This is a character study, and the characters are strong. It's not only Wayne and Fonda. There are other good performances in this as well. I was quite taken with the very pretty 20 year old Shirley Temple as Thursday's daughter. Interestingly, her love interest in the movie is played by John Agar, her real life husband at the time. Ward Bond was also very good as Sgt. Maj. O' Rourke. The battle scenes are restricted to the last half hour or so, and they serve primarily to show Thursday making blunders and rejecting the advice of those who know the Apache better than he does. The last scene of the movie is the classic example of a manufactured hero. Killed by the Apache after his own incompetence doomed him, Thursday is turned into a gallant national hero. York assumes command of Fort Apache, but the portrait of Thursday hangs over him. Those we recognize as heroes aren't always the real heroes apparently.

It's a well done movie. If you're expecting a traditional cowboy and Indian shoot out, you won't find it here. BUt it has a few humorous moments, and if you're looking for a solid, character driven western featuring two very good actors, Fort Apache will definitely satisfy. (7/10)

This film captures all the magic found in classic Hollywood westerns, but it isn't just a western. This film is a war picture too. It also, has action, adventure, romance, a tiny bit of dancing and a little bit of comedy thrown in too. It bases itself off of historical source materials and situations, that took place around 1870. It has those classic ingredients that made it a popular sensation when it was first released in theaters in 1948. But, what makes this film different from all of those other films of its kind, was the sweeping camera-style of John Ford.

When you watch this film, it tends to give you the visuals needed, to prove to you, that this movie is way ahead of its time. Ford's use of his actors, his framing of the shots, his utilization of the terrain, as well as, the cloud patterns in the sky, along with excellent experience with black and white film, all make his films pop more than most of his other fellow filmmakers of the time. What's even crazier is he can get this effect out, even with standard 4:3 cameras. We need to remember, this was a pre-widescreen film and because of Ford's excellent compositions, you forget that it is in standard screen size.

This is an interesting casting job for Henry Fonda, who plays Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday, who through politics, is sent to a barren location in dangerous Apache territory, to take command of Fort Apache, a few years after the Civil War ended. It is a disrespectful demotion for him, so naturally he is a little bit sour about the whole thing, which translates to arrogance, when he has to deal with his new soldiers he has at his command. In his attempt to retrieve his glory days, he negatively rubs up against his subordinates, most notably, Captain Kirby York (John Wayne). York's experience and knowledge of the Apache Indians, their leader Cochise (Miguel Inclan), the surrounding area of the Apache territory and the rugged Arizona landscape, collides with Thursday's need to succeed.

At the same time, Thursday's daughter, Philadelphia (Shirley Temple), is stirring up things as well, falling in love with a young soldier, 2nd Lieutenant Michael Shannon O'Rourke (John Agar in his first film), which totally brings the stuffy arrogance out of Thursday. His disapproval is felt quite heavily in the plot and coming from the screen. Fonda gives a great, convincing performance, as the disgruntled Thursday, who needs to solve the problem with the Apaches, as well as, coming to terms with his daughter's future. He expels the arrogance and impudence from the screen, but also shows us his honorable, professional, polite side, that comes from the roots of his successes during the war.

There also are a number of other classic Hollywood actors, who do their part, to make this film the critical success it has enjoyed for the last 75 years. Names like, Ward Bond, Dick Foran and Grant Withers, just to name a few. If you are looking for a textbook John Ford movie, especially one in 4:3, this is the one to see. Hopefully, you are pleasantly tricked up too, when you realize, that this film isn't widescreen too, just like I was. It looks that good.

8.6 (B+ MyGrade) = 8 IMDB.

Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) travels to Fort Apache with his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) to take over command. Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) is disappointed as he expected to be the new commander. Philadelphia falls for young soldier Shannon O'Rourke despite the disapproval of her class-obsessed father. The Apache are on the war path five years after the peace treaty signed by Cochise. Due to alcoholism and starvation, Cochise had broken the treaty and left the reservation for Mexico.

This is an old style western from legendary director John Ford. Henry Fonda is somewhat miscast as the hard-headed, arrogant commander. John Wayne is the heroic one with the moral high ground. It may be better to switch the two leads. While John Wayne can be either, I don't see Fonda that way. As for the Apache, at least Cochise is played by a Mexican and the natives are shown as proud people. The first half is a bit slow. It has the old western humor and the first battle happens only at the halfway point. The most notable aspect is that the final battle has the sides switched from their standard roles. There is an obvious allusion to a historical event. It has something to say about the glorification of war. This is a western epic.

Owen Thursday is hardly impressed when his new command is the desolate Fort Apache, but resolves to make the best of it. When a group of Indians strike out from the local reserve led by warrior Cochise, Thursday sees the challenge as being key in winning back the military honour he feels has been denied him to date. However Captain York persuades him to allow York to go into Mexico to talk peace and convincing him to return to the US to broker a resolution – but will Thursday's obsession with honour and glory cause a bloodier ending? Interweaving this central plot with romantic and comic subplots makes a standard western into a much better one, even if it sometimes causes it to feel a bit slow. The story concerns an outlying post and the first half of the film lays down the characters, their relationships and who they are in ways that are interesting and produces a mix of funny moments and rather slower dramatic moments – all of them work as well as one another and it enriches the final section of the film. It is in this final third of the film where the action starts and it is rather dramatic and exciting; it also brings out a lot more of the subtext about the arrogant leadership of Thursday, based on the character traits that we have already had developed in him in regards his men and his daughter. It is made to look easy but the script does it well and even finishes with Ford's oft-touched assertion that the legend was often printed in favour of the less impressive truth – although it still has a salute to the serving men.

The cast are all pretty strong, although naturally the script favours the men, although having said that Temple is quite good if you can get past her "precious princess" performance. Fonda has the main role and manages to make his character convincing and arrogant at the same time – we never hate him so much as just see his failings. Wayne has a straighter role to play and he is as good as ever with it, although it is hardly the most challenging character I've seen him play. Agar is a bit stilted and unsure of himself – unsurprisingly his chemistry is good with Temple (they were married at the time) but it is the other parts where he appears overshadowed by the stronger male actors. Support is roundly good, particularly in the comic roles as filled by Bond, McLagen and some of the other NCO's. Direction is good, although I felt that the landscapes were "there" rather than being integrated into the fabric of the film.

Overall this is a worthy film. Perhaps not the best of the ford films but still an intelligent film that delivers the goods just like a standard western would, while also having good writing in the characters and subtexts. The cast are mainly good and the whole film feels professional and entertaining.