This is Wayne at his best...short of Ethan Edwards, that is.
Here's what I liked:
Here's what kept it from being better:
This movie needed a few less fishing scenes with the little boy and more with Ed Lowe, proving what a low down dog he is.
Here's what I liked:
- Duke at the top of his game. His cowboy outfits are really cool and he looks great against the desert landscape. Of course, he's playing the ultra-cool stereotype Western role of "super scout raised by the Indians". Nobody did it better.
- Historically accurate Victorio character is excellent. Nice reference to the very real General Crook.
- Little boy character works well. If this kid had got the part, "Shane" might even be watchable (just teasing).
- Solid supporting cast. Geraldine Page and Ward Bond turn in good performances.
- No real plot holes, nice themes surrounding honor and the trade off between personal independence and family.
Here's what kept it from being better:
- Wayne's 45 years old here and looks older. He was already too old to be playing romantic leads. Too bad he didn't get these kinds of quality roles when he was younger. John Ford's fault for keeping him on the shelf until 1939.
- Geraldine Page is OK in this, but I was expecting much, much more from the actress who gave the best performance I have ever seen by a female in "The Sweet Bird of Youth" ten years later. Don't miss it. You sure won't recognize her if you only know her from "Hondo".
- There's no real heavy. Victorio is the logical choice, but he is portrayed so positively that he cedes that role to his henchman, Silva, who is poorly developed. Silva's co-heavy is Ed Lowe, Angie's bounder husband, who is even more poorly characterized.
This movie needed a few less fishing scenes with the little boy and more with Ed Lowe, proving what a low down dog he is.
- Just like in "Fort Apache", they fail to depict the Apache scouts who fought side by side with the calvary against the other Apache renegades. "Geronomio, An American Legend" remains the gold standard in historically accurate portrayal of the Apaches Wars. This isn't bad though.