I'd never seen this until tonight on television. This is one of the strangest movies I've ever seen - its tone keeps shifting every scene - much of the time something like the story, "The Lottery" (deeply dark and cynical about human nature) yet sometimes sentimental, sometimes slapstick comedy, sometimes adventure story, sometimes very much a 1950s social issues movie like Stanley Kramer's. It's fascinating - and weird - and compelling.
**** SPOILERS **** The movie has such mixed feelings about those who hope to find family members who've been captured by Commanchee Indians. At times it's deeply sympathetic - showing their pain (particularly Shirley Jones playing that music box). At other times the movie finds those who hold such forlorn hopes must be bizarre (in our very first sight of the mother of the missing son, we are meant to believe that she's not mentally sound on the issue). At other times, there's cynicism about them (e.g., the man who says any captive will do - he has to get back to his business, or those who are disgusted at the returned male former captive being so Indian).
The movie is schizophrenic in showing on the one hand, the utterly unsentimental Stewart as he calmly kills the Indian whose wife he's just captured (and saying "shut up" to his keening wife) yet showing him deeply disturbed by the mere fact that the cavalrymen won't dance with her.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it shows the bar owner, Belle, whom we're meant to think is a sort of comic man-hungry woman through most of the movie - but who then issues the harshest racist comment backed up by a dagger at the end. HUH?
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it shows one captive on his return acting like a wild animal who knows only how to kill whites -- yet the movie wants us to think there is no such danger whatever (and we're to be outraged at the mere thought) from the other captive on her return. If we're meant to believe that one former captive would kill whites at the drop of a hat, why wouldn't she? Because she's a woman? Not according to the way Belle is shown at the end.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it treats Richard Widmark's character -- he completely shares Stewart's astonished fear that any discussion could take place regarding "matrimony" -- yet we see no change of heart when he ups and proposes to Shirley Jones.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it regards John McIntyre's character - are we to think he shares the bigotry of the others at the dance when he demands an apology from Widmark? Or are we to think he's the only decent man at the post?
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it regards the former female captive - given how swiftly she accommodated herself to life as a squaw after her husband was killed - and then immediately wants Stewart the moment her Indian husband was killed - and her repeated statements that she regards herself as dirt and not worth anyone fighting over - are we to think there is something deeply wrong with her? That she cannot live without a man for a single day - and will take anyone who'll have her?
The movie is schizophrenic in the importance it gives to Shirley Jones' character - at times she seems to be one of the central characters - yet at the end when we see Stewart and Widmark and Cristal together - WHERE IS SHE?
What are we to think of the lynching scene? I was sure that someone was going to stop the lynching - but no! And there are no consequences.
**** SPOILERS END ****
I kept thinking as I watched, that this must be a political allegory of some kind - like The Crucible or High Noon - but I can't think of any kind of politics that it would resemble. (At times, I thought of the civil rights movement going on at the time - but that doesn't at all fit with the movie's view of Commanchees as abominable).
This movie is truly bizarre - from Andy Devine bouncing people into the lake with his stomach to raw accounts of rape.
You have to see this to believe it - yet so many wonderful scenes - including the famous and absolutely winning and delightful one of Widmark and Stewart sitting on that tree log by the lake or river.
**** SPOILERS **** The movie has such mixed feelings about those who hope to find family members who've been captured by Commanchee Indians. At times it's deeply sympathetic - showing their pain (particularly Shirley Jones playing that music box). At other times the movie finds those who hold such forlorn hopes must be bizarre (in our very first sight of the mother of the missing son, we are meant to believe that she's not mentally sound on the issue). At other times, there's cynicism about them (e.g., the man who says any captive will do - he has to get back to his business, or those who are disgusted at the returned male former captive being so Indian).
The movie is schizophrenic in showing on the one hand, the utterly unsentimental Stewart as he calmly kills the Indian whose wife he's just captured (and saying "shut up" to his keening wife) yet showing him deeply disturbed by the mere fact that the cavalrymen won't dance with her.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it shows the bar owner, Belle, whom we're meant to think is a sort of comic man-hungry woman through most of the movie - but who then issues the harshest racist comment backed up by a dagger at the end. HUH?
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it shows one captive on his return acting like a wild animal who knows only how to kill whites -- yet the movie wants us to think there is no such danger whatever (and we're to be outraged at the mere thought) from the other captive on her return. If we're meant to believe that one former captive would kill whites at the drop of a hat, why wouldn't she? Because she's a woman? Not according to the way Belle is shown at the end.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it treats Richard Widmark's character -- he completely shares Stewart's astonished fear that any discussion could take place regarding "matrimony" -- yet we see no change of heart when he ups and proposes to Shirley Jones.
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it regards John McIntyre's character - are we to think he shares the bigotry of the others at the dance when he demands an apology from Widmark? Or are we to think he's the only decent man at the post?
The movie is schizophrenic in the way it regards the former female captive - given how swiftly she accommodated herself to life as a squaw after her husband was killed - and then immediately wants Stewart the moment her Indian husband was killed - and her repeated statements that she regards herself as dirt and not worth anyone fighting over - are we to think there is something deeply wrong with her? That she cannot live without a man for a single day - and will take anyone who'll have her?
The movie is schizophrenic in the importance it gives to Shirley Jones' character - at times she seems to be one of the central characters - yet at the end when we see Stewart and Widmark and Cristal together - WHERE IS SHE?
What are we to think of the lynching scene? I was sure that someone was going to stop the lynching - but no! And there are no consequences.
**** SPOILERS END ****
I kept thinking as I watched, that this must be a political allegory of some kind - like The Crucible or High Noon - but I can't think of any kind of politics that it would resemble. (At times, I thought of the civil rights movement going on at the time - but that doesn't at all fit with the movie's view of Commanchees as abominable).
This movie is truly bizarre - from Andy Devine bouncing people into the lake with his stomach to raw accounts of rape.
You have to see this to believe it - yet so many wonderful scenes - including the famous and absolutely winning and delightful one of Widmark and Stewart sitting on that tree log by the lake or river.