Ulzana's Raid--Not a Chick Flick!

Sometimes I stay up late watching an old favortie western movie, Ulzana's Raid. It stars Burt Lancaster and only has a couple of other recognizable character actors, Richard Jaekel and Bruce Davison. The rest of the cast is virtually unknown, but perectly cast. This movie is very violent, and not just suggestive of violence, it is depicted very vividly. For the violence it is rated R, but I do not find it gratuitous violence, it truly is a part of the story.

The movie came out in 1972, and I must have seen it at least 15 times. But until today I have never done anything except enjoy it as an entertaining story of the Old West. I generally do not try to dissect a movie. If a movie is a blatant message movie, it quickly falls out of favor with me, such as Dances With Wolves.


But in thinking about Ulzana's Raid as a blog topic, it occured to me that it has a message that was prevalent in the height of the Viet Nam War years, in which it was made. Man's inhumanity to man is exposed. There is the stereotypical savagery of the raiding Apaches, but there are glimpses into the nobility of simple culture. The movie also points out how easily the "civilized" turn to barbarity.


I hope that I will continue to be able to enjoy Ulzana's raid as only a good story, I hate to wake up on a Saturday morning analyzing art!

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