Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Walter Hill's revisionist take on the American cavalry's campaign to capture renegade Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo (Wes Studi) is, like Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, a dark tale that both celebrates and critiques myths of the American West. Despite its title, Geronimo is really about the American cavalry officers who undertake the responsibility of recapturing the warrior, in particular the young narrator Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric), a Civil War hero who respects the great Geronimo and brokers a treaty with the Chiricahua, only to see it collapse when the army kills the tribal medicine man. Gene Hackman plays Gen. George Crook, the proud but sympathetic officer charged with bringing in the renegades who take to hills after the killing. Robert Duvall, the tough, racist army scout and Indian fighter Charlie Sieber, practically steals the picture with his cagey, underplayed performance. More complex and complicated than most Westerns, this is a Walter Hill film through and through: lean, ironic, beautiful to look at (it was shot on location against the astounding landscape of southeastern Utah), and driven by a wonderful Ry Cooder score. Don't confuse this with the 1993 TNT cable film by the same name; it confounded many viewers at the time of its release and may have been at least partially responsible for its box-office disappointment. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Geronimo

This is a great movie..The first movie that I ever saw Robert Duvall die in, great stuff. November 24, 2008

Touching scenes and dialogues + Gripping acting + Good action = One of the 3 best western movies I've ever seen.

It contains touching scenes and dialogues. For example, all the Apache Indian Scouts of the American Army were stripped of their guns and sent to "reservation area" after Geromino surrrendered. They were treated like traitors even though they had loyally served the Army.

In another scene, Geromino (Wes Studi) said "Do not hate each other. We have so few people left now".

In another one, Geromino asked Gen. George Crook (Gene Hackman) "Why your people have to take all the land? There is so much land. Why the Indians can't have any?"

The shooting scenes are fast, and deadly but there are few. This more a drama than an action Western.

The acting is gripping. Gene Hackman is convincing as Gen. George Crook. Jason Patric is so moving and admirable as the real Lt. Charles Gatewood. Wes Studi is physically and spiritually strong, emotionally-stirring with his words.

This movie contains many facts. For example, Lt. Charles Gatewood was deliberately sent to obscuration by a jealous General. Geromino died in reservation area. He was never allowed to leave it even though he was promised that in the treaty.

This is one of the 3 best western movies I've ever seen. The others are: Quigley Down under and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
November 9, 2008

Great cast for historical period piece

Geronimo: An American Legend has gone mostly under the radar since its release in 1993, but it's an above average historical movie that tries to show the truth in history instead of how movies usually portray it. In the 1880s, the U.S. Cavalry persuades Apache chief Geronimo to surrender and live on the reservation at Turkey Creek. But with a new life forced on him, Geronimo is uncomfortable and when a medicine man is shot down for inciting the tribe, the chief leaves the reservation with a band of warriors. The cavalry must now get back in the field, patroling the Southwest in hopes of catching the renegade chief. Like many good westerns, this movie deals with the changing times and how individuals dealt with those changes. We are shown both perspectives, the cavalry and Geronimo, so it's a balanced movie overall. It's not an action movie although the battle scenes are well-done, instead it's more of a character study of all the participants as the cavalry tries to bring Geronimo in to live on the reservation. An underrated, very well-done movie.

Leading an impressive ensemble cast, Jason Patric plays Lt. Charles Gatewood, a cavalry officer who respects the Apaches even as he fights them. It is this respect that leads to a friendship with Geronimo. Patric plays the part well as an officer who feels conflicted with what he's been ordered to do. Gene Hackman gives support as General George Crook, the commander of the cavalry forced to capture the Apache chief. Not a huge part for Hackman, but still a really good one. Robert Duvall almost steals the movie as Al Sieber, the veteran scout who's come to despise the Apaches even though he sees many similarities between them and himself. Wes Studi is excellent as Geronimo, the Apache chief who struggles to change with the times as the cavalry moves ever closer to catching him. And in one of his first movies, a young Matt Damon plays 2nd Lt. Britton Davis, an inexperienced officer who gains that experience on the Geronimo campaign. Those five leads share the screentime and carry the movie. The excellent supporting cast includes Steve Reevis as Chato, an Apache scout for the cavalry, Rodney Grant as Mangas, a close friend of Geronimo, and Kevin Tighe as General Nelson Miles. All around a very solid cast.

The DVD unfortunately is somewhat disappointing although the price is low. The movie is available only in pan-n-scan, not widescreen, which is a shame because director Walter Hill really has a beautiful movie here, filmed in Utah and Arizona. Only special feature is a trailer. But bad DVD or not, it's an excellent movie that benefits from a great cast and showing both sides of the story. Give Geronimo: An American Legend a try! November 6, 2008

Review of Geronimo

This is a well-written and historically accurate account of the treatment of the Apache indian Geronimo. It may come across a shock to some who were not aware of the illegal and immoral treatment of the American indians in general and Geronimo in particular. Notice how sad the Apache are at the end of the DVD, once they realize that they have been overpowered, coerced into submission then imprisoned for life by Americans in pursuit of their "Manifest Destiny."

October 24, 2008

Full screen is not 2:35 to 1

I like Walter Hill's movies very much. The Warriors, Johnny Handsome, and Streets of Fire are three of my very favorites. I like Geronimo, too, and wanted to get a copy, but I don't think this one is it. In the amazon.com writeup, the movie is described as being in 2:35 to 1 aspect ratio, but it's also described as full screen, which is 4:3 or "re-formatted to fit your TV". I carelessly bought a full screen version at Best Buy recently and ordered what I thought was the wide screen version here from one of the amazon.com sellers. What I got was another copy of the full screen version. I'm not sure what's currently in release, but be careful before you order. October 20, 2008

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