Broken Arrow (1950)

Broken Arrow--A Golden Oldie

I just want to say that I am very pleased with this DVD. The picture and sound quality was excellent, and for anyone seeking wholesome family entertainment with a Western accent these days,this is an excellent choice. James Stewart's portrayal of Tom Jeffords is outstanding, as is Jeff Chandler's as Cochise. I doubt, though, that the real Cochise had blue eyes! Considering that this movie was made in 1950, it was definitely ahead of its time in its very fair treatment of Native Americans as human beings rather than as brutish savages. There are some nice bits of information on Apache social customs, too. Kudos to Amazon for offering such a great product at a reasonable price. June 1, 2008

As close as we may come to the story of Jeffords and Cochise on film

The film dramatizes episodes from the life of Cochise, the great chief of the Chiricahua Apache, and his relationship to Tom Jeffords, a scout for the American cavalry in the Arizona territory.. This is not a filmthat renders either a reliable historical portrait of either hero, or the circumstances which led to the eventual retreat and dissolution of Cochise.

Instead the film stands as one of the first films Hollywood dared produce which exposed our nation's disenfranchisement and senseless slaughter of our indigenous tribes, and also those who were personally destroyed by their faith in broken treaties.

In this light BROKEN ARROW resonates with our own era.

While the script is oddly campy, its intentions were not. Jeff Chandler gives a strong, characterful performance as Cochise, while Jimmy Stewart, as Tom Jeffords, brings his part to life with conviction and pathos, skirting very nobly some of the more wooden lines he was required to deliver.

Debra Paget, who plays the Chiricahuan maiden who eventually marries Jeffords, has perhaps the most cumbersome and predictable lines, but she is so exquisitely beautiful, most viewers will hardly care. Her romance with Jeffords echoes the star-crossed relationship of Romeo and Juliet, with less poetry perhaps, but similar pathos.

It is a motion picture with wonderful cinematography and narrative tension. Unlike many of today's American films of the old West, it is neither drenched with blood, replete with special effects or prurient. It is, instead, a mythic, formulaic tale of the peace former enemies attempted on the part of two star-crossed cultures.

While Jeffords is hardly Stewart's most memorable role, it is one of his most significant films because it revealed the rising consciousness our artistic community dared address on behalf of the hundreds of tribes disenfranchised by settlers, soldiers and a highly disingenuous government. Ulysses Grant doesn't need much more negative press, but he certainly receives it in BROKEN ARROW.

I can recommend the film without serious reservations to those who relish older films which occasionally sacrifice historical authenticity for dramatic potency. Serious historians of the period would be better served by the library. Fans of Candler and Stewart should purchase this beautifully transferred DVD without reservation. May 5, 2008

THEY'RE DIFFERENT NOT DEFICIENT!!

This is the story of Tom Jeffords (Jimmy Stewart), as told by him, and how he was recruited to 'remove' the Apache tribe that was ambushing the mail carriers in the Arizona area. Jeffords changes his mind after a 'Good Samaritan' experience. Riding through the desert he spots the buzzards circling and looks for their prey. It's a severely wounded young Apache Brave who has been shot 8 times (in the back no less) by American soldiers. Jeffords stops and saves his life and when the tribe finds them both and lets him go after realizing what he did, he comes to believe there is the possibility of negotiating a peace treaty instead of 'removing' them. He spent a month learning the language and customs of the Apaches from a real Apache. He then went alone into Apache territory to try to meet Cochise (something no white man had ever done). What happens is a powerful story of reconciliation and trust between Cochise and Jeffords. Both men must convince those around them that the other can really be trusted, a very difficult challenge. This builds to a tragic, but ultimately hopeful climax. A powerful film in its own right but also a story for everyone who feels we have to 'remove' our enemies. Is it not better to try to understand them first? Would this plan not be a better first step in dealing with our enemies rather than the last? How about in our families, in our communities? Could we not all do better pursuing understanding rather than removing? A powerful film. [...].
April 28, 2008

Broken Arrow

Great Jimmy Stewart movie and who will ever forget Jeff Chandler's Cochise. Don't confuse this with the dumb Travolta movie of the same name. A world of difference. This one is great! March 2, 2008

Must See

Is this a perfect movie? No. Does it make right all the stereotypes of Native Americans? No. But it was and is an amazingly nuanced and important movie. The "bad indian," Geronimo is given passion and dignity by Jay Silverheels. There is a reason Geronimo is who he is. The "bad white man" is given passion and dignity by Will Geer. There is a reason he is who he is. And in the middle are two historical figures, who actually did what the movie suggests. They found a way to make peace.

For a more nuanced look, for those among us who still read, see the book "Blood Brother" by Elliot Arnold. In his preface Arnold does what I have always wished historical novelists would do, he tells you exactly what's historical fact and what's been invented to make a better story (the love interest is an invention).

What is truly sad, and what makes this a movie for all times, is that the issues haven't changed. The demonization of "the enemy." The idea that "we can do whatever we want to 'them' because we're right and they are the enemy." And, to risk getting a tad political, peace can only come when people of good will are willing to talk to each other.

Buy this movie. See it. Loan it to friends. February 29, 2008

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