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Geronimo - An American Legend

Geronimo - An American Legend

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good but not entirely accurate
Review: I really enjoyed the mood and tone of the film. Study does a great job at depicting Indian spirituality which is often missed in movies about Native Americans. I hardly think though that such a relationship would exist between Geronimo and his captors. To truely appreciate the movie, I visited Apache lands this past summer, playing the soundtrack as we traveled. AWESOME. I wish that they filmed in Arizona where much of the story really takes place. Crook's quarters are located high in the mountains of the White Mountain Apache Revervation and not in lower land as the movie shows (filmed in Utah), though the scenery is stunning. The ending did give justice to the Native plight and tragedy. I encourage all who appreciate this film to visit Eastern Arizona where most of the movie should have taken place.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An under-rated movie
Review: I share the opinion of several other reviewers that "Geronimo" is an outstanding -- but undervalued -- Western. Let me tick off some of the reasons why this is such a good movie.

First, the scenery and the cinematography are fabulous. Some of the photography deliberately imitates great scenes from other Westerns in the past. I was overcome with deja vu at the scene in which a file of mounted Apaches is silhouetted on the skyline. This is right out of John Ford's "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" if memory serves me right.

Secondly, the performances of Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, and Wes Studi, as Geronimo, were outstanding. Matt Damon and Jason Patric were fine as young cavalry officers, and I liked the performance of Steve Reevis as Chato, a friendly, trusting -- and ultimately disillusioned -- Apache scout. Third, the movie was reasonably true to fact and avoided the "noble savage" philosophy that made movies such as "Dances with Wolves" tiresome. Nor did the movie gloss over the perfidy of U.S. policy toward the Apaches.

The story of the long pursuit of Geronimo and his tiny band of Apaches by thousands of soldiers and Apache scouts is an American epic. Perhaps what "Geronimo" the movie doesn't have, and thus didn't capture the attention of the critics and the public, is a blockbuster scene that raises you out of your seat. But I thought "Geronimo" was an honest, informative, well-made film that should be rated among the top twenty Westerns of all time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Decent
Review: Not bad...pretty good...entertaining enough... It moves slow at some points, but Jason Patrick and Wes Study play exceptional roles. Strong support from Gene Hackman. And while Studi speaks Apache at an unconvincing 5 WPM, it's still good entertainment and much more historically accurate than the usual "white men are all devils" Indian flicks.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Decent
Review: Not bad...pretty good...entertaining enough... It moves slow at some points, but Jason Patrick and Wes Study play exceptional roles. Strong support from Gene Hackman. And while Studi speaks Apache at an unconvincing 5 WPM, it's still good entertainment and much more historically accurate than the usual "white men are all devils" Indian flicks.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Terrific cinematography only adds to a fine film
Review: Sometimes, stunning camera work adds significant value to a film's overall merit. Case in point is 2001: A SPACE ODDYSSEY, in which the visuals (and musical score) contributed to make it one of the great films of all time. (I saw it 8 times when originally on the big screen.) Yet the acting and storyline were so nondescript that who can remember who the actors or their characters were beyond Hal? Although certainly not carrying the same weight as 2001 in the evolution of movie making, the 1993 release GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND is elevated for the same reason, and the acting is much better besides.

Matt Damon plays 2nd Lt. Britton Davis, newly commissioned out of West Point, who arrives in Arizona in the mid-1880's just in time to accompany the savvy 1st Lt. Charles Gatewood, played by Jason Patric, on a mission to accept the surrender of Geronimo, and bring the Apache leader to the reservation. Eventually, Geronimo abandons the reservation to again take up arms against the white man, ultimately fleeing into Mexico. The local Army cavalry command led by Gen. George Crook, played by Gene Hackman, and which includes Davis and Gatewood, must then go retrieve the war chief and his followers. Robert Duvall has the role of Al Sieber, the army unit's Chief Scout.

As I've indicated, the cinematography in GERONIMO is absolutely gorgeous, the film being shot in the scenic expanses of southeastern Utah. Moreover, the acting doesn't deserve the reproach it's received. The Crook character, criticized as too bland, is played just right. By that time in his long military career, Gen. Crook had seen it all when it came to battling the Indians, and his unflappability, evenhandedness, and strength of character were fully established. There is no need for flamboyant theatrics on his part. The moody reserve of the Gatewood character is perfectly understandable. He came from a patrician Virginia family and, had it been 30 years previous, would have fought for the Confederacy. Fighting for the victorious Federals against another oppressed people (as the Southerners saw themselves) was certain to cause much self-examination. As Sieber put it to Gatewood, "You don't love who you're fighting for, and you don't hate who you're fighting against." Duvall, as Sieber, plays a role somewhat reminiscent of his Gus McCrae in LONESOME DOVE, but without the easygoing humor. In any case, his on-screen time is way too short. Wes Studi as Geronimo is more than adequate. I can't think of another Native American actor - and how many of those are there? - who could have done better. Matt Damon, as the likable Britton, serves as the film's narrator for the viewers' perspective. True, the plot incorporates no dramatic, climactic battles. That's because there weren't any in the real-life Geronimo saga, and Hollywood mercifully refrained, for once, from the unashamed embellishment of history. Rather, the story is portrayed for what it was - the inexorable, relatively low-key subjugation of one people by another - with all its attendant moral and ethical issues. The ending is particularly poignant.

Maybe I just like westerns, but I think this a wonderful, haunting film. It's definitely worth seeing, especially if you have one of those home entertainment centers that aspires to be a big screen theater.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Movie
Review: This is probably one of the best, and most underrated, westerns of modern times. Robert Duvall gives stunning performance as Al Sieber. Wes Studi, Gene Hackman, and Matt Damon are also great in this movie. Visually, Walter Hill, portrays the west better than any other director. Yet, this movie is full of historical innaccuries, espically pertaining to Jason Patric and Al Sieber's characters. However, it is a magnificent production, it is a shame is failed at the box office.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very Emotional
Review: This movie was emotional and shows the war between the yankee cowboys and the Indians a.k.a Hipatchis. Geranimo leads his villagers to victory but soon comes across crazy charecters and racist cowboys like Robert Duvall. All star cast, but this movie is to emotional, very biographic and more of a documentary that a movie. Still a classic. 10/10.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent true sory concerning the Apache Chief Geronimo
Review: Walter Hill's film is full of action and drama concerning the Apache Chief Geronimo. Wes Studi should have got an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the Apache Chief. Also outstanding performances by Robert Duvall as Al Siebur the Indian Scout, Jason Patric as Lt. Charles Gatewood, Gene Hackman as Gen. Crook, and Steve Reevis as Apache Scout Chato. Jason Patric's horsemanship is showcased in a scene where an Apache warrior is charging at him on horseback, firing a pistol. A standout scene. A must see for Western Fans. This is an eye opening look at how the Apache were treated by the U.S. government. A truly sad part of American history.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HISTORY IN YOUR FACE
Review: We don't need to know someone is, or was royalty to know they have, or has blood of kings in their nature. It was horable the way life has been taken for granted in them days. But, it's also good to know that the conflict haven't effect the busy to complete the project. Excellent movie for everyone to learn a lesson from. GERONIMO should be more than a name that's yelled across the sky before someone jump from a plane. He is trully a legion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HISTORY IN YOUR FACE
Review: We don't need to know someone is, or was royalty to know they have, or has blood of kings in their nature. It was horable the way life has been taken for granted in them days. But, it's also good to know that the conflict haven't effect the busy to complete the project. Excellent movie for everyone to learn a lesson from. GERONIMO should be more than a name that's yelled across the sky before someone jump from a plane. He is trully a legion.


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