What do you get when you have a cast of predominantly white actors and a 44-gallon drum of spray-tan? That’s right, Robert Aldrich’s classic western, Apache, starring Burt Lancaster as the titular figure, which was among the Blu-ray titles that capped off 2025 for Eureka Entertainment.
There’s a hilarious line in The Three Amigos when Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short as the titular trio, enter a Mexican bar and politely approach the bartender, to which Martin states, “Ah, excuse us, we’re not Mexicans. We’re from out of town.” This level of obviousness, I think, perfectly sums up the casting of Apache. However, despite the surface cringe of this classic, the story it tells isn’t in poor taste and makes a valid point about the forced relocation of American Indians to designated reservations.
Burt Lancaster is Aan pache warrior, Massai, who refuses to be resettled to an unfamiliar land, wishing to live a life of freedom, true to his culture. He fights against the pacification of his people, many of whom have been broken and left in the grip of alcoholism. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to like Massai, whose malcontent walks a fine line between hero and villain, altering the tone of the film. He’s not the noble figure we’re expected to get behind, but his white oppressors are despicable human beings for the most part.
Classic Hollywood was undoubtedly shortsighted when it came to portraying Natives, and this title is far from the industry’s finest hour, but despite the glaring issues, I dare say the film is well-intended and not out to offend anyone. Lancaster, while certainly built physically for the part, manages to invite suspension of disbelief. Although his trademark manner of speaking still stands out.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring original poster artwork (2000 copies)
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on Apache by Western scholar Jenny Barrett and film writer Richard Combs (2000 copies)
- The Story of Massai – new interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western
- The Last Sunset in Vera Cruz – new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Robert Aldrich and the Western
- Original theatrical trailer
Much like Eureka’s previous release of Rio Lobo, the two featurettes complement the film while educating the viewer on the sphere of contribution that Robert Aldrich made to the western genre. The Story of Massai is an informative run-through of Native American characters on film and more of their plight against the white man and how many of the stories mirror the social climate of the time.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
Apache is yet another Technicolor marvel from the 1950s and is probably one of the best examples of the colour format or grading from the period. There’s honestly no fault with the image whatsoever, which has great texture and sharpness, and the uncompressed original mono track is just as rich as the film itself. Optical English HOH subtitles are included.
If you’re watching Apache simply as your run-of-the-mill western, it works, and is a brisk 91 minutes as we trek across the frontier with our protagonist, who’s basically a fugitive, making love and war on a journey towards peace.
APACHE
(1954, director: Robert Aldrich)
★★★½
direct blu-ray screen captures
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