‘Soldier Blue’ is quite a powerful 70s western, depicting how European settlers colonised the mainland and massacred Cheyenne Native Americans.
Starring Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss and Donald Pleasence ‘Solider Blue’ is by no means the definitive historical version of events (the real genocides were a lot worse, and part of a protracted campaign to decimate the entire Native American civilisation), but is still a million miles ahead of the fantasy westerns (i.e. good ole settlers and evil red Injuns’) that were being made up until then.
A commendably uncompromising picture by director Ralph Nelson who doesn’t pull any punches or offer a moments respite: ‘Wounded Knee’ and the 1864 ‘Sand Creek Massacre’ in Colorado, are re-enacted in all their harrowing, blood-soaked shame, whilst the ultra violence is very graphic, even by today’s standards (a terrible scene that stuck with me was the U.S. Cavalry general repeatedly firing point blank at a tied up Native American infant whilst her mother was stripped naked and strung up). Nelson is an underrated director in the grand scheme of things, and I’d definately like to see more from his back catalogue of films.
'Soldier Blue' is a good movie, but may be too realistic for some.
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
so I take it no ones seen this, well it is a very underrated movie.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
I've seen it. Very strong stuff for the time. I don't really remember anything about European settlers though. I thought it was just the US cavalry and the Indians. Definitely worth seeing.
