This is for me the most racist western of all time. At least, one of the most, because perhaps some are missing in my movie buff memory...It tells the terrific face too face between a racist white man, raised among Indians - Charlton Heston - who HATES Indians to death, and an authentic Indian, raised among white people, in white schools - Jack Palance - who HATES White ones...So their only purpose is to destroy each other. It's exciting at the most, not for the squeamish filled with good intentions. This is really a war monger western. Charlton Heston is here tall, handsome, strong, the authentic hero as American are used to show in their features. But he is a f...racist, and some people in the audiences may be influenced by his feeling about Indians. We can say it's somewhere disgusting. The same thing about Jack Palance. He is tall, handsome, strong, wild, attractive at the most, and he preaches war and destruction for the White people...Get what I mean? Nothing to do with James Stewart and Jeff Chandler in BROKEN ARROW....But, even if it is nasty, it remains a very good feature, a great western. It changes from anti racist or pro Indian ones.And I LOVE being surprised !!!There have been some films with their leads who were racists or bad ones, but the audiences got very quickly that the heroes were actually anti heroes, and they finally understood that they were on the wrong way. The audiences were not confused about that. Those movies denounced racism or something else...Take CROSSFIRE, for example, starring Robert Ryan.But that's for another comment...

As opposed to the politically correct people here, i think this movie portrays the Indian more realistic than the politically correct image will have it. Fact is it wasn't only the white man who broke treaties and peace initiatives. It's not good to show this down the politically correct memory hole. That's why I think this kind of movies are important and should of course be shown on TV. Of course, I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that this movie should be banned like some reviewers have hinted upon.A strong performance by Palance and a fine Heston plus a very interesting storyline makes this one of my favorites.

This is typical Hollywood revisionism with the US Cavery constantly talking about peace and respect for the Apache, while all the Indians want is to kill and destroy. Nonsense. I could never figure out the Charlton Heston character. He plays someone who learned everything he knows from having lived and been raised by the Apaches, yet he hates them with a vengeance, always referring to them in degrading and subhuman terms. At home, however, he has no problem using the beautiful Mexican-Apache laundress (Katy Jurado) as his concubine.Poor Katy Jurado. Only a year away from her pillar 1952 role in 'High Noon,' this doll, with more class and talent in her little finger than most of her female Hollywood contemporaries, can only get offered this role playing a half-breed concubine to a hate-mongering character who insults her at will and doesn't deserve her company. Kind of puts it in perspective why 40 years later we similarly didn't see most of the intelligent kids from 'The Cosby Show' cast in any roles of substance once that non-stereotypical show ended. Maintaining your integrity while remaining employed is a monumental challenge for many in Hollywood. No wonder Katy never relinquished her Mexican citizenship or Mexican movie acting career.The end credits to the movie state that Heston's character is based on the true life of the Army's Chief of Scouts during this period, Al Sieber (1844-1907). If so, it isn't exactly a flattering portrayal. After seeing the movie, I wonder if Sieber's family sued the studio for 'definition' of character. Watch this one only if you've never seen how Hollywood depicted American Indians in the West.

Arrowhead is one of that batch of films that Charlton Heston did between his two DeMille pictures, some good, some mediocre. Arrowhead kind of falls between both categories.It is one of the most uncompromising films in terms of the place of the American Indian. It's point is that the more we get rid of, the more room for the whites. So either pack 'em off to reservations or kill them. At least Charlton Heston's character feels that way.Now there apparently is some justification for Heston's feelings at least as far as this group of Apaches are concerned. He was raised among them and knows them well. And knows that the young warrior prince. Jack Palance, is not going to go quietly off to a reservation.None of which is really explored in the finished product. I have the feeling the editors left a lot of this film on the cutting room floor. Also Heston's relationship with Katy Jurado who acts as a spy while living without benefit of clergy with him is similarly untouched. But for that I blame the Code. What there is is quite daring for its time.The ending is kind of silly also. When he has the drop on Palance, Palance asks Heston why he doesn't shoot him. Good question Jack, I can't figure it out either. More I won't say.The film was shot on location in Texas and done very well. Palance, fresh off the acclaim he received from Shane, has the best role in the film. This is also an early film for Brian Keith and he acquits himself well as a young cavalry officer.But Arrowhead could have been a whole lot better.