Character actor Joaquin Martinez plays the title role in this pursuit-Western, a story of a fierce Apache war chief who flees a reservation with his comrades, determined to institute a reign of terror. A wet-behind-the-ears Cavalry officer, Lt. DeBuin (Bruce Davison), is put in charge of the pursuit, and while he will have the final say in military matters, he will also need to defer to the judgment of McIntosh (Burt Lancaster), the veteran Indian scout who will be used for tracking. Also along for the ride is an Indian named Ke-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke), and DeBuin will have his doubts as to where Ke-Ni-Tays' loyalty lies.Filmed against some beautiful countryside, this is an overlooked item on the resume of accomplished filmmaker Robert Aldrich, better known for such films as "Kiss Me Deadly", "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", and "The Dirty Dozen". Some viewers may take exception to the portrayal of Indians in this narrative, as most of them are true savages, but director Robert Aldrich and screenwriter Alan Sharp ("Night Moves") make sure to drive home the point that there will be atrocities committed by both sides. The two parties are not really that different. Lending his expert advise and wisdom is McIntosh, who always has something interesting to say to the impassioned but somewhat naive DeBuin. Aldrich and Sharp pull no punches in terms of violence, which would cause them to lose some more audience members. And yet everything plays out with a refreshing lack of sentimentality. The Cavalry endures in their mission, despite the fact that these particular opponents always seem to be more than one step ahead of them.The performances are first-rate, with Lancaster scoring in one of his most matter-of-fact, low key portrayals. Davison is just right in his part. Luke has some scene-stealing moments, especially when he says, "His wife, ugly. My wife, not so ugly." As played by Martinez, Ulzana remains something of an enigma; the character has few major scenes and not much dialogue to utter. Richard Jaeckel, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson, John Pearce, and Richard Bull comprise an excellent supporting cast; among the Cavalrymen are Ted Markland, Nick Cravat, and Richard Farnsworth.Designed as a Vietnam war allegory, the picture does have a clearly stated message warning against demonizing ones' opponents, and plays out in a reasonably realistic fashion. Recommended.Seven out of 10.

I wasn't expecting much from this Western, but I tell you what, it turned out to be a compelling and well written psychological study of two factions attempting to outdo each other in a harsh desert landscape with death a very real possibility for participants of both sides. The story follows a small Cavalry unit dispatched to capture and subdue a raiding war party led by the Apache Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez), whose band escaped from the San Carlos Reservation with stolen horses, and are now spreading death and destruction across the Arizona border landscape.For those of humanistic persuasion, the film places young Lieutenant Harry DeBuin (he's listed in the credits as Garnett, but that name was never mentioned in the story) in charge of the cavalry soldiers, intent on doing his professional duty, but all the while pondering the nature of Apache savagery and how one group of humans can be so vicious in dealing with another. I've read viewer comments stating that this theme makes an allegorical statement about the Vietnam War, but it seems the argument can be made in the present day in discussing radical terrorism and the atrocities of an entity like ISIS. Assigning some non-existent motivation to extremists removed from their very nature does a disservice to those who find themselves in opposition. When it's kill or be killed, it seems like all bets would be off.For me, the most intriguing character in the story turned out to be the cavalry scout Ke-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke), who's discourse on power and how the Apache regards it, allows DeBuin to reevaluate his notions about the Indian way of fighting. Ke-Ni-Tay's advice is further reinforced by civilian guide McIntosh (Lancaster), who chides the young officer with - "You'd be well advised to stop hating and start thinking, Lieutenant, because you ain't doin' too well up to now." Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the story lies in the resolution, with Ke-Ni-Tay in the position of facing a final showdown with the Apache rival Ulzana. It's not an ending I expected in the tradition of your tried and true Western formulas, an outcome that could have gone either way depending on skill and circumstance combined. However in the movie version I saw on the Encore Western Channel, a scene described by reviewer 'documain-1' on this board which concerns the death of Ulzana's son wasn't part of my viewing. In fact, the writer makes note of many such discrepancies that undeniably affect one's understanding of the story as it unfolds, thereby recommending I add my name to the list of those seeking out a director's cut of the movie.

Burt Lancaster did a trio of excellent westerns in the late 70s, including Lawman and Valdez is Coming. Of the three, Ulzana's Raid is the best; it ranks as one of the best and most realistic westerns ever made. It's not for the faint of heart, director Aldrich and screenwriter Alan Sharp make no bones about how brutal and terrifying the Indian wars of the Southwest were on both sides. Lancaster is superb as McIntosh the hard-bitten Indian scout, and is ably supported by old pro Richard Jaeckel and Bruce Davison as callow, inexperienced Lt. DeBuin. If you like westerns and you're a history buff, you'll enjoy this movie immensely. It's very well made and true to history.

Of the many Native American nations, groups and tribes, the Apaches were among the most clever and fierce fighters. They raided with small bands among themselves and against any and all outsiders to gain goods. And they waged war in larger numbers at times with the Mexican government, U.S. Cavalry and other Indian groups. As with other American Indian groups, most movies and stories about the Apaches well into the late 20th century strayed far from the truth. Yet, history does record the almost barbaric savage behavior of some of the Apache groups in the 19th century American Southwest. "Ulzana's Raid" is a film set in the last years of the Apache Wars (1849-1886). Ulzana is the name of an Apache leader during that time, but he wasn't part of any insurrection and he died peacefully on the San Carlos reservation. So, his and other characters of this story are mostly fictitious. What this film does show is the brutality that was displayed at times by some of the Apaches, and some of the Apache culture that is considered barbaric by western culture. It also attests to the cunning, skill and strength of the Apache character in fighting and war. This is certainly one of the very best Westerns ever made that focuses on the cavalry and Indian confrontations. The acting, scenery and directing are all very good. The film gets its "R" rating from the several scenes, however short, that picture the graphic torture and mutilation of bodies. The plot is weak in places. It has some apparent lapses in story development between scenes. And the script is confusing in places, especially in the depiction of two of the characters. The first is Burt Lancaster as McIntosh. In early scenes at Fort Lowell (in present day Tucson, AZ) McIntosh describes the Apaches bitterly as ruthless barbarians out to kill and plunder. He seems clearly to hate the Indians. But, later in the film, he says he doesn't hate the Indians, but he does fear them. The second glaring incongruity of characters in the script is with Bruce Davison as Lt. Garnett DeBuin. He is only six months out of West Point and is given his first "battle" command. His father is a "man of the cloth." Early on DeBuin questions McIntosh and Apache scout Ke-Ni-Tay (played very well by Mexican actor Jorge Luke) about the Indians overall and the Apaches in particular. He is appalled at their brutality, yet he insists that the dead Apaches be buried. He wonders about White men misunderstanding and not knowing the Indians. Then, he says that he hates the Indians. At the start of the film, one senses that this young green Army officer will change his "naïve" views about the Apaches by the film's end. But the script doesn't play out that way, and instead, we have this conflicted character throughout. Toward the end, McIntosh utters a classic line after DeBuin has chastised some troopers for stabbing a dead Indian. "You don't want to think of the white man as being savage like the Apache," he says.