Fort Apache (1948)
In John Ford's sombre exploration of THE FETTERMAN MASSACRE OF 1866 mythologising of American heroes... (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: John Ford
Written By: Frank S. Nugent, James Warner Bellah
Starring: Ward Bond, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Guy Kibbee, Victor McLaglen, Mae Marsh, Hank Worden, George O'Brien, John Agar, Shirley Temple, Pedro Armendáriz, Jack Pennick
Genre: Western
Country: USA
Where to Stream
Loading...
Fort Apache belongs to 17 collections
1. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)
2. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
4. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)
5. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)
7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)
8. David Thomson's 1000 Films (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)
9. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)
10. Cinemacom's 500 Best Westerns (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 5 stars)
11. Military (collaborative - 4 stars)
12. Dan Sallitt "red" films (public: Scottathon - 3 stars)
13. father-daughter relationship (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 2 stars)
14. Arizona (collaborative: moderated by Moribunny - 1 star)
15. criticker's underrated (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 1 star)
16. Rewatch & Random (public: ForrestQ)
17. Western watchlist (public: AFlickering)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 1 |  |
MartinTeller | 67 30th |
|
I actually didn't hate this as much as I expected to. Wayne is a far more likeable character than usual, a just and reasonable man without all the macho dick-swinging. And the story is mostly engaging and touches on compelling themes of honor. But the film is still buried in those Ford-isms that bug me so much, and my stomach clenched when Wayne gives his little speech at the end, with "Battle Hymn of the Republic" swelling in the background.
|
|||
| 1 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 74 40th |
|
A solid, good, reasonably enjoyable movie. It's interesting to see Fonda and Wayne reverse types a bit. It was also nice that Ford makes some attempt at adding depth to the soldiers vs indians concept, but he can't fully commit to it, which keeps the film from being something special.
|
|||
| 1 |  |
Bojangles | 40 22nd |
|
There isn't 2 hours of material here, and you spend far too much time having to look at Shirley Temple's shit eating grin. As often is the case with Ford, the real movie is the last 30 or so minutes. And it wouldn't be a John Ford movie if some poor stunt guy didn't get crushed under a horse.
|
|||
| 1 |  |
Icarus | 92 93rd |
|
The first of Ford's calvary trilogy, Fort Apache is based on Bellah's short story, Massacre. It follows the goings on at an outpost in the American west, with Ford especially keen to show the daily rhythms of the post. This yields both comedy and drama; however, the key action sequences come in the final 30 minutes--they are both exhilarating and foreboding. The photography is also top-notch, as the white clouds seem to pop out of the screen and the characters are dwarfed by the rocks and sky.
|
|||
| 1 |  |
billkerwin | 90 83rd |
|
The comedy is broad and forced, but Fonda and Wayne are fine, and the script and direction--particularly in the scene of the non-commissioned officers' dance--make very clear the respect due and the privileges allowed to the various military ranks on a small, tightly knit base. The ending is nuanced, ironic and moving: despite "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the heroic dead are mere imagined reflections on a window, and it is the suicidal martinet who grabs all the glory.
|
|||
| Average Percentile 61.46% from 447 Ratings |  |