Soldier Blue

Middling if enjoyable paraphrase of THE AFRICAN QUEEN (with an anachronistically 'modern' performance from Bergen) fatally torpedoed by tasteless and putrid opening and closing scenes of repellent violence and warfare. Attempts to out-wild THE WILD BUNCH would be laughable if not so horrific as presented, especially as an attempt to shed light on a fairly sorry chapter of American history. Competently made otherwise, but irredeemable for its flaws.

The way it plays out for the most part is kind of light-hearted drama with some comedy. The violence portrayed doesn't seem that horrific as watching it today, we've seen a lot worse portrayed in movies. The ending is very heavy and surprisingly horrific, though, and it's what really made this movie for me. Surprising for its time!

dated, but still provocative. don't watch the edited version.

Slotkin studies from the era of Little Big Man. Too bad soldier blue is played by Peter Strauss and not Dustin Hoffman.

Graphic for its time.

holy shit. what a way to end a movie, right?

The middle section with the two terrible leads is almost unforgivable bad. But the anti-western ending brings it home, and that alone makes it an important entry in the history of westerns.

One of the most extreme westerns that I've seen. 1st attack scene is graphic, but doesn't prepare you for the gory mayhem of the finale; not even children or horses are safe. It comes as a surprise as it spends most of the running time being an odd couple / western road movie. The film suffers a bit from the heavy handed message / Vietnam allegory and leaves a taste that it's been constructed to shock you. It's technical competence and the way it smashes genre conventions can't still be denied.