Review of Fort Apache (1948) by Scott K — 18 May 2008

This film stars Henry Fonda as Lt. Col. Owen Thursday. His daughter, Philadelphia, is played by Shirley Temple. John Wayne rounds out the cast as Capt. Kirby York.

This film is not a typical calvary vs the Indians story. Although it has that aspect to it, it is much more a film about the workings of the U.S. military. One can draw parallels between the events in the film and the modern day pursuits of the American military. Thursday's leadership is similar to that of many of today's leaders. The military's response to the outcome of his decisions show that there has been a public relations aspect to war for a very long time.

John Ford does an excellent job of directing the picture and he gets good performances out of Fonda and Wayne. Although Cochise was a real Apache leader, the events in this film are fictional. Ford uses these fictional events to show the plight of the Apache people and the culture of the military. The film certainly isn't politically correct, with it's constant references to "savages" but it is an effective piece of filmmaking for its time.

Ford directed Wayne many times and while I prefer "Stagecoach" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" to this film, this is a Western worth checking out.