Review of Soldier Blue (1970) by Stuart K — 06 Feb 2015
Directed by Ralph Nelson, (Duel at Diablo (1966), Charly (1968) and ...tick...tick...tick... (1970)), this is one of the most violent westerns you will ever see, not even the films of Peckinpah and Leone had this much violence on display, and the worst horror of all is that all of it is true.
Documented in the book Arrow in the Sun by Theodore V. Olsen, which was the basis for this tough western. Set in 1874, somewhere in the Colorado territory, a young woman Cresta Lee (Candice Bergen), and young U.
S. private Honus Gent (Peter Strauss), end up trying to survive when their group is massacred by a band of vicious Cheyenne. However, Lee lived with Cheyenne Indians for two years, and she is able to talk to them to ensure she and Gent get a safe passage back to Fort Reunion.
Much to her horror, she learns that Colonel Iverson (John Anderson) is planning on attacking a peaceful Cheyenne village as way of retaliation for the massacre earlier, Lee travels to the village to warn the Cheyenne, what follows is the Sand Creek massacre.
How can America sleep at night knowing this went on in their own country, against people who never wanted to hurt them? There were illegal immigrants in America back then, and it wasn't the native Indians.
America and indeed the rest of the world could learn from this film, and think twice before they go declaring wars willy-nilly.
This review of Soldier Blue (1970) was written by Stuart K on 06 Feb 2015.
Soldier Blue has generally received positive reviews.
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