El último héroe

Tony Curtis as a serious actor was pretty much a joke at the height of his career when he was the darling of the teenyboppers; but he finally delivered an AAA+ role in this gritty and unforgettable saga of "drunken Ira Hayes" --- perhaps the best known World War II soldier after super-hero Audie Murphy. Audie Murphy was the greatest and most decorated soldier of World War II; but all Ira Hayes really did was help a few other men erect the flag at Iwo Jima. How this single act bestowed undeserved and unwanted fame on this fine Puma Indian man, and how this destroyed his life, are the essence of this extraordinary film. This picture knocked me out 45 years ago, a film you never forget.

This movie "The Outsider" was a pleasant surprise from the moment it started, until the very end of it. I thought that Tony Curtis was supurb as "Ira Hayes"...a part I feel should have won him an Acadamy Award Nomation and/or an Oscar. Tony Curtis was able to give the viewer great insight of the pain felt by this misguided Hero. Also, the raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima looked so real...and gave me such a powerful patriotic feeling. This movie does not come around to view very often...and my one wish is that it would be shown more. It was one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.

This is the sad and touching story of Ira Hayes, with a fine acting job by Tony Curtis. Do not expect action scenes with battles and heroics. There is only a brief section that takes place on Iwo Jima;the rest is drama. Some may argue about this or that point of historical accuracy-- with good reason probably--but when all that is done, we're left with just a good drama about a young man who could not cope with the bizarre role of 'national hero' that fate forced upon him. The story is about how events outside his control affected his relationships with friends, family, his community, comrades and his country. We wish life could have turned out better for such a decent man.

The movie itself stands on it's own merits and might be applauded for the telling of this powerful true story, but when other film makers like John Ford had used REAL Native Americans in movies, this was yet another slap in the face to Native Americans .

The movie itself also tended to use Hayes' personal weakness for alcohol to reinforce the belief that ALL Native Americans were prone to alcoholism.

While it is widespread on some reservations...it is because they were forced to live in that environment for decades where they have little do and must fall back on "the public dole"...and suffer the worst economic structure in the U. S.

This movie is long over-due for a re-telling...and the skills of Mr Curtis has nothing to do with my review.

I would love to see it. Just returned from the Doss, Texas reenactment/commemoration of the Battlle of Iwo Jima and Ira Hayes' name figures prominently in it's lore and legend. Tony Curtis should get an Oscar for his lifetime of work in the entertainment industry. His contributions have been huge and by all accounts his portrayal of Hayes is remarkable in its own right. Why has this movie been slighted all these years? And why is this movie so hard to find? Couldn't be because the director has had some troubles; Delbert Mann is Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury's age and was active in directing well into his seventies.... Heck, he directed "Marty" for TV and for the 1955 Academy Award-winning movie; so where is the recognition this film so obviously deserves?