Jefe búfalo azul

Interesting, unusual Western to emerge during the genre's heyday given writer/director Fuller's typically uncompromising viewpoint. Starting off on the last day of the American Civil War, it deals with Southerner-of-Irish-descent Rod Steiger's inability to cope with defeat which sends him the way of the Sioux (the renowned Method actor, making a surprising third genre appearance in as many years, brings his customary intensity to the traditional Western canvas). After meeting up with renegade Indian Jay C. Flippen(!) and surviving the titular challenge, he's accepted by the Redskins and even lands himself a squaw (Sarita Montiel aka Mrs. Anthony Mann) and a mute foster-son; the latter is then involved in a startling sequence as, about to drown in quicksand, he's saved by a passing American horse soldier…except that he's rewarded for his good deed by falling headfirst into the slime himself! Steiger's past also comes back to haunt him at this point, with the arrival of the Cavalry (led by sympathetic Brian Keith and nasty Ralph Meeker – the latter was the last man to be shot during the war, by Steiger himself!) who want to build a fort in Sioux territory. Though the Indians (with Charles Bronson as Chief) desire peace, one of their number is a rebel and wages a one-man war against the whites…but Steiger has him do the 'Run Of The Arrow', which is then callously interrupted by Meeker. With Keith murdered by a Sioux arrow, the younger officer takes over command and, obstinately but unwisely, takes the unit further into Indian territory in search of a more strategic point for constructing. As Steiger's entreaty for surrender is rejected, the Cavalry are massacred (quite a violent scene for the time) – but Meeker is kept alive, since awaiting him is the fate allotted to those who willfully obstruct the 'run'. It's here, though, that Steiger draws the line for, whatever his feelings for Meeker personally, he can't bear to see his fellow man tortured: ironically, he uses the bullet he had shot him with originally, kept all along as a token, to end his ordeal. Looking on, Bronson – and, even more so, Montiel (voiced here by Angie Dickinson!) – realize that his place is with the white man after all; a wonderful scene has her throw the U.S. flag at Steiger and bringing him to admit that his home state of Virginia is equally represented on it. The concluding scene, then, has the surviving unit starting off to rejoin its ranks with Steiger (accompanied by his 'family') at the head.

No one ever accused Sam Fuller of being a run-of-the-mill Hollywood dream merchant. Run of the Arrow is fairly typical of the noted director-writer's work, applying his thinking man's approach to a well-established genre; in this case, the western. Touching on the moral conflicts of the Civil War as well as the uneasy truce between the white man and the Native American, the movie centers on a disillusioned Confederate (Rod Steiger)trying to find his place in a world in which he has cast himself as an outsider.

Fuller handles the visuals and the action sequences with as much confidence as the more intimate sequences of Steiger trying to immerse himself into the culture of the Sioux after what he feels is the humiliating defeat of the Confederate forces to the Union. While he lacks is the poetic sweep of a John Ford, Fuller is refreshingly unsentimental and takes pains to establish the subtlety of the characters and their conflicts.

Still, it is by no means a perfect movie, undermined by the dreadful miscasting of Rod Steiger in the starring role. Although a highly skilled actor who has often excelled at portraying multi-dimensional, morally ambiguous characters, Steiger seems out-of-place as a Confederate renegade and his Irish brogue only calls attention to his uneasiness. Fuller barely shows any interest in fleshing out the relationship between Steiger and the Indian squaw he marries, casting a nondescript and unappealing actress for the love interest. But Brian Keith and Ralph Meeker are excellent as the Union officers, one kindly, the other oozing villainy from every pore.

The movie is a natural for fans of adult, upper-scale westerns (a la The Gunfighter, Shane, etc.) while the more action-oriented buffs won't feel entirely left out either.

Confederate soldier Rod O'Meara (Rod Steiger) is bitter following Lee's surrender at Appomattox. He almost takes a shot at Grant. He travels west to escape the Union. He is befriended by a Sioux named Walking Coyote who is returning to his tribe after working for the Americans. The two are captured by Crazy Wolf who leads a band of young warriors. Walking Coyote demands a Run of the Arrow. Crazy Wolf is forced to oblige and O'Meara manages to survive with help from Yellow Moccasin. He is the first man to survive the trial. He joins the tribe and marries Yellow Moccasin. He is assigned to scout for the Americans as they built a new fort. Conflict soon arises and O'Meara is forced to choose a side.

Filmmaker Samuel Fuller is known for low budget B-movies which sometimes gained critical praise. O'Meara may not be an appealing protagonist but he has a point to make. It is a look at the world through the loser's side, both the Confederates and the Sioux. Both groups are in the last days of independence. It's a conflicted film about a conflicted world with conflicted characters. The movie is trying to say something but like O'Meara, the movie is unsure of its own point of view. This is interesting but it leaves me conflicted.

Among the films giving a realistic and three dimensional portrait of the American Indians this item that stars Rod Steiger is curiously overlooked. Run Of The Arrow is a story about Confederate veteran who goes to live among the Sioux after Appomattox.

Like John Wayne's Ethan Edwards from The Searchers, Steiger doesn't believe in surrenders and won't accept the Union victory and domination over the south. But unlike Edwards Steiger's Clay O'Meara has no problem with the Sioux or any other Indians. He goes into their country and after passing a brutal initiation from the Indians with a little bit of help he's accepted into the tribe.

Eventually the Union blue reaches the Sioux country and Steiger is part of the negotiating team and guides the cavalry to land where they will build a fort safe from Indian hunting grounds. Extremists on both sides make the peace impossible, H.M. Wynant for the Sioux and Lieutenant Ralph Meeker for the whites. Eventually Steiger makes a choice and he faces a most uncertain future.

The Indians are nicely played albeit by white players such as Charles Bronson as the chief. Sarita Montiel of the Mexican cinema plays the Indian woman whom Steiger takes in wedlock. Brian Keith has a nice part as a sympathetic army captain. But who I would have liked to see more of are Olive Carey as Steiger's mother and Jay C. Flippen as the philosophical Indian scout who comes back to die among his people. I wish Flippen hadn't died so soon.

A certain kind of cosmic justice is meted out to one of the cast at the conclusion. You'll have to sit and enjoy watching Run Of The Arrow to know what I mean.

This is the story of an ex-confederate Army soldier , circa 1865 , it begins in Palm Sunday , April 9, 1865 Appomatox , Virginia , the last day of the war between the States . During surrender General Lee to the North commanded by General Ulyses S Grant at the end of the Civil War an ex-confederate soldier(Rod Steiger) does his choice , to see the Union killed his brothers , as he changes his life . He flees , meets , understands , joins and eventually becomes a member of a Sioux tribe , engaged in war against the white man . Meanwhile he befriends an Indian scout ex-soldier (J.C.Flippen) , marries an Indian woman (Sara Montiel) and adopts a kid . At the final of the movie is told a particular phrase : ¨The end of this story can only be written by you ¨.

It's an interesting and competent story with images tremendously exciting and tense and powerfully rough-edge moments . It depicts a thought-provoking perspective on the plight of native Americans and with scenes of epic proportions as the manhunt . The intriguing premise fails to satisfy completely but gets breathtaking moments as the human chase and Indian customs . This sometimes too objective film lacks a sense of definitive character undermining its important message . Overacting and distracting performance by Rod Steiger ; boasting a most restrained playing from Brian Keith, Sara Montiel , Charles Bronson and Ralph Meeker . Lively musical score by the classic Victor Young and colorful cinematography by Joseph Biroc who reflects splendidly the gorgeous scenarios.

In this picture Samuel Fuller proved his talent of vision and intelligence . Fuller made various Western as ¨I shot Jesse James(49)¨, ¨The baron of Arizona(50)¨, ¨Forty guns(58)¨, and ¨The meanest men in the West (76)¨ , but his most fluid and strongest work lies in his war films as ¨Steel helmet(51)¨ , ¨Fixed bayonets(52)¨, ¨Hell and high water (55)¨, ¨China gate (57)¨ , ¨Merrill's Marauders (62)¨ and ¨The Big Red One (80)¨. Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching .