New Mexico

"New Mexico" is a definite western of the 1950s. Up until the 1950s, most westerns either never mentioned the natives or they were shown as mindless savages. However, in the 50s, filmmakers began showing them more sympathetically...no longer killers, but people.

The film begins with a prologue with President Lincoln visiting the west in 1860 (I am pretty sure this never occurred) and affirming his commitment to the natives. Then the film skips ahead a few years.... Lincoln is dead* and it's back to the same place out west. However, instead of honoring the President's commitments, the new cavalry leader deliberately stirs up the Indians by his insensitive actions. Soon, the natives attack...killing him and leaving Captain Hunt (Lew Ayers) in charge. Hunt is determined to find the Indian leader and come up with some compromise....but as the story progresses it's obvious this is not gonna happen.

This is a decent film but I am sure some will hate the ending, which is very dark and unusual. I didn't mind it, as I must have seen 302,003 other westerns over the years....and at least this made "New Mexico" different. Not a brilliant film....but worth your time....as well as being unusual since you'd never expect Lew Ayers in a western.

*To show that Lincoln was killed, you see a closeup of a firing revolver. While mistakes with guns are common, I was surprised with this one because John Wilkes Booth's weapon was a tiny Derringer....which looks absolutely nothing like a revolver. A bit sloppy...but no major deal.

The movie centers on a strong clear plot structure strongly defined in the beginning. The story progresses to a seige, where pure character takes over the plot as the main element that defines the fine quality of this movie. For some reason I did not know at the time, I loved this movie as a child. Later in theater I learned the quality aspects that New Mexico writers and actors used. I wish it was available in DVD or VHS.

Too many broken promises to the Indians, and prisoners gunned down at the orders of cavalry colonel Walter Greaza. Indian chief Ted de Corsia tells Captain Lew Ayres their friendship ended. After his men kill Greaves, it's up to Ayres to make peace or die trying.

United Artists had done its share of B westerns, of course, but the times were changing, and they were upgrading into the Shaky A western, with a fine cast including Marilyn Maxwell, Andy Devine and Jeff Corey. More, they were handling a real theme here, the theme of revenge and its futility, and doing so rather brutally and cinematically. Unhappily, the print was rather muddy, but director Irving Reis was clearly a man who was scheduled to go places. He had started out directing RKO B movies, but had had a hit with THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER; the movie after this would be the well regarded THE FOUR-POSTER. Alas, he would die in 1953 at the age of 47.

The great cast here, including Ayers, Maxwell, Divine, and Conried cannot save this predictable and routine Western effort. All the stereo-types are here, the fallen woman, the honor-bound Cavalry Captain and comic relief, but none of it seems to work well. The ending attempts to be different, but by that time the viewer could not care less.

Good concept and execution overall - my DVD (Alpha Home Video) ran 77 minutes in B & W. Color would've made a big difference. Still, the characterizations of the lead characters were good for most, and the general plot execution held together well.

The filming locations around Gallup and Acoma NM echo Monument Valley. The focus on the legendary Acoma Pueblo (aka Sky City) in western New Mexico seemed to be accurate; the mesa-top village (in miniature long shots) was pretty well done as were the cliffside scenes of attack and desperate defense. Unclear how much fighting was actually filmed at Acoma proper, as it is a sacred site.

Normally it was the Acomas defending the mesa and village, rather than trying to assault troops on the mesa from below. *The Spanish had laid siege to Acoma Pueblo as far back as the 16th Century.

A note on the mysterious "Lincoln Canes." These were indeed provided to a number of tribes and pueblos, engraved "1863" and "A. Lincoln." They were a respectful recognition of tribal identity and sovereignty - just do a search for Lincoln Canes. Clearly the film is correctly alluding to an act of great significance to the Native tribes, while taking some license with the actual event. That's Hollywood...