Soldados Búfalos

This film may be a tribute to the African American soldiers but at times it is almost racist. All white men are portrayed as evil while all buffalo soldiers are noble. Even the scout is a black Seminole which is not historically accurate as most scouts at this time were recruited from reservation apaches. the movie also has African American soul music playing over some of the scenes. the movie itself is exciting and a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon but it gets bogged down in the trumpeting of the black soldiers as 'nobler' than their white counterparts.

if you want a realistic portrayal of the Apache wars watch 'Ulzana's Raid' with Burt Lancaster or 'The Missing' with Tommy Lee Jones

Overall i found this movie enjoyable but irritating at times. it is full of 1990's political correctness but could do with this being played down a bit.

The story line offered with the movie, "Buffalo Soldiers," starring Danny Glover, describes the film as fact based. With the apparent noble intention of illustrating and informing their audience of the important contributions made by African American soldiers in the invasion, occupation and settlement of the southwestern United States, writers Jonathan Klein and Frank Military weave a tale of Company H, Tenth Cavalry and its attempt to capture an "Apache warrior named Vittorio" who slaughters settlers in New Mexico. Directed by Charles Haid, the film further promises to reveal "the truth about the Indian invaders." "Buffalo Soldiers" is a major disappointment. The great cinematography delivers misinformation at best and definitely sets back the education of the public with its false narrative.

In 1997, I saw this movie and shook my head. Because a number of people have mentioned it to me this year (2012) with praise, I saw it again last week. This time, I was appalled.

Black cavalrymen and infantrymen of Buffalo Soldier fame were well respected by their Indian adversaries. They earned grudging recognition from fellow white soldiers and genuine praise from their white officers. And, they certainly did not commit the repugnant crime purported near the end of the movie. Civil War hero Colonel Grierson was not the wimp portrayed in the movie, nor was he wounded by Indians during his twenty plus years as the commander of the Tenth Cavalry.

Chihenne Chief Victorio (not "Vittorio") is known to scholars as well as buffs. Between 1970 and 1991, authors Eve Ball and Dan Thrapp wrote scholarly and complete volumes about Chief Victorio and why he led his Mimbres Apaches (sometimes called Warm Springs Apaches or Eastern Chiricahua Apaches) in a fourteen month war against the United States. Called America's greatest guerrilla fighter, Victorio was certainly not a Mescalero Apache as he was called in the movie, though a few Mescalero warriors joined his band.

At Rattlesnake Springs in West Texas, the movie makers missed a chance to depict the actual dramatic showdown. It was Grierson versus Victorio. The two generals deployed their troops expertly and with aplomb. That day, Grierson used his Companies A, B, C, G, and H – each a company of Buffalo Soldiers. Find the factual and exciting outcome in readable story form here along with a recommended bibliography for your reading pleasure. https://bobrogers.biz/Page_per_Book/First_Dark.html "Buffalo Soldiers," in addition to being an instrument of misinformation, is a teaching opportunity squandered.

In the post-Civil War world, Texas Rangers track Apache war chief Victorio across the border to the federal New Mexico Territories. Sgt. Washington Wyatt (Danny Glover) leads the all negro US Cavalry H Troop. He arrests the Rangers for trespassing and murder. Commander Gen. Pike looks down on the colored troops and their command abilities. He puts southerner Maj. Robert Carr (Timothy Busfield) in charge despite his unwillingness to lead them. Col. Benjamin Grierson is a more supportive officer. John Horse (Carl Lumbly) is the native guide. Victorio is on the loose and on the attack.

This is an interesting and little told American history. There are compelling stories to be told. It would have been more interesting to have more diverse personalities in the colored troops. They are almost all stoic which leaves the group rather flat. I would also love to see the other side of the story from Victorio's point of view. Of course, that may make it too complicated. This is still a very compelling TV movie.

This dramatization states to shown how bad were those years when the US Army had to kill almost a whole native people whom were the real landowners and were slaughtered and aftermatch deported to some dry reservation, a shame that never the american people will forget, of course a new generation of clean brains shall fix it at least recognition and get back the black hills which the high court given a final descision and put 6 millions dollars to pay the lands, but no one takes the money, they want their lands back and another sacred places to them ,in another point about Buffalo soldiers who deserve more respect from the american people, fine piece of art to shown such atrocities!!

Resume:

First watch: 1998 / How many: 3 / Source: Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7

From the title, I expected a good overview of the Buffalo Soldiers. Instead, we get a drawn out, soap-opera-ish tale of hunting down a single Indian villain. Since I missed the first minute or two of opening credits, this script may have been pure fiction for all I know. As one complaint, there is no mention of John Pershing's (of World War I fame) association with these troops.

As could be expected, the wrongs and conflicts from racism are well set forth. Nonetheless, the Buffalo Soldiers, many ex-slaves, proudly risk their lives and stay in the cavalry by choice.

The acting is commendable, particularly that of Danny Glover as the central character. Some '90s idioms (the 1990s, that is) find their way into the dialog.

Given the title and the general ignorance (myself included) about the Buffalo Soldiers, this tv movie was very disappointing. Surely, these men did a lot more on the frontier than they are credited with here.