BROKEN ARROW

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This 1950 Western starring James Stewart and directed by Delmer Daves is a landmark film in terms of its sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans. 

Admittedly the main Native American characters are played by white actors but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

It’s loosely based on real events, mainly the negotiations that ended the Apache Wars.

It is narrated by Stewart who plays Tom Jefford, who played a key role in those negotiations through his friendship with the Apache leader Cochise.

A film about peace negotiations may not sound riveting but it did enough to hold my interest.

It helps of course to have Stewart at the centre as someone weary of killing, and who is prepared to put up with accusations of being a traitor to white Americans, or an ‘Apache-lover’.

There are some action sequences because whilst the negotiations are in progress there’s still a war going on; and even once the peace treaty is signed there are people on both sides who still want to fight.

To add to the dramatic interest Jefford falls in love with and marries a young Apache woman, Sonseeahray, which I don’t imagine actually happened. 

Sonseeahray is played by Debra Paget who was 16 years old at the time, some 24 years younger than Stewart.  (I really must check one day whether this is the maximum age gap between Stewart and his love interest).

Although this romance is a bit silly it does give Cochise the chance to list all the problems a mixed race marriage is going to face, which may have had a resonance with audiences in 1950.

And the romance does lead to a powerful and emotionally satisfying ending.

Cochise is played with quiet dignity by Jeff Chandler, his most famous role, for which he got an Oscar nomination.

All in all everyone connected with the making of this film can give themselves a well deserved pat on the back.

RATING: ✓ Cheers

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