weezeralfalfa This may sound strange, but, in some ways , this reminds me of Gregory Peck's much earlier and better remembered role in "The Yearling". Again, Peck is living in a primitive region, with a largely silent wife or woman companion and her half grown son. Of course, there are major differences. Here, the son is not his, and they don't understand each other's language., and the boy has divided loyalties toward his runaway mother and his brutal Apache father. The challenges are also quite different. Here, it's primarily a sandstorm, then several encounters with the woman's murderous husband, come to reclaim his son and perhaps wife. But, in the end, the family emerges stronger in their commitments to each other, having survived these challenges together....To some extent, this screenplay also reminds me of "Will Penny", as some others have mentioned.Eva Marie Saint, as Sarah, plays a very atypical European captive of the AZ Apache. She was captured as a married woman, traveling with her husband and several small boys, apparently as a single wagon. The husband and boys were killed, while she was spared, perhaps because of her blond hair and fair complexion. However, evidently she has been treated harshly during the intervening 10 years, causing her to shrink into the background and be minimally conversant when offered a chance at repatriation by a cavalry group, who discover her situation. Historically, she is very unusual, in that usually mature captured European women, especially with children, were raped and killed or occasionally kept for barter, by Native Americans of the Great Plains and Southwest. In contrast, captured children were often treated well, in hopes they would become loyal adult members of the tribe. Sarah is also unusual in that, when presented with the possibility of repatriation into European society after such a long absence, she is hesitantly enthusiastic, rather than fearful, and wants to bring her son with her. Apparently, this is because of the abusive treatment she has received from her husband and perhaps others. Sarah is also unusual in that captives who had spent some years living without contact with Europeans usually had forgotten nearly all their native language. Also, repatriated captives, especially women who had born children, were typically shunned as 'damaged goods'. Her Apache husband, by word of mouth, is portrayed as an unlikely superhuman: killing everyone by himself, at the isolated stage and train stations through which, Peck, Sarah and the boy passed, before trailing them to Peck's cabin in NW New Mexico.(How did he know where they were going or how to get there, especially since they traveled by train part way??.)Clearly, Sarah knew she was taking a big risk in bringing her son with her. Clearly, her son has divided loyalties toward her and his father, attempting to run away twice, once toward his father when he shows up outside Peck's cabin. She hoped she would obtain sufficient protective transport to some unknown destination beyond the practical reach of her husband. Like Peck's character, I don't understand why she didn't wait a few days to accompany the cavalry, rather than pressuring Peck alone to accompany her on an immediate flight toward public transport. Then, at the stage station, why did she accept Peck's suggestion that she change her destination from Topeka, KS: presumably beyond the range for her husband to find her, to Peck's isolated cabin in nearby NM, which might be within the practical range for her husband to find her? Yes, I understand that she had no idea how she might survive in Topeka or anywhere else, and that Peck seemed a kindly man, who offered an immediate home for her, but at the risk of endangering all their lives.In contrast to some of the other reviewers here, this film does not generally receive enthusiastic reviews from the professional reviewers, who complain it's too slow paced and lacking in action, except in the last part. Certainly , those who like fast action westerns , with bits of comedy and social gatherings thrown in, are advised to skip this one. On the other hand, Eva does as excellent job portraying a woman in a bad situation, who is confused what to do for her future and that of her son. The relationship between her, her son and Peck is realistically portrayed as initially rocky, but promising. In the parting scene, Peck is suffering from 2 serious gunshot wounds, as well as the loss of his 2 farm hands. In addition, Sarah presumably is still recovering from the severe beating by her husband. Thus, in the short run, they are in bad shape for running the farm/ranch, and Peck may well die soon of his wounds. But the mood implication is that he will recover.The rugged desert canyon scenery of southern Nevada, and Sonora, Mexico, enhances the feeling of isolation and danger from an unseen lurking enemy, as well as being interesting to the viewer.

ma-cortes Unusual Western deals with a veteran cavalry scout named Sam Varner( a magnificent Gregory Peck) ready to retire to a farm in New Mexico who takes pity and protects a white woman named Sarah Carver (Eva Marie Saint , the unforgettable starring of ¨On the waterfront¨) and her half-breed son (Clay) recently rescued and have been captives from Indians for ten years . He agrees to help them and learn that the woman 's Indian husband nicknamed ¨Savage¨ is hunting them down . The Savage is an avenger and killer Apache and sooner or later a final grisly confrontation is almost inevitable.This interesting Western contains action , thrills, intrigue , being ravishingly photographed and carefully made . Sensational performance by Gregory Peck plays a mature army scout attempting to save a women rescued and his Indian son from a marauding and feared father . Enjoyable appearance from Robert Foster as scout friend who teaches the little boy to count by means of the rules of poker . Ample support cast in brief acting as Charles Tyner , Joaquin Martinez , James Olson , Frank Silvera , Richard Bull and uncredited Richard Farnsworth , among others . In its initial exhibition the picture had average reviews , accused as racist and failed at the box office ; however , today is best considered with rave critical . It's an offbeat Western/drama/thriller from same tandem , Alan J Pakula-Alvin Sargent-Robert Mulligan who made ¨To kill a mockingbird¨ . Colorful cinematography showing spectacular outdoors by Charles Lang who long time ago won Oscar for his cinematography on ¨A farewell to arms(1933)¨. This motion picture with skeletal plot is well directed by Robert Mulligan , a filmmaker more specialist in human drama and with sure touch in the interior scenes . Mulligan has been out-stripped in reputation by his one time partner/producer Alan J Pacula . Mulligan directed good dramas as ¨A great impostor¨, ¨Love with the proper stranger¨, ¨Inside Daisy Clover¨ and ¨Summer of 42¨ that was extremely successful . His last works as ¨Blood Brothers¨ , ¨Same time next year¨ , ¨Kiss me goodbye¨ , ¨Clara's heart¨ failed to bring the required response from the cinema-goers public . Rating . Above average , worthwhile watching .

Robert J. Maxwell Robert Mulligan, the director, handled this tale of revenge adroitly. It's Indians on the warpath again but this time the motive is reversed. Gregory Peck is a scout for the U. S. Army that has defeated the Apache and liberated one of his white captive wives, Saint, and their son.Peck's last assignment is to see that Saint and the boy are sent back East. The cavalry rides off, leaving Peck to buy the freed captives a railroad ticket to safety but there are problems. One is that Saint has been a captive so long that she no longer has any family or friends to return to. Another is that Saint and her son have a tendency to sit as still and quietly as a couple of Polynesian tikis. What's a man to do? Peck is a tough, seasoned Westerner himself and not given to sympathy or palaver but he can't bring himself to pack his companions off to nowhere. So he invites them to join him at his cabin in New Mexico, now being tended only by a surly old man. Saint and the boy have learned to do what they're told. They're joined at the cabin by Robert Forster, a fellow ex scout.There's an amusing scene when Saint has cleaned up the filthy cabin and prepared the first evening meal. She and the boy sit against the wall, watching Peck try to eat, wordlessly and without moving. Uncomfortable in the silence, Peck tells them to sit at the table. They obey but continue to simply sit and watch him. Uneasy, but trying to maintain his dignity, Peck explains to them that it's perfectly alright to speak at the table. In fact, they can say anything they like. He tries to prompt them by giving them examples but all he can think of is, "Pass the peas," and "Gimme the salt." It's funnier than it sounds when I describe it and it's the kind of comedy Peck handles well, with wary understatement. He's no good at pratfalls and wisecracks.Another problem soon arises. The Apache leader, the father of Saint's son, is a real mean mother and is determined to recapture his son. They know he's coming because he's killing his way across two states.Mulligan does a fine job of ratcheting up the tension. The Apache, Salvaje, is like a weasel or ferret. The camera can't do more than catch an occasional glimpse of him. He's as much a part of the landscape as the pinion and juniper trees. And the director sometimes undercranks the camera so that Salvaje seems to be leaping about behind rocks like an antelope. He kills an entire neighboring Mexican family. He kills the old man who tended the cabin, and the dog as well. He kills the half-breed Forster, whom we've come to like. It all leads to a final bloody battle between Peck and Salvaje, at the end of which the Apache, perforated numerous times, collapses on top of the exhausted Peck. Salvaje's bear-skin poncho is about all we see of his body -- never his painted face -- so that he like a large brutish animal of the forest.Nice photography adds to the enjoyment. Fred Karlin's main theme is borrowed from Ennio Morricone, with its whimsical lilt and its whistle. But that's over and done with soon enough and the score that follows is like someone bowing a dissonant chord across brass wires.Peck wears a queer hat and carries an old Henry repeating rifle. It looks more ominous than it actually was. Happily, they didn't cast a cute, buck-toothed kid as the son of Saint and Salvaje. He has a pinched nose and looks sullen, as he should.Nicely done, for what it is.

RanchoTuVu A tense, fairly realistic, and mature western from 1968, when the genre was on the way to near oblivion, only to be saved now and then by the likes of Peckinpah and Eastwood. Unfortunately, this film is not so well known and has been unfairly characterized as plodding and slow. It definitely has a degree of introspectiveness to it, but their is a gem of a pursuit story. The film does its best not to sugarcoat the west. The locales and people are pretty impressive for their gritty primitiveness and overall authenticity. The central story about a fierce Apache warrior who's waging his own brutal campaign to kill as many whites as he can, chasing the white woman who was his wife and the mother of his son, while an ageing army scout does his best to protect them is framed by some pretty awesome photography of blinding sandstorms, thick vegetation, and lots of rocky cliffs and a fine score.