Well Deserved Praise

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It looks bigger than it actually is but this telling of the Custer legend is a fascinating blend of history and histrionics. Many highly talented names are associated with this production to add worthy interest - Robert Siodmak as director, Philip Yordan as producer, Robert Shaw as Custer, Kieron More as Dull Knife (his last feature after becoming a charity worker), Mary Ure as Mrs Custer along with a list of other capable names in support roles. Perhaps this is the story the writers wanted to be closer to the facts? Who can tell any longer where the facts lie in this tale that has been mythicised within history and legend. Producer Yordan certainly has written many notable screenplays for major movies (King of Kings '61 ~ El Cid '61 ~ The Harder They Fall 56' - a long list...) It's also noteworthy for the suggestion that the Indans were pushed beyond endurance by many broken treaties - also that Custer vocally detested machine warfare - putting him at odds with the war ministry and railroad. Maybe it suffers by having been made in Spain? But, it's obvious that budget was certainly lacking for some aspects & the Cinerama widescreen 'effects' at times, were given more than their share of screen time (with the flume ride faring best). Given all this, it still manages to maintain a decent level of curiosity value. A big plus is supplied by Brazilian born/American Composer Bernardo Segall's powerful music score (a now rare and sought after sound track) These themes are marvellously orchestrated and can be (and are) played as melodic military march, descriptive action themes, and equally moving piano and orchestra soliloquy. The movie is a little long (and also exists in a cut version) but there are certainly far worse movies on this subject out there.

SPOILER: Custer of the west has more than its fair share of detractors, generally citing historical inaccuracy, but as entertainment, this film has really got it going on. The remarkable thing about COTW is the character assessment of Custer himself, between the Errol Flynn film of the 40's and this version from the late 60's, the goal posts had been moved to accommodate the hopeless position of the Native-American tribes (not before time!) and the film at least shows 'Yellow hair' questioning his government's policy towards the Indians. Also Custer is not portrayed as a legend so much as a glory hunter who gets the job done, but deplores the new technology brought in to quell (and ultimately destroy) the tribes. The Libby story-line doesn't get in the way of the action, and the relationship between Sherman and Custer is explored more deeply. Other people have commented on Robert Shaw's 'British' accent, but as an Englishman I don't think he sounds at all British, and besides, in 1865 the average US citizen would have sounded a lot more English. I love westerns and this movie is in my top 10, and for all the folks that moan about historical inaccuracy, perhaps you should watch Braveheart, if you want the truth bent out of all proportion

I think I am a member of a minority who found this film enjoyable! I did not notice that the film was filmed in Spain, nor the historical inaccuracies particularly though I watched a documentary once that showed Little Big Horn as a hill. I just took it as an interesting film with some great actors and lovely scenes of swift moving calvary.I believe the film was trying to show the contradictions and sense of unease in doing his duty in Custer's (presumably) complex character through the many scenes; though Robert Ryans irritating scenes were totally superfluous and revealed nothing of Custer as desertion was a capital/flogging offence in any army. Robert Shaw gave a good performance of a taciturn commander searching for glory. As to his English accent that people keep winging about I thought it fairly subdued and after all we do not really know how Custer sounded. Moreover, I will wager these same reviewers did not complain at Gregory Peck portraying an Englishman in films like The 'Guns of Navarone' or that other great American actor (you know who) portraying Sir Thomas More in 'A Man for all Seasons'.........(Robin Hood anyone?) The music is stirring though for the final battle I thought the director must have previously watched The 300 Spartans. The circling indians seemed a tad silly, but for all that a very watchable film.

While other commentators in this forum have found fault with the historicity of the film, including this quote from Gen. Sheridan, and the failure of the producers to faithfully envision the Montana setting with its Spanish locations, those would have been issues overlooked had the picture been better made and the hero better cast. Robert Shaw was a fine actor and he rose above this to make some really good movies (JAWS, THE STING) but he never seemed to catch the essential charm that Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn brought to his characterization thirty years before. I'm not especially disappointed when Hollywood twists history to tell a great story as long as it's filled with action, well acted and artfully staged. But there was so much about this film that fell flat. Some action sequences were pretty good, like the log flume flight by the soldier, the railroad car's attack by Indians and subsequent fate after being uncoupled, the town being razed, the miners in the runaway wagon. These were well done and suspenseful and some I've never seen before in quite the way they were done. Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't make up for these best parts. The romantic scenes are a poor imitation of those done by Errol and Olivia in THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON and the climactic battle is almost boring compared to the one with Flynn. Akira Kurosawa was approached about making this picture and he could have done better certainly. But with the actors he would have had and with the production budget with which he'd been hamstrung, it might have been one of the worst pictures of his career. He was wise to turn away from it. Unless you're a western aficionado like yours truly, you'd be wise to follow suit. Dale Roloff