Robert Aldrich was a director I much admired, directing some of my favorite films: Kiss Me Deadly (1955) – the quintessential Mike Hammer flick – Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964),The Flight of the Phoenix (1965),The Dirty Dozen (1967) and others. Now, after missing it for over thirty years, I can now add this one: as a truly realistic and accurate portrayal of what would have happened in one of many skirmishes during the Indian wars of the late nineteenth century.

This is a mature and sometimes grossly horrific account of what Apaches did to settlers and soldiers, and what soldiers did to Apaches. It pulls no punches in depicting how the marauding band of Apaches eviscerate the dead and play sport with the entrails of victims, how they rape and torture wives of settlers, how they torture the men slowly and most cruelly. But, it also shows how soldiers are driven to perform cowardly, and equally cruel acts when retaliating, in the name of justice.

And caught in the middle of this mayhem is young Lt. DeBruin (Bruce Davison) who's given the task of rounding up Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez) and his band of Apaches who left the reservation, stole some horses and began to lay a path of destruction and death across part of Arizona. Being fresh out from military college, he needs help; and so, the fort commander (Douglass Watson) sends the grizzled Army scout McIntosh (Burt Lancaster) along to provide necessary advice and guidance – together with a company of toughened army veterans kept in check by a weary sergeant (the ever competent Richard Jaeckel). Rounding out the 'posse' is the Apache army scout Ki-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke) who provides the young DeBruin (and the viewer) with insight into the mind of the Apache.

The story resolves to a cat-and-mouse game between Ulzana and his pursuers, each trying to outguess and outmaneuver the other across and through the wide and desolate expanse of the Arizona hills and semi-desert. So, it's as much an entertainment as it is a lesson in the tactics necessary for the soldiers to gain the upper hand. There are some wonderful landscape shots that illustrate just how difficult the task was; and there are moments of sheer brilliance when Aldrich shows Ki-Ni-Tay's on-foot pursuit of one of Ulzana's band, a standout sequence of stealth and suspense.

Throughout all of this McIntosh brings his long experience to bear upon DeBruin's decisions, convincing the lieutenant to set the only trap that would fool Ulzana into making a mistake – McIntosh reiterating many times that "those who make the first mistake" will lose. All too true because things always go wrong with the best laid plans...

Once again, Lancaster shows the master's touch in this role: his crinkly eyes, lined face and quiet voice attesting to a man who's seen it all and who just wants to get a job done and survive another day. Which makes Davison almost perfect as the cherubic – almost angelic – faced neophyte who wants to do well but who also wants to change his world and make it better for all – including the Apache. Such irony...

The only jarring notes were the sometimes-quick cuts (which made me wonder if some scenes had been deleted); and the sometimes-peculiar music sound track that you have to listen to, to understand my point. Otherwise...

Not recommended for children as this film does contain some graphically awful scenes. For all adult fans of the western genre, however, I thoroughly recommend a viewing.

"Ulzana's Raid" is a bit more modern in style than many westerns, as it's bloodier and is a bit more grim than most films in the genre. However, it's not all modern, as there is no trace of the changing attitudes towards the American Indian, as in this film the Apaches are pretty much scum. This tribe takes pleasure in torture, murder and rape--things you won't see in a more modern western...if they made them any more. I am not sure how true this depiction of this particular tribe is true as well as one soldier blowing out his brains after murdering a white woman to prevent them from capturing them. All I know is that this made for a rather depressing film.

Burt Lancaster plays a grizzled old scout. He is experienced in dealing with the Apache. Bruce Davison plays a VERY young and inexperienced Cavalry lieutenant who is in charge of a small expedition that is out to chased down and kill the Apache, Ulzana, and his raiding party. Much of the film consists of desert shots--with soldiers following Ulzana's trail. This is punctuated by period brutal scenes--brutal for 1972, though not all that brutal today.

I noticed that some of the reviewers really liked this film. I found it all to be a bit ponderous and you KNEW how the film would end--only exactly how it got there was in question. An okay western but not among Lancaster's better films.

By the way, although the film is rated R, it probably today would be rated PG-13 or perhaps even PG.

If you remember in the John Wayne classic Hondo, Ward Bond comments to the Duke about how us old scouts have to teach the young shavetail lieutenants like Tom Irish what to do with fighting the Apaches. On just such a mission is army scout Burt Lancaster trying to teach inexperienced young Lieutenant Bruce Davison, give him his baptism of fire so to speak.

Ulzana's Raid is a grim and uncompromising look at the dirty business of what it took to subdue some of the Indian tribes. There's nothing glamorous or noble about it, nor is there any real right or wrong about it. A hunting and gathering society gave way to an agricultural one, the way sociologists have demonstrated since the beginning of recorded history. Naturally the hunters and gatherers didn't like it. In fact they downright resented it.

There's ugliness and cruelty on both sides, but Davison has to learn what it takes to survive. Davison as the idealistic young lieutenant and Lancaster the scout have a good chemistry going. Lancaster is the voice of experience, but Davison is in command and has to keep good military discipline among the troops. He makes mistakes, but Lancaster tells him he has to live with them and learn.

There is a sidebar conflict going as well between a pair of brothers-in- law, Joaquin Martinez in the title role as Ulzana and Jorge Luke as Ken-Ni-Tay the Indian scout with the cavalry. Both these guys are as stoic a pair of Indians as we've ever seen on film. A favorite scene of mine from the film is when Davison tries to find out from Luke why the Apaches do what they do. His answers basically are that tough living in the desert makes them that way, the difference between a society that's already building cities and a hunting and gathering society that's as moral as it can afford to be, especially against invaders.

Ulzana's Raid is one film not for the squeamish. It's cinematography on location in Arizona and Nevada is first rate and Robert Aldrich gets top performances out of his whole cast. Definitely a must for western fans.