Le Massacre de Fort-Apache

Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) travels to Fort Apache with his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) to take over command. Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) is disappointed as he expected to be the new commander. Philadelphia falls for young soldier Shannon O'Rourke despite the disapproval of her class-obsessed father. The Apache are on the war path five years after the peace treaty signed by Cochise. Due to alcoholism and starvation, Cochise had broken the treaty and left the reservation for Mexico.

This is an old style western from legendary director John Ford. Henry Fonda is somewhat miscast as the hard-headed, arrogant commander. John Wayne is the heroic one with the moral high ground. It may be better to switch the two leads. While John Wayne can be either, I don't see Fonda that way. As for the Apache, at least Cochise is played by a Mexican and the natives are shown as proud people. The first half is a bit slow. It has the old western humor and the first battle happens only at the halfway point. The most notable aspect is that the final battle has the sides switched from their standard roles. There is an obvious allusion to a historical event. It has something to say about the glorification of war. This is a western epic.