When escaped Apache Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez) and his band of warriors break free from the confines of their reservation, they set out on a bloodlust spree to kill homesteaders, and a small group of Calvary soldiers are tasked with capturing or killing Ulzana and his men. The soldiers are led by inexperienced officer Lt. Garnett DeBuin (Bruce Davison), who’s Christian upbringing gives him a naïve understanding of what the Apache are capable of and why. Burt Lancaster is veteran scout McIntosh, whose tired eyes have seen too much killing from both the white man and the Apache, and who foretells of the carnage to come. Apache scout Ke-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke) knows the art of Ulzana’s war and is a man McIntosh trusts, but with the advantage of knowing the territory and how to stealthily move through the rugged terrain, Ulzana and his warriors prove to be formidable enemies. The ensemble performances are authentic with Burt Lancaster’s steely restraint proving to be one of his all-time best.
Garret Mathany discusses Ulzana’s Raid on the New Beverly blog.
