atlasmb
"Run of the Arrow" seems to have noble intentions. It portrays the conflict between the North and South in the Civil War as actually having two sides to it, as opposed to most films that only portray the North as having a moral imperative. It also shows the later conflicts with the Indians with more balance than most westerns, which usually make the Indians out to be heathens who impede the (rightful) progress of the American juggernaut across the continent.Rod Steiger plays O'Meara, a rebel infantryman who hates the Yankees and heads westward at the end of the Civil War. There, he confronts the Sioux who adopt him as one of their own. The story is all about allegiance. Does O'Meara identify more with Americans or Sioux? He hates the U.S. because it symbolizes the demise of the South, but what really is his country?He even marries a Sioux woman, Yellow Moccasin, played by Sara Montiel (dubbed by Angie Dickinson). For an interesting read, check out Montiel's bio; this film was not the highlight of her career.Despite a story that might have been riveting as a Louis Lamour novel, "Run of the Arrow" is plagued by technical glitches (problems with light/dark sections, continuity in a chase scene and regarding the use of flaming arrows, a bad special effect depicting the trail of an arrow) and numerous distractions.I could have done without some of the irrelevant religious symbolism. Did the Indians use so many flaming arrows just because it was more dramatic on film?And the heavy-handed ending is the worst. Wait till you see the written message.
njmollo
If proof was needed that Rod Steiger could be the proverbial ham, then simply watch an early scene from Run of the Arrow (1957) where he talks to his mother about honour. This scene encapsulates everything that was wrong with Steiger as an actor unrestrained by the guiding force of a strong director.Rod Steiger yet again gives us another dodgy accent that sounds like his character spent the American Civil War years vacationing in Pakistan.This is not the first time Steiger has ruined a movie by using his assumed talent for accents. Napoleon comes to mind. I for one, believe Rod Steiger ruined Sergio Leone's Duck, You Sucker (1971) with another irritatingly dodgy accent. Had Eli Wallach been given the role of Juan Miranda as was originally intended, the film could have been regarded as yet another undisputed Leone classic.The problem with Steiger as an actor was that he was uncharismatic. He had no natural charm, so it was hard to empathise with any sympathetic character he played.Rod Steiger's talent was for playing larger than life characters with unpleasant characteristics such as Gilespie in "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) or Komarovsky in "Doctor Zhivago" (1965). Playing a hero and a charming one at that was not within Steigers' range.This film might be the first to use "squibs" but so what? It still used painted-up Caucasians as the featured Indians, so I don't think it was that ahead of its time.This is a terrible movie that becomes unwatchable as soon a Steiger opens his mouth.
dougdoepke
Think Western and Rod Steiger doesn't come to mind. But producer-director Fuller needed a first-rate actor for his complex story. So the New York trained Steiger got the part and is quite good too. Though I don't buy him out-racing the powerfully built Crazy Wolf (Wynant). This is an excellent Western, expertly cast and wonderfully staged. In fact, some of the scenic shots resemble Frederick Remington landscapes. It's also a story of ideas. I like the way writer Fuller prepares us for O'Meara's (Steiger) act of mercy by having him cling to Christian beliefs though every other part of him has become Sioux Indian. Thus, when he shoots Lt. Driscoll (Meeker) to spare him further pain, we understand why. It's also the point at which O'Meara realizes he's inescapably American, Johnny Reb or not. On the other hand, why the Indian girl rashly saves O'Meara is never made clear. The movie's about alienation and belonging, and though I don't agree with all Fuller's points, he does get beyond the Western clichés of the period. Note, for example, how the tribe decides rather democratically whether to accept O'Meara as a Sioux. And though there are the usual plot contrivances to generate action, both peoples are shown as deserving respect.Too bad the movie's so obscure. It's as broad in scope (first-rate locations and large cast, including real Indians), and is more thoughtful than John Ford's celebrated cavalry trilogy. I suspect one reason for the neglect is the unfortunate releasing tangle when the scheduled RKO went suddenly belly-up. The film ended up being released by low-budget Universal who likely dumped it without much promotion; at least, I don't recall any fanfare at the time. Thus, this independent production slipped into underground obscurity. Still and all, Fuller's film can also be seen as an important step on the way to such counter-cultural Westerns as Ulzana's Raid (1972), Little Big Man (1970), and the bloody The Wild Bunch (1969). Nonetheless, significances aside, it's still a darn entertaining movie.
alexandre michel liberman (tmwest)
When Samuel Fuller convinced R.K.O. to make this film they wanted Gary Cooper for the main role. Fuller stated that he wanted a loser, not a hero. Rod Steiger was chosen but Fuller had quite a hard time with him, because Steiger wanted to do the scenes his way. It was quite a battle of personalities. Steiger is a confederate soldier with an Irish accent, who cannot conform to the fact that he lost the war. A man tells him that many like him have gone to South America, but Steiger decides to stay and joins the Sioux, thinking that because they have a common enemy, they are alike. He marries Sarita Montiel,who did not speak much English, so they had to use Angie Dickinson's voice in all her scenes. The Sioux chief is Charles Bronson. Through the film we see the interesting ceremony of the "run of the arrow" a couple of times. The film end abruptly, even though it shows very well its story and the conflicting feelings of Steiger. It could have been a budget cut, but considering Fuller's constant search for originality, both factors counted.
AD
