The film, from 1993, is a powerful, beautifully filmed and very authentic feeling story about the last great Native American warrior to fight the usurpation by the white man of his lands. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. View production, box office, & company info. "[9]:23, An original draft of the script included scenes with Mrs. Gatewood, but these were cut out for budgetary reasons. The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. They knew them and understood that what was happening was a tragedy. Whilst the detail of the screenplay is fictionalised, the main facts of the story about Geronimo and his Chiricahua Apache is essentially correct and the characters real. Geronimo: An American Legend is a 1993 Biographical Western starring Wes Studi as the legendary Apache leader. Geronimo: An American Legend is a 1993 historical western film starring Wes Studi, Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, and Matt Damon in an early role. "[15], "I don't think I ever had a movie where I was so concerned about trying to be fair", said Hill. All available British streaming sites, free and paid, to watch Geronimo: An American Legend online, with English subtitles, the full film. IMDb Score: NextFilm Score: theMovieDB Score: Share This Film: Tweet "A Warrior. He had himself driven around for a while as he raged abot [sic] the sheer awfulness of the movie. (1993). [8] Larry Gross wrote a diary on the filming of Geronimo. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers. When the script got active again last fall, there was no question that we would have an Indian actor in the lead. Milius said he thought the script was changed because "We don't want to see our heroes getting drunk and running off. Search for "Geronimo: An American Legend" on Amazon.com, Title: [15]. Executive producer, Michael S. Glick. Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA Moab, Utah, USA Kayenta, Arizona, USA Monument Valley, Arizona, USA [10] It was produced by Norman Jewison who said "We`ve got a subject whose life was full enough to warrant several films. The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people. "[14], For instance, the script used the Turkey Creek massacre as the reason for Geronimo going off the reservation when it happened five years earlier. [27], On 17 December 1993 Gross wrote in his diary that "the opening numbers are not good and I feel the dull roar of Geronimo not making money at the box office. A 1993 historical western movie directed by Walter Hill, starring Wes Studi as Geronimo before his surrender to First Lt. Gatewood in 1886.. An American legend comes to breathtaking life in this explosive epic Western starring Jason Patric, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, and Wes Studi as Geronimo. Their art was war. They both feared him and liked him. [12], In 1992 the movie was transferred from Carolco to Columbia. "[10], "Movies tend to develop a life of their own", added Hill. But I didn't. Written by As another reviewer pointed out, I noticed a few homages to the Magnificent Seven and Ulzana's Raid. Wes Studi, Q’orianka Kilcher Join ‘Canyon Del Muerto’ (Exclusive), Governors Awards this Sunday: Honorary Oscars going to Geena Davis, David Lynch, Wes Studi, Lina Wertmuller, Academy Honors Wes Studi, Geena Davis, David Lynch and Lina Wertmuller With Honorary Oscar. "He was one of the top Indian scouts and an interesting enough guy that you could do a whole movie about him, because he could out-track, out-scout, out-ride and out-hunt most Indians. [10], The film's narrator, Second Lt. Britton Davis, was a real officer who participated in these events. In this movie, you try to valorize both sides. His instincts will serve him. Geronimo surrenders to Crook but later escapes, taking half of the reservation with him. This story of epic courage and grace is a remarkable window on Native American life and the early years of the last and most feared Apache War Chief. The film was shot in Utah, Tucson, Arizona, and Culver City, California. They stop at a bar but there are bounty hunters there and they threaten to kill Chato for money which results in a shootout in which Sieber is shot and mortally wounded. He was working on it in 1989. Gatewood is transferred to a remote garrison in North Wyoming while Davis resigns from the army and Chato is shipped off to Florida with the rest of the renegades. "[32], "Q&A With Wes Studi : 'I Came Into the Business at the Right Time, "Wes 'Geronimo' Studi Wary Of Political Correctness", "Geronimo, Still With a Few Rough Edges: It's Still Geronimo, But With Edges", "The Right Geronimo? The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. `Mrs. Doubtfire,' `Schindler's List' also do well", Britton Davis, "The Truth About Geronimo", 1929, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo:_An_American_Legend&oldid=1001568443, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 January 2021, at 07:36. The next day Gatewood, Sieber, Davis and Apache Chato come across some slaughtered Indians. The audience doesn't go to a movie for a history lesson; it wants entertainment. "But we're not telling the story of the spiritual Sioux", wrote Gross. "No, it's not accurate", admitted Hill. "[9]:24, The character of Sieber was meant to ride off into the sunset at the end of the movie but during filming Hill felt that the running time was going to be too long and so decided to kill off the character. The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people. Geronimo: An American Legend "[6], Eventually Geronimo was selected. 1 ... After all, Geronimo is his Spanish name as this film reveals. The landscapes and skyscapes are really beautiful. A Milius script that was filmed was his biopic of Geronimo, Geronimo: An American Legend, for Walter Hill. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Then he pulled himself together and went back to the premiere. Directed by Walter Hill. This had been a recurring pattern. "The last time he broke off the reservations. The film was shot in Utah, Tucson, Arizona, and Culver City, California. ‘Geronimo’ was filmed largely in Utah and Arizona, and it provides stunning vistas of sandstone mesas and barren canyon country. Where to watch Geronimo: An American Legend in the UK? Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers, and one in particular, Geronimo, is restless. John Milius - Wikipedia He is known for his roles in films such as The Lost Boys, Rush, Sleepers, Geronimo: An American Legend, Your Friends & Neighbors, Narc, The … He said, "The first thing I heard was, 'Why can't we have X or Y Caucasian put on makeup and play Geronimo? I thought that would be more accurate. "We're telling the story of the Apache; the Spartans, not the Athenians. Gatewood, Sieber, Davis and a group of soldiers set out to capture Geronimo. [12] (Other Westerns which would come out around this time included Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, The Quick and the Dead, Bad Girls, Maverick and Lightning Jack. In 1880s Arizona, General Crook and his troops are trying to subdue the last tribe of Apache led by Geronimo. He was a troublemaker and I understand that. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. The film also stars Jason Patric, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Matt Damon, and Pato Hoffmann.. "[9]:24, Gross says there was some concerns from the studio that the Indians were not sympathetic enough. Genre: History, Action, Drama, Western; Studio: Columbia Pictures; Widescreen | Duration: 0 Mins; Overview: Western adventure starring Jason Patric and Wes Studi. Gatewood, Davis and Chato carry on to capture Geronimo. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. Film Profile: Geronimo: An American Legend - (1993) Click to enlarge. Jason's potential is so enormous that it is frustrating not to have full, unstopped access to it. Film, Drama. However it did not include Davis's personal assessment of Geronimo: "This Indian was a thoroughly vicious, intractable and treacherous man. Everybody talked about how boring it was. [9]:22, "I like Geronimo just as he was, a human predator", said Milius. [9]:24, Gross says that Walter Hill put a dance scene in the movie because John Ford once gave him advice, "you have to put songs and musical numbers in these things. That came out of my reading of historical accounts, and realizing that so much of what we think we know about the Indian campaigns is wrong. The adventures of a drifter turned illegal prize-fighter during the Depression Era in New Orleans. The film loosely follows the events leading up to the surrender of Geronimo in 1886. Despite minor examples of the invariable desire of film-makers to embellish events (Al Sieber in fact died years later when a rock rolled on him while he was clearing a road) this is as close as you'll get to a historically and visually accurate movie account of the pursuit of Geronimo. "[21], The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound (Chris Carpenter, Doug Hemphill, Bill W. Benton and Lee Orloff). We want to see them as wonderful freedom fighters. The name we can't but help invoke in comparison is Brando. At the same time you're trying to make it a theatrical two-hour movie. It is a fictionalized account of the Apache Wars and how First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood convinced Apache leader Geronimo to surrender in 1886. It is an excellent movie for U.S. History classes and stars Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Wes Studi, and a very young Matt Damon. "[9]:22 He was cast in February 1993. [18] Gross says the scene where Sieber runs into the bounty hunters were Hill's homage to Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian. It was hard to see how the studio ever expected to make its money back – and it didn't come close. On 9 May, Gross wrote that "Walter has some leeriness about Jason Patric's proclivity for a lot of takes." Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. [17] Under the deal, Duvall's production company, Butcher's Run Films, signed an arrangement with Columbia. "The conception was you make the film from the last time he came in and broke off and was sent away", he said. The film, from 1993, is a powerful, beautifully filmed and very authentic feeling story about the last great Native American warrior to fight the usurpation by the white man of his lands. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. Worldwide Worldwide. Produced by Hill, Canton. The action scenes are gritty and well filmed, and the story is thoughtful and compassionate, as well as being exciting. A Legend." The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people. Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) - Sony Columbia Region 2 Import Jason Patric. "With this kind of tobacco look that we use – I used tobacco filters a lot – I thought that it might seem like you were watching something that was actually taking place 100 years ago." Directed by Hill. A veteran cowboy and his nephew save five Chinese girls from prostitution while trekking from Oregon to Wyoming. "[14], Wes Studi was cast in the lead after impressing in The Last of the Mohicans (1992). I said, 'You can't do that.' The Army is generally depicted as the enemy of the Apache, but in many cases, the people who were most sympathetic to their plight were those soldiers. I thought he made a really great classic Western and America just wasn't worthy of the privilege. They wouldn't think of having a Caucasian actor play a black leader. If you want to continue to explore the fascinating world of "WandaVision," we have you covered with some inspired recommendations. The more we found out, the more interesting the story became. "[9]:22, The part of Al Sieber was expanded when Robert Duvall was cast in the role. [10], "Geronimo was a man who saw the history of his people wiped out", added Milius. "[9]:25, The film was a box office bomb, earning only $18 million on a $35 million budget . Whilst the detail of the screenplay is fictionalised, the main facts of the story about Geronimo and his Chiricahua Apache is essentially correct and the characters real. On 27 April 1993, Gross wrote in his diary, "more than any movie Walter has done in the 11 years I've known him, and certainly more than on our three previous films together, he not only knows how to make this film, but is including far more of himself – his heart and soul and his convictions about life, so to speak. Rob Hartill. The film, from 1993, is a powerful, beautifully filmed and very authentic feeling story about the last great Native American warrior to fight the usurpation by the white man of his lands. His only redeeming traits were courage and determination. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. At the same time you have to be rigorous enough to say that both sides did terrible things; they did heroic things, they did terrible things. "[11], Hill said the title of the film should have been The Geronimo War. Filming locations in Utah include Professor Valley, Onion Creek, Potash, Dead Horse Point, Needles Overlook, Bates Ranch, Lawson Ranch, and Ruby Ranch Road. Use the HTML below. Was this review helpful to you? After being double crossed and thrown in jail, a deformed gangster gets a new face and rehabilitation, but his desire for revenge looms. Geronimo: An American Legend recounts the proud history of the famous Apache warrior who refused to accept the destruction of his people and, through his resistance and bravery, earned the respect of those he fought against. The film, which was directed by Walter Hill, is based on a screenplay by John Milius. Is the film directed by streaming on Netflix UK, Prime Video, Sky or Now TV? The narration uses many quotations from Davis that featured in his memoir, like his description of the endless search for Geronimo's camp: "At times it seemed we were chasing a spirit more than a man." The following weapons were used in the film Geronimo: An American Legend: It's a film about. Geronimo lost $40 million – far more than Last Action Hero – without a fraction of the fanfare. "[9]:22 Gross added that "I think his inclinations and dispositions match the story and the material. : Native Americans call Walter Hill's 'Geronimo' the most honest look yet at the feared Apache leader, but the director is not so sure", Jon Zelazny, 'Kicking Ass with Walter Hill', The Hollywood Interview, 8 Sept 2009 accessed 12 Jan 2012, "The 66th Academy Awards (1994) Nominees and Winners", https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/geronimo_an_american_legend, "Weekend Box Office : Sequels Take 2 of Top 3 Spots", "Pelican' Soars at the Box Office Movies: The mystery, with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, takes in more than $16 million. 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