When Quentin Tarantino calls a film one of the greatest of its genre, you pay attention. Ulzana’s Raid, the 1972 Western and the third of four films that director Robert Aldrich and movie star Burt Lancaster made together, impressed Tarantino so much that it earned that it earned his praise. “Ulzana’s Raid is hands down Aldrich’s best film of the seventies, as well as being one of the greatest westerns of the seventies.” Tarantino stated, adding “One of the things that makes the movie so remarkable is it isn’t just a western; it combines the two genres that Aldrich was most known for, westerns and war films.”

The film is among the few to present the conflict between Native Americans and frontier expansionists for what it was on both sides: a gritty, violent, and morally complex war. From the film’s beginning, there is extreme violence that sends a clear warning that nothing in its gory world is off the table. The level of violence arrests one’s attention and keeps hold of it as the minutes tick by.

‘Ulzana’s Raid’ Is a Grim Realism of Violence on Both Sides

Ulzana’s Raid is a stark critique of war, portraying it as a pointless venture that causes immense senseless losses. With a stinging script penned by Alan Sharp, which is often cited as an allegory to the Vietnam War that was ongoing at the time of the film’s release, Ulzana’s Raid begins with a sequence that shows Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez) and his armed group of Apache men escaping a reservation. We are made to understand how much fear his being at large evokes in the minds of the settlers, including among the U.S. Cavalry’s leadership. When we meet Ulzana’s men in action, it’s shockingly startling. A woman and her teenage son are being escorted by a soldier to safety when they come face to face with the men. Rather than face the ruthlessness of the attackers, the soldier shoots the woman dead before turning the gun on himself when he is cornered. What follows is even more shocking. Ulzana’s men dig out the man’s innards and start throwing them at each other as if in a game, all while the destitute teenage boy looks on. It is an appalling sight for the viewer, but as the film progresses, one sees how violence begets violence. Ulzana’s Raid cleverly tackles these heavy issues by presenting different perspectives through its characters.

‘Ulzana’s Raid’ Is Marked by Grounded Performances and Strong Characterizations

In Ulzana’s Raid, Ulzana’s violent rebellion captures one side of the Indigenous culture’s resistance — a defense of land and life facing erasure. Opposite him, Burt Lancaster’s McIntosh, a U.S. Cavalry scout with hard-won wisdom, observes these conflicts with a seasoned understanding. A stark realist, he’s assigned to guide the inexperienced Lt. DeBuin (Bruce Davison), an idealist at first who naïvely believes that goodwill alone can bridge the cultural chasm. For DeBuin, the Apaches’ retaliations seem unprovoked, clashing with his belief in the “civilizing” mission of his people. McIntosh corrects him by pointing out DeBuin’s moral shock at the uncomfortable truth that he cannot reconcile with the fact that his own people can just be as violent as their perceived enemies. “Ain’t no sense hating the Apaches for killing, lieutenant… That would be like hating the desert ‘cause there ain’t no water on it,” McIntosh tells him.

Related The WWII Movie That Ripples Through Quentin Tarantino’s Filmography It definitely makes sense that Tarantino has called this war movie one of his favorites.

Lancaster’s McIntosh is one of his most nuanced roles in a Western. As McIntosh, however, Lancaster’s ability to embody the duality that the role demands — the calm in the storm and the pragmatist who has no illusions left — makes his diligent portrayal one of his most powerful performances. Lancaster brings to the film a lived-in, world-weary gravitas that contrasts perfectly with DeBuin’s naïve hope. Jorge Luke, as the Native American scout for the army Ke-Ni-Tay, contributes from a raw point of view rarely seen in Westerns of the time. Luke’s ability to transform a morally complex character into a reluctant hero speaks to his ability to give a subdued yet powerful performance.

While many films of its era sought to rectify the injustices and misrepresentation of Native American characters in earlier works by portraying their struggles with sympathy, Aldrich’s Ulzana’s Raid presents a more accurate portrayal of a morally gray world. It is no surprise that Tarantino, known for his graphic portrayal of violence, struck a chord with a film that unflinchingly depicts the brutality of the American frontier.

Ulzana’s Raid Release Date October 27, 1972 Director Robert Aldrich Cast Bruce Davison , Burt Lancaster , Jorge Luke , Richard Jaeckel , Joaquín Martínez , Lloyd Bochner , Karl Swenson , Douglass Watson , Dran Hamilton , John Pearce , Gladys Holland , Margaret Fairchild , Aimée Eccles , Richard Bull , Otto Reichow , Dean Smith , Larry Randles , Hal Maguire , Ted Markland , R. L. Armstrong , John McKee , Tony Epper , Nick Cravat , Fred Brookfield , Jerry Gatlin Runtime 103 minutes Writers Alan Sharp Expand

Ulzana’s Raid is currently available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

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