When Tomahawk and carbine split the West asunder, these braves, the scout Tom Jefford and chief Cochise, stood in glory. The fate of the great southwest lay in their hands, for this was the hour of decision and the last and deadliest of the Indian wars . This is a story true as the arrow's aim, powerful as the love that wed a white man to an Indian girl and fighting to coexist on the Western frontier in the 1870s . As usual, crooked settlers and mean traders thwart peace. James Stewart as Tom Jefford, an ex-Army explorer, who dared the red man's vengeance-the white man's scorn and attempting to find truce among feuding white man and Indian . Debra Paget, as Sonseeahray whose soft lips answered a white man's search love . Jeff Chandler, as Cochise, the most blood-thirsty of Apaches, who took a white man for his blood brother. Joyce McKenzie as Terry Wilson, she waited alone in Tucson and lost-to an Indian girl . The film is plenty of adventures , shootouts , noisy action and spectacular landscapes . However ; displaying a sad finale, as Cochise tells to Tom Jeffords: ¨As I bear the murder of my people , so you will bear the murder of you wife¨.

This picture acclaimed like one of the first to deal the Indian with understanding and justice . The film contains agreeable depiction about Indian customs as it actually was , including dancing , complex mythology , pagan Gods and their peculiar culture . The movie is shot in Cocominto Mountains of Arizona with marvellous outdoors . Excellent performances from James Stewart as Tom Jefford and Jeff Chandler as Cochise with scars on his face caused by a previous car crash . Interesting screenplay by Albert Matz though credited as Michacarel Blankfort , but he was blacklisted . Evocative and imaginative score by Hugo Friedhofer. The motion picture was well and compellingly directed by Delmer Daves . He was a good professional who directed all kinds of genres , such as : Romantic dramas : ¨Rome adventure¨, ¨Parrish¨, ¨A summer Place¨ ; WWII : ¨Task force¨, ¨Hollywood canteen¨, ¨Destination Tokyo¨ , Noir film : ¨Dark passage¨ , ¨The red house¨ , Historical : ¨Demetrius and the gladiators¨ and especially Western : ¨The hang tree¨, ¨The Badlanders¨, ¨Cowboy¨, ¨3.10 to Yuma¨, ¨Jubal¨, ¨Drum Beat¨, and this¨ Broken arrow¨.

It's followed by sequels and Chandler performed Cochise again in ¨Battle of Apache pass¨ and Rock Hudson played his son in ¨Taza, son of Cochise¨ and subsequently continued a TV series . Rating: Above average for respect on interesting Indian culture.

As the war rages between the American settlers and the Apache, former soldier Tom Jeffords happens upon a young Indian wounded after an attack. Taking upon himself to aid the boy, it's not long before the Apache show up intent on killing Jeffords by way of the war instincts. Pleading for Jeffords' life, the boy manages to get him spared by the Apache chief, Cochise. It's the start of a friendship that may just bring and end to the war and peace across the west.

Tho not the first "social" Western film made, Broken Arrow, it can be argued, is maybe one of the most important and telling genre films of the 50s. Showing humanist portrayals of the Apache and dealing out level headed tellings of the relationships between whites and the Native Americans, Delmer Daves' film is as relevant today as it was back on release. Adapted from Elliott Arnold's novel Blood Brother, the story follows Jeffords (a measured and fine James Stewart) as he attempts to broker peace between the warring factions. Firstly by convincing Cochise (Jeff Chandler bang on form) to allow the mail run thru the pass, something that brings suspicion and calls of Indian lover from Jeffords' own kind, and then to finally set up a peace pact at a time when violence and hatred was rife in the west.

As the friendship between the two men grows, Jeffords and an Apache girl fall in love (beautiful Debra Paget as Sonseeahray),thus giving the story a further jolt of momentum. The screenplay then really hits its stride, as Daves and his crew pit peace and inter racial love against a backdrop of bloodshed and savagery. Never glossing over just how hard peace is going to be, Broken Arrow retains intelligence and a sensitivity even as breakaway factions from both sides (for example we see Geronimo split the Apache and form a renegade front) are intent on killing off the peace process. It even has time for deep emotional kickers to reinforce the point of just how tough and unlikely peace and tolerance can be sometimes.

Broken Arrow was, and still is, a bold picture. In fact it can be argued that for the likes of Daves and Stewart, it was at the time very bold and risky career moves. But it paid off because the film stands up today as a picture of some distinction. It's themes and approach to its subjects are something that this generation, and all the future ones, will always find to be socially important. Boosted by Hugo Friedhofer's luscious score and taking advantage of the Lone Pine location shoot, Broken Arrow is a fine fine film that even non Western fans should be looking to absorb. 8/10

I know that having a Jew from New York (Jeff Chandler) play Cochise is NOT the most enlightened thing a film studio could have done, however, in most other respects Hollywood actually tried to get it right in this simple film. Instead of American-Indians being one-dimensional and bad or stupid, here they are real people and the complexities of the relationship between them and the rest of America is actually considered--a rarity in 1950s Hollywood.

The movie begins with Jimmy Stewart playing an ex-scout out West during the latter portion of the 19th century. He happens upon an injured Apache teen and nurses him back to health. Most Whites would have probably shot him or left him and Stewart's kindness had a huge impact on the boy. So, later, when they are captured by Apaches, the boy begs them to let Stewart go--as he is their friend. A bit later, Stewart realizes that his own perceptions about Indians changed through meeting and spending time with one, so maybe, he reasons, he can learn the language and customs and act as a bridge between the two clashing cultures. Eventually, he goes to live with the Apaches and slowly gains their trust and a strong friendship with their chief, Cochise. There's a lot more to the film than this, such as his relationship with an Apache lady, but this is just something you'll have to learn about by seeing the film--I don't want to spoil it.

Overall, an amazingly sensitive portrait of American-Indians and a film that tried to show the common ground between them and the rest of America. A lovely film that I really enjoyed, though the film did seem to end a bit more abruptly than I might have liked. Still, it was probably the best portrayal of this group since the 1920s and 30s (with films such as THE VANISHING American and THE SQUAW MAN).