Geronimo: An American Legend

1993
PG-13
1h 55m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

14K

YOUR RATING

Wes Studi in Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar

Play trailer0:31

3 Videos

44 Photos

Desert Adventure Western Epic Drama History Western

The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people.The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people.The story of the Apache chief and his armed resistance to the U.S. Government's subjugation of his people.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

14K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 2 nominations total

Trivia
Jason Patric showed his considerable horsemanship in the scene where he has a one-on-one showdown with an Apache warrior. Patric goes from laying across his horse prone on the ground, to ordering the horse back onto its feet while he mounts it as it quickly rolls upright, rifle in one hand, reins in the other.

Goofs
The steam locomotive used to transport the Apache band at the end is an oil burning locomotive. A phony load of wood sits atop the tender's fuel-oil bunker. The engine is making thick black smoke, an indication of an oil fired locomotive. Such thick smoke is an indication of poor fuel burning, something movie directors request, but hardly real-world practice. Properly operated steam locomotives make much less smoke, regardless of whether fuel is wood, coal, or oil.

Quotes
Al Sieber, Chief of Scouts: There's two dead women there... and two little kids. They scalped them all, all four of 'em. Bounty hunters. The government down here pays 200 pesos a head for men, 100 for women and 50 for those kids. They kill any Indian and then claim they are Apache. I don't see how any man can sink so low. Must be Texans... the lowest form of white man there is.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Schindler's List/Geronimo: An American Legend/Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit/Wayne's World 2/Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Soundtracks
Deal Gently With Thy Servants, Lord
Performed by The Boston Camerata, Schola Cantorum (as The Schola Cantorum of Boston)
Joel Cohen, Director; Frederick Jodry, Director
Courtesy of Erato Disques S.A.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User reviews74

Review

Featured review

7/10

Compelling history

Brig. Gen. George Crook (Gene Hackman) leads a war on the Chiricahua to bring them to their reservation. Geronimo (Wes Studi) agrees to go in peace. Lt. Britton Davis (Matt Damon) is new from Texas. He accompanies Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric) to go bring Geronimo in. Gatewood befriends Geronimo. Al Sieber (Robert Duvall) is a scout with a proper hatred and respect for the enemy Apache. The army tries to stop a medicine man dancing and a violent incident results. Geronimo escapes the reservation with a group of Apache. That's when the Geronimo Campaign begins.

It's a historical drama without the overdramatization that normally accompanies westerns. There are no easy villains in this. The circumstances keep conspiring to force the groups to clash. There are great actors in this. Most impressive is Wes Studi. His presence makes Geronimo come alive.