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Major Dundee
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Major Dundee
Major Dundee is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Harry Julian Fink and Oscar Saul. It stars Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn, Michael Anderson Jr., Mario Adorf, Brock Peters, and Senta Berger. The film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a contentious troop of Army regulars, Confederate prisoners, and Indian scouts on an expedition into Mexico during the American Civil War to destroy a band of Apaches who have been raiding United States bases and settlements in the New Mexico territory.
The film was shot in various locations in Mexico, filmed in Eastman Color by Pathécolor, print by Technicolor. Major Dundee became notorious for its difficult shoot and post production, which saw the movie greatly cut from Peckinpah's original vision. He later called the film "one of the most painful things that ever happened in my life."
The film was released by Columbia Pictures on March 16, 1965. Initial critical response was largely negative, but retrospective reviews have been highly positive, following the release of an extended cut closer to Peckinpah's original vision in 2005.
During the American Civil War, Union cavalry officer Major Amos Dundee is relieved of his command for a tactical error at the Battle of Gettysburg and sent to head a prisoner-of-war camp in the New Mexico Territory. After a family of ranchers and a relief column of cavalry are massacred by Apache war chief Sierra Charriba, Dundee sends his scout Samuel Potts to locate Charriba and begins raising his own, unauthorized force. He attempts to recruit Confederate prisoners led by his former friend, Captain Ben Tyreen. Tyreen bears a grudge against Dundee and refuses his request. Before the war, Dundee had cast the deciding vote in Tyreen's court-martial from the United States Army for participating in a duel, leading to Tyreen's dismissal. Dundee is a Southerner, but fought for the Union.
Dundee's recruits include bugler Tim Ryan, the only survivor of the massacre (and the film's narrator), as well as a horse thief, a drunken mule-packer, a vengeful minister, and a small group of black soldiers who are tired of doing menial tasks. Dundee reluctantly appoints the inexperienced Lieutenant Graham as his second-in-command. Eventually, facing a hanging which may or may not be a bluff on Dundee's part, Tyreen binds himself and 20 of his men to loyally serve Dundee, but only until Charriba is "taken or destroyed".
When the diverse factions of Dundee's force are not fighting each other, they engage the Apaches in several bloody battles. Though they rescue several young children captured by the Apaches, Dundee's men lose most of their supplies in an ambush, forcing them to raid a village garrisoned by French troops supporting Emperor Maximilian. However, little remains to be looted, and Dundee ends up sharing some of his dwindling food with the starving Mexicans. Beautiful resident Teresa Santiago, the Austrian widow of a doctor executed for his support of the rebels under Benito Juárez, causes further tensions between Dundee and Tyreen, as they compete for her attentions. Dundee makes escaping easy for his French prisoners. When they return with reinforcements, Dundee surprises the French column and makes off with badly needed supplies. After this success, the men begin to get along. However, one of the Confederates, O. W. Hadley, attempts to desert. Dundee orders his execution, but Tyreen shoots Hadley himself to quell any resentment from his men.
Teresa and Dundee have a brief affair. In an unguarded moment, he is attacked by the Apaches and wounded in the leg, forcing him to seek medical help in French-held Durango. The doctor removes the arrow, but Dundee has to remain to recuperate. He is tended by a pretty Mexican, whom he eventually takes to bed. When Teresa comes upon them, her relationship with Dundee comes to an abrupt end. Dundee starts drinking heavily. Graham leads a small group of men to distract the French, while Tyreen shames Dundee into resuming his mission. Dundee has no hope of catching the Apaches, so he pretends to give up and starts back for the United States. The Apaches give chase and fall into Dundee's trap. Ryan kills Charriba in the ambush.
Dundee and Tyreen prepare to resume their private vendetta, but the French appear. They position a portion of their force on the American side of the Rio Grande. Two other columns come up fast south of the river. The Americans and the northern French contingent charge each other, fighting in the river. Tyreen sees a French soldier seize the regimental colors. He takes back the flag and hands it over to Dundee. Shot in the stomach, Tyreen singlehandedly charges the French cavalry, enabling the others to cross the Rio Grande. Only Yankees Dundee, Graham, Potts, Ryan, and Sergeant Gomez, plus Confederates Chillum and Benteen and a few others survive.
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Major Dundee
Major Dundee is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Harry Julian Fink and Oscar Saul. It stars Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn, Michael Anderson Jr., Mario Adorf, Brock Peters, and Senta Berger. The film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a contentious troop of Army regulars, Confederate prisoners, and Indian scouts on an expedition into Mexico during the American Civil War to destroy a band of Apaches who have been raiding United States bases and settlements in the New Mexico territory.
The film was shot in various locations in Mexico, filmed in Eastman Color by Pathécolor, print by Technicolor. Major Dundee became notorious for its difficult shoot and post production, which saw the movie greatly cut from Peckinpah's original vision. He later called the film "one of the most painful things that ever happened in my life."
The film was released by Columbia Pictures on March 16, 1965. Initial critical response was largely negative, but retrospective reviews have been highly positive, following the release of an extended cut closer to Peckinpah's original vision in 2005.
During the American Civil War, Union cavalry officer Major Amos Dundee is relieved of his command for a tactical error at the Battle of Gettysburg and sent to head a prisoner-of-war camp in the New Mexico Territory. After a family of ranchers and a relief column of cavalry are massacred by Apache war chief Sierra Charriba, Dundee sends his scout Samuel Potts to locate Charriba and begins raising his own, unauthorized force. He attempts to recruit Confederate prisoners led by his former friend, Captain Ben Tyreen. Tyreen bears a grudge against Dundee and refuses his request. Before the war, Dundee had cast the deciding vote in Tyreen's court-martial from the United States Army for participating in a duel, leading to Tyreen's dismissal. Dundee is a Southerner, but fought for the Union.
Dundee's recruits include bugler Tim Ryan, the only survivor of the massacre (and the film's narrator), as well as a horse thief, a drunken mule-packer, a vengeful minister, and a small group of black soldiers who are tired of doing menial tasks. Dundee reluctantly appoints the inexperienced Lieutenant Graham as his second-in-command. Eventually, facing a hanging which may or may not be a bluff on Dundee's part, Tyreen binds himself and 20 of his men to loyally serve Dundee, but only until Charriba is "taken or destroyed".
When the diverse factions of Dundee's force are not fighting each other, they engage the Apaches in several bloody battles. Though they rescue several young children captured by the Apaches, Dundee's men lose most of their supplies in an ambush, forcing them to raid a village garrisoned by French troops supporting Emperor Maximilian. However, little remains to be looted, and Dundee ends up sharing some of his dwindling food with the starving Mexicans. Beautiful resident Teresa Santiago, the Austrian widow of a doctor executed for his support of the rebels under Benito Juárez, causes further tensions between Dundee and Tyreen, as they compete for her attentions. Dundee makes escaping easy for his French prisoners. When they return with reinforcements, Dundee surprises the French column and makes off with badly needed supplies. After this success, the men begin to get along. However, one of the Confederates, O. W. Hadley, attempts to desert. Dundee orders his execution, but Tyreen shoots Hadley himself to quell any resentment from his men.
Teresa and Dundee have a brief affair. In an unguarded moment, he is attacked by the Apaches and wounded in the leg, forcing him to seek medical help in French-held Durango. The doctor removes the arrow, but Dundee has to remain to recuperate. He is tended by a pretty Mexican, whom he eventually takes to bed. When Teresa comes upon them, her relationship with Dundee comes to an abrupt end. Dundee starts drinking heavily. Graham leads a small group of men to distract the French, while Tyreen shames Dundee into resuming his mission. Dundee has no hope of catching the Apaches, so he pretends to give up and starts back for the United States. The Apaches give chase and fall into Dundee's trap. Ryan kills Charriba in the ambush.
Dundee and Tyreen prepare to resume their private vendetta, but the French appear. They position a portion of their force on the American side of the Rio Grande. Two other columns come up fast south of the river. The Americans and the northern French contingent charge each other, fighting in the river. Tyreen sees a French soldier seize the regimental colors. He takes back the flag and hands it over to Dundee. Shot in the stomach, Tyreen singlehandedly charges the French cavalry, enabling the others to cross the Rio Grande. Only Yankees Dundee, Graham, Potts, Ryan, and Sergeant Gomez, plus Confederates Chillum and Benteen and a few others survive.