Geronimo: An American Legend — Geronimo: An American Legend( Blu Ray)
Directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors, Southern Comfort, Red Heat and 48 Hours) in 1993, Geronimo: An American Legend is a big-budget Hollywood take on the story of the infamous Apache Chief, starring a host of Hollywood A-listers including Jason Patric, who was riding high on the back of his starring role in Lili Fini Zanuck’s Rush; two ever-brilliant legends, Gene Hackman and Robert Duval and alongside them, the young Matt Damon. Cherokee actor, Wes Studi appears in the title role having previously made a name for himself with eye-catching performances in Dances with Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans.
US Cavalry officers, Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric) and Lt. Britton Davis (Matt Damon) are sent South to bring in Geronimo (Wes Studi) who has reluctantly agreed to surrender and settle with his people on a government-approved reservation at Turkey Creek. Some of the Apache find it difficult to settle into a life of farming, particularly Geronimo, who remains restless. After an altercation with some US cavalrymen, Geronimo and a group of Apache warriors flee the reservation headed for Mexico, with the intention of reclaiming the land that is rightfully theirs. Brigadier General George Crook (Gene Hackman) must try to prevent Geronimo from succeeding by sending out his best men Gatewood, Davis and Al Sieber (Robert Duvall) to try and bring him back in.
Geronimo: An American Legend is a powerful and vastly underrated film. Never previously released on Blu-ray, this limited edition from Powerhouse films has been given a stunning high-definition remaster that highlights the remarkable cinematography of Lloyd Ahern. Every shot is beautifully framed, and every view or vista is spectacular. In fact, the whole film is a previously neglected masterpiece of cinema, that deserves to have been seen by more people. The cast is superb, Wes Studi is exceptional as Geronimo, capturing his character perfectly while Gene Hackman is equally brilliant as Brigadier General George Crook. Duvall, Patric and Damon each play their roles to perfection, in fact, the entire cast does a remarkable job.
The Blu-ray release comes loaded with bonus materials including an audio commentary with western experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke, as well as a host of featurettes featuring director, Walter Hill, Ry Cooder who provided the film’s wonderful musical score and Wes Studi to name just a few. There is also a great interview with film critic Kim Newman who discusses the various portrayals of the fearless native American on film.
The impressive package is no more than the film deserves. Vastly underrated for all these years, Geronimo has been given a whole new lease of life from Powerhouse films and with a little bit of luck, a few more people will get to enjoy this forgotten gem.