Fort Apache (John Wayne) DVD

John Ford's Fort Apache is a wonderfully rich and complex character study masquerading as a Western adventure, in which Ford examines the taming of the American West and the ways in which history whitewash the past and tell stories wholly unconnected to historical truth. The film's central conflict centers on the differences between Henry Fonda as the egotistical fort commander who just wants to advance his own career, and John Wayne as his heroic and intelligent second-in-command, who is more concerned for the fate of the Apache Indians they're supposed to be fighting. Fonda is essentially a General Custer type of figure, a gloryhound with little understanding of Indian culture, and consequently little respect for it, while Wayne's complex view of the Indians makes him a much better strategic fighter, while also increasing his respect for their way of life and right to coexist. This conflict is largely dramatized through a series of vignettes from the daily life of Fort Apache, which Ford presents with genuine affection and a strict attention to details. Even the smallest characters get their moment to shine, while the mundane details of running the fort, officer dances, training new recruits, and even interior decoration, are caught by Ford's roving eye. The result is a portrait of the American frontier spirit that's sympathetic and complex, even as it acknowledges the darker subtext of violence and native suppression that runs underneath this bright exterior like a river of blood.