Analysis Of The Revisionist Western Film Geronimo: An American Legend

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A nation formed from the blood of an entire culture. The Revisionist Western Film, Geronimo: An American Legend, (1993) directed by Walter Hill, sheds light on the events that transpired as the Whites migrated and expanded towards the West. The theme of this movie revolves around the oppression and injustices committed on the “inferior” Apache race by the “superior” Whites, and the conflicts that ensued from it. In the face of oppression and injustice, one will go to great lengths to protect and preserve one’s liberty, and likewise, it can also alter the conviction of an outsider. A situation can change one’s circumstances, but it cannot dismantle one’s core beliefs. An example of this is established in the Turkey Creek massacre scene, where …show more content…

Prior to this defining scene that triggered the subsequent sequence of events, we saw how the producer ties in the quest for liberty and freedom to the ultimate sacrifice. Despite several attempts by the commanding officer to get the medicine man to stop dancing and chanting, the medicine man ignores the orders knowing that he will be severely punished. By expressing his beliefs through his singing, he wanted to give his voice and allow his people to join him to incite insurrection for their rights. In reality, he knew this rebellious action would result in his death, but he decided that he rather become a martyr to his people. As the scene progresses, the camera cuts back repeatedly between Geronimo and the Apache scout who was ordered to arrest Geronimo. This method is known as a Reaction shot. The purpose of this style is to give the audience a shot of a person reacting to the main action as a listener; in this case, between the Apache scout and Geronimo. After each shot progresses, it is reflected that both had come to a mutual understanding of the true oppression and injustice they were constrained under, contributing to the actions that influenced the events for the rest of the

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