TAZA, SON OF COCHISE
US, 1954, 79 minutes, Colour.
Rock Hudson, Barbara Bush, Rex Reason (Bart Roberts), Morris Ankrum, Jeff Chandler.
Directed by Douglas Sirk.
Taza, Son of Cochise is an unexpected choice for German-born director Douglas Sirk. After leaving Germany where he was a successful director, he came to Hollywood in the 1940s and made such films as Summer Storm. At the beginning of the 1950s he went to work at Universal Studios making Thunder on the Hill with Claudette Colbert. However, for several years he made only small-budget and short features, often second features, with the young stars at Universal at the time: Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie, Barbara Rush. Taza, Son of Cochise is one of these films – and was made in 3-D (with various arrows, lances and firebrands being hurled towards the camera). After this he made Magnificent Obsession with Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson and this was the beginning of a successful five years where he made some films which have influenced film-makers like Fassbinder and Todd Haynes.
Rock Hudson is rather wooden as Taza, Son of Cochise – and seems a bit incongruous in Indian war paint and costume. However, he spends a lot of the time in US uniform which is more credible. Jeff Chandler, who had appeared as Cochise in the groundbreaking western, Broken Arrow, is uncredited as the dying Cochise.
Douglas Sirk worked well with Rock Hudson and they made eight films together: Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, Battle Hymn, The Tarnished Angels, Has Anybody Seen My Gal.
1.Entertaining and brief western? The military? The Indians? The US in the 1870s?
2.Filming in a national park, the locations for the military, for the Indian camp, the mountains? The musical score?
3.The reputation of Cochise, Jeff Chandler reappearing, the success of Broken Arrow? Audience sympathy for Cochise and the Apaches? The contrast with the reputation of Geronimo? Geronimo in the film tradition? The rebel, cruel? Finally exiled to Florida?
4.The conventional material of the Indians versus the military? The battles? The peace treaties – and their being broken? The stances of the military, Captain Burnett, Major Crook? The aggressive military and being anti-Indian? Burnett and his promise to administer the reservation well?
5.The portrayal of the military, subduing the west, after the civil war? The role of Washington? The treaties, Cochise signing a treaty? The penalties for taking up arms? The right of the military to punish? The issue of the Apaches punishing their own? The final peace in the reservations?
6.Taza, the clash with his brother? At their father’s deathbed? His bequeathing peace to them? Taza and his leadership, Rock Hudson credible as Taza? His love for Oona? The friendship with Captain Burnett and respect for him? The clashes with Naiche? The threats to his life? Gray Eagle and his criticisms of Taza and his leadership? The other Indians?
7.Naiche and his setting up hostility? The killing of the three white settlers? Taza and his punishing his brother and the others? The intervention of the military? Burnett and his intervention?
8.The continued trials, Geronimo and his attitudes, rousing up hostility? Gray Eagle and Naiche and their siding with Geronimo?
9.Taza and his working for the military, the uniform? A way of keeping peace? The clashes, the fight with Geronimo? The trapping of the military in the fort? Taza letting the military go? Coming to their aid in war paint, attacking Geronimo, the fights with Naiche, with Geronimo? Taza conquering?
10.This kind of film in the American tradition of the western, the place of Indians and the retrospect of the 19th century?
