Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Broken Arrow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 14, 2017

1950’s “Broken Arrow” has the distinction of being one of the first westerns to approach Native American characters with a degree of respect. It’s a movie about tolerance set during one of the least tolerant times in American history, attempting to reexamine and reconfigure the traditional “Cowboys vs. Indians” simplification of history. Its ambition to rise above the competition is fascinating, giving “Broken Arrow” a boost in dramatic possibility, with director Delmer Daves (helming an adaptation of a Elliot Arnold novel) taking characterization as seriously as he can while still serving up elements of action and romance that act as comforting familiarity while the feature works to introduce new ideas of cultural awareness.

A former military man, Tom (James Stewart) wanders the Arizona countryside, eventually coming across a wounded Apache teenager in need of help. Nursing the boy back to health, Tom is introduced to a new side of the Apache nation, breaking through their bitter war with the “white man” to understand their culture and concerns. Figuring he can broker peace, Tom learns the language and makes his way to Cochise (Jeff Chandler), a feared Apache leader, making a connection to the steely man, while falling in love with young Sonseeahray (Debra Paget). With his reputation shredded by Tucson locals, Tom is caught between the “civilized” world and the Apaches, working to find a way to unite the warring nations.

“Broken Arrow” contains unexpected darkness, taking Tom’s odyssey into the Apache world seriously, initially forced to witness their warfare as they battle scalp-selling bandits, making them pay for their gruesome crimes. Daves details the aggression vividly, pushing screen violence from the era to new boundaries as men are filled with arrows, hanged from burning trees, and bound by rope while covered in syrup, allowing nearby ants to feast on flesh. “Broken Arrow” doesn’t mess around, establishing a concentration on the horror of it all early, which helps to emphasize Tom’s ambassador mission. Having lived through a few near-misses, he’s grown to understand the Apache way, effectively putting a target on his own back when the Tucson elite begin to judge the ex-soldier, inspiring Tom to go deeper into Apache territory to figure out how to stop the bloodshed.

While he’s played by the Brooklyn-born Chandler (who received an Academy Award nomination for his work), “Broken Arrow” is respectful of Cochise, understanding his position as a leader in a terrible war. He’s not a villain here, but someone hesitant to trust Tom, only learning to appreciate the stranger’s ways when his sincerity is proven through his education on Apache ways, doing his best to meet the legend halfway. Tom and Cochise don’t embark on a buddy adventure, but their friendship is a primary concern for “Broken Arrow,” with Stewart and Chandler submitting outstanding performances that capture a range of emotions from both men.

Less interesting is more Hollywood-style developments, including Tom’s romance of Sonseeahray, with their age difference (26 years) contributing significant awkwardness to the union, which often looks like a predatory father sniffing around his daughter. However, warmth is demanded, throttling the feature’s more compelling cultural interests as the story stops to pay attention to this weird love story. Thankfully, “Broken Arrow” isn’t completely kneecapped by unwanted tenderness, quickly back up and running as complications disrupt Tom’s efforts to keep Arizona peaceful between war-hungry societies.

Broken Arrow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation is billed as a 2K restoration, and it looks like some effort was put into the feature's Blu-ray debut. Colors are respectfully refreshed, preserving the slightly exaggerated Technicolor look of the film, delivering compelling desert exteriors and greenery, and richer costuming. Skintones are stable. Detail is agreeable, offering textured costuming and set construction, also handling close-ups with care for facial particulars. Distances retain dimensionality. Delineation is communicative. Source is in decent shape, with some mild scratches, speckling, and slight changes in brightness, but nothing's distracting.

Broken Arrow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix contributes a straightforward assembly of dialogue exchanges, permitting loud voices that never dip into distortive extremes. Some sloppy ADR work is present, and it's difficult to tell if slight synch issues are inherent to the movie, but concerns are brief. Scoring handles comfortably, supporting cinematic moods without intrusion, and native drumming offers some heft. Sound effects are alert, with gunfights and rumbly horseback encounters.

Broken Arrow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Fox Movietone News: 'Broken Arrow' Ceremony" (:58, SD) is a brief look at promotional efforts for the film. The first catches up with James Stewart and Debra Paget as they take a look at the "new" 50-star U.S. flag. The second follows author Elliot Arnold to a Native American household, where he presents a ceremonial costume from the movie to a young girl known as "Little Faun."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:59, SD) is included.

Broken Arrow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Broken Arrow" goes broad with conflicts, but grit remains, and the screenplay isn't shy when it comes to discussing issues of tolerance, though it doesn't register as preachy, just impassioned. Western traditions are secured through multiple gunfights and saloon hostilities, keeping the effort alert enough to qualify as exciting, but the material is always more interested in providing understanding and exploring the limits of respect. There are flaws here that prevent "Broken Arrow" from achieving greatness, but there's an impressive vision for the picture that's sustained throughout, giving it some welcome weight and clarity that was rare for the release year and remains vital in 2017.