This Western film has two storylines in it. The first concerns a romance between a volunteer cavalry soldier (the blue soldier of the title) and a blonde woman played by Candice Bergen who had lived with a tribe of Cheyenne Indians. It is interesting because the character played by Bergen is strong and independent although the filmmaking is quite exploitative.
The second storyline concerns the November 1864 massacre of Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek, and is quite graphic and horrific, although the special effects haven't stood the test of time. It is not said that the massacre caused a public outcry, that the responsible perpetrators were tried but ultimately got away due to a Civil War amnesty. The film got me reading the Wikipedia page on the massacre, and for this alone it was worth it.
The two storylines are linked, of course. The overall result is interesting and historically minded but dated, in terms of storytelling and sometimes forced acting. A recommended watch as an influential revisionist Western film.
The second storyline concerns the November 1864 massacre of Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek, and is quite graphic and horrific, although the special effects haven't stood the test of time. It is not said that the massacre caused a public outcry, that the responsible perpetrators were tried but ultimately got away due to a Civil War amnesty. The film got me reading the Wikipedia page on the massacre, and for this alone it was worth it.
The two storylines are linked, of course. The overall result is interesting and historically minded but dated, in terms of storytelling and sometimes forced acting. A recommended watch as an influential revisionist Western film.