Run of the Arrow

Colour, 35 mm
USA, 1957, 86 min
Section: Tribute to Samuel Fuller

Synopsis

"An epic Western which has nothing to do with cowboys, rustlers, dishonest sheriffs or pretty schoolteachers.... It is one of the few motion pictures to bring to the screen American Indian life with complete authenticity,” Fuller said at the time of the film’s premiere, his first picture after fulfilling a six-year studio contract, and he was able to return to full creative independence, this time under the auspices of the newly established Globe Enterprises. Bitter soldier O’Meara (Rod Steiger as a newcomer) is unable to accept the defeat of his beloved South. Immediately after the Civil War’s end, he heads west toward the continent’s original inhabitants; like him, they do not respect the government of the United States. After surviving the "run of the arrow,” an Indian ritual that has him fighting for his life, he becomes one of the Sioux by marrying an Indian woman. But the hand of fate holds onto his past, and he once again meets the man he shot on the last day of the bloody war. Despite his dogged efforts to protect his new identity, he undergoes a difficult trial. Fuller distances himself from the canon of studio films not only through a free application of generic rules, but also through an unconventional visual conception that favors constructive editing, namely an unorthodox ordering of scenes. While this may sometimes complicate viewer orientation, it strengthens the resulting dramatic punch.