"Duel At Diablo" had me thinking about Sidney Poitier's role, and I'd love to hear his reason for taking the assignment. Considering his appearance in one of my favorite films, "In The Heat Of The Night", a classic study of racism and cultural fear, I wondered how he reconciled the role of a former black military officer helping the cavalry protect a supply wagon through Apache territory, with all the attendant characterizations of the red man as a hostile, savage brute. But Toller (Poitier) did have character, as demonstrated by the apology to Remsberg (James Garner) after learning of his wife's fate, that was an excellent scene.
Dennis Weaver surprised me with his portrayal of Will Grange, showing a range of ability that far surpasses my singular impression of him as Matt Dillon's deputy, Chester Goode. He figures in somewhat of a story twist when it's revealed that he had a hand in the death of Remsberg's wife. The showdown you were expecting for the entire film managed to play out in a manner that kept Garner's character honorable, even if revenge was served. It was an effective way to handle the conflict.
You know, I'm surprised that an obvious continuity issue hasn't been noted yet regarding the picture. When Remsberg leaves the soldiers for Fort Concho, he's riding a gray horse across the desert, but in the scene when the horse collapses from heat exhaustion, it's brown. A similar error occurs in the Western "Comanche Blanco" near the finale when William Shatner's horse changes color. It makes me wonder why film makers, or even the principal actor, can't remember how the scene started out so it can be finished without an obviously conflicting ending. They must have other things on their mind.
At least it was gratifying to see that mathematical accountability came into play regarding the strength of both the Indian band and the cavalry. As the soldier forces dwindled, references were made to that effect, and you had a sense of the attrition. Contrast that with other Westerns where it often seems like one side or the other winds up with just as many men as they started with.
You know, it wouldn't have taken much to turn this one into a John Ford/John Wayne cavalry Western. Most of the elements were there except the peaks of Monument Valley and a romantic interest for the leading man. Still, the inclusion of Ellen Grange (Bibi Anderson) as a conflicted white woman with an Apache baby added another layer of intensity to a film already chock full of angst driven characters. You knew she would make it to the end of the story, the question being, at what price.
Dennis Weaver surprised me with his portrayal of Will Grange, showing a range of ability that far surpasses my singular impression of him as Matt Dillon's deputy, Chester Goode. He figures in somewhat of a story twist when it's revealed that he had a hand in the death of Remsberg's wife. The showdown you were expecting for the entire film managed to play out in a manner that kept Garner's character honorable, even if revenge was served. It was an effective way to handle the conflict.
You know, I'm surprised that an obvious continuity issue hasn't been noted yet regarding the picture. When Remsberg leaves the soldiers for Fort Concho, he's riding a gray horse across the desert, but in the scene when the horse collapses from heat exhaustion, it's brown. A similar error occurs in the Western "Comanche Blanco" near the finale when William Shatner's horse changes color. It makes me wonder why film makers, or even the principal actor, can't remember how the scene started out so it can be finished without an obviously conflicting ending. They must have other things on their mind.
At least it was gratifying to see that mathematical accountability came into play regarding the strength of both the Indian band and the cavalry. As the soldier forces dwindled, references were made to that effect, and you had a sense of the attrition. Contrast that with other Westerns where it often seems like one side or the other winds up with just as many men as they started with.
You know, it wouldn't have taken much to turn this one into a John Ford/John Wayne cavalry Western. Most of the elements were there except the peaks of Monument Valley and a romantic interest for the leading man. Still, the inclusion of Ellen Grange (Bibi Anderson) as a conflicted white woman with an Apache baby added another layer of intensity to a film already chock full of angst driven characters. You knew she would make it to the end of the story, the question being, at what price.