Western,Drama
United States of America
Cheyenne Autumn is a 1964 Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Mari Sandoz. The movie depicts the forced relocation of the Cheyenne people from their traditional lands in the Northern Plains to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma in the late 1870s.
The story centers around Captain Thomas Archer (played by Richard Widmark), a disillusioned veteran of the Indian Wars who is tasked with leading a cavalry escort to bring a group of Cheyennes back to Indian Territory. However, the Cheyennes have decided to embark on a dangerous journey on their own, on foot, to return to their ancestral homeland in Wyoming.
The film portrays the Cheyennes as a proud and resilient people who are determined to preserve their culture and way of life, despite the hardships they face on their journey. The tribe is led by Chief Little Wolf (Ricardo Montalban) and his wife, Morning Star (Carolyn Jones).
Throughout the movie, Captain Archer struggles with his conflicting feelings towards the Cheyennes, and comes to realize that they are not the savages he had been led to believe. He becomes sympathetic to their cause, and eventually decides to help them on their journey.
Cheyenne Autumn was notable for its sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans, who were often portrayed as villains in Western movies of the time. The film also emphasized the importance of preserving Native American culture, and the devastating effects of forced relocation on their communities.
