REVIEW | WINNETOU 1: APACHE GOLD

 German Western based on the work of Karl May.

Planocritico

By Luiz Santiago

March 21, 2024

Karl May, the creator of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, was and is one of the most well-known and beloved German writers of all time. Born into a poor family and imprisoned for eight years of his life, the writer is famous for his great sagas, for the attention he gave to adventures of high popular taste and for the mixture of narrative imagination and friendship between peoples in his books, in which he always used folkloric elements, legends of the peoples portrayed and accurate geographical descriptions. A contemporary of Wagner and Nietzsche, May embodied a personality always in superlative, placing himself as a great connoisseur of the world and apt for the most diverse feats, elements that he brought from his own characters but that did not match reality*. However, the author explored in his pages the most diverse lands and wild places, made the world of westerns popular and interesting even before cinema, all this without ever leaving Saxony, his homeland.

“Apache Gold” is the first film in the Winnetou Trilogy, directed by Harald Reinl. The adventure is completed by “Last of the Renegades” (1964) and “The Desperado Trail” (1965), all of them with actors Pierre Brice and Lex Barker in the lead roles. In this “Apache Gold”, we have the confrontation between rival Indian tribes (Apaches and Kiowas) and the scenario of corruption and death that surrounds the construction of the railroad, a plot that mixes elements of stories of Indian conflicts and stories of the Union Pacific, two of the basic thematic paths of the western. Between human conflicts, cultural habits, death, betrayal and the emergence of new friendships (where, of course, the relationship between Winnetou and Old Shatterhand stands out), the script of “Apache Gold” is built as an almost fairy tale of the Wild West, with mysteries, displaced humor and, of course, tragedy.

Filmed in beautiful locations in Croatia (Plitvice Lakes National Park, historic region of Rastoke, Velebit mountain range – the highest in Croatia –, etc.), the feature has all the characteristic identity of European westerns, with a predilection for discussing the humanity of the characters, cultural problematization and non-demonization of the indigenous, humor and sexuality exposed in an almost clandestine way in the plot (Lord Tuff-Tuff's character reminded me a lot of the protagonist of Algie, the Miner, which, despite not being a European film, was directed by a European director) and almost unbelievable exploration of geographical space in favor of the story — although we understand that this is not a privilege of Euro-westerns, we only remember films such as In the “Stagecoach” (1939), “Bend of the River” (1952) and “The Big Country” (1958), just to name a few good representatives in this "geography + plot" aspect outside the Old Continent.

Perhaps because it has a fabular characteristic, Harald G. Petersson's script has little expression in main narrative points to be explored and resolved. The film has a confusing beginning and its development sins a lot when trying to balance the various scenic blocks, such as the saga of Winnetou, the escape of Santer and his gang, the adventures of Lord Tuff-Tuff, the land of the Apaches and the other small dramas that are opened over time. Harald Reinl took special care when directing the exterior shots, especially the fight scenes and horseback riding. The sequences in the mountains are truly remarkable, not only for the precise direction but also for the spectacular staging and the beautiful naturalistic photography of Ernst W. Kalinke.

With a very sharp cast of protagonists, somewhat forced supporting characters and a somewhat stumbling, albeit interesting, script, “Apache Gold” is an acceptable start to the Winnetou Trilogy. The film has many positive points, especially technical ones, and easily manages to hold its own despite the flawed narrative. The viewer, however, will be in front of a film of extreme beauty and excellent location of indigenous and white men in a scenario that looks more like a dream, which makes it a little difficult to be seen as a work set in the Land of Uncle Sam (and this is not a negative!), either because of the theme it presents us, or because of the natural scenery so different from the North American prairies and deserts.

 

* The writer's level of invention was such that once, when replying to a reader's letter, he said: "I speak and write French, English, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Romanian, six Arabic dialects, Persian, two Kurdish dialects, two Chinese dialects, Malay, Namaqua, some Sunda, Swahili, Hindustan, Turkish, and the indigenous languages of the Sioux, Apaches, Comanches, Snakes, Utahs, Kiowas, and Ketschumany, three South American dialects. I don't want to include the Sámi here."

Apache Gold (Winnetou – 1. Teil) - West Germany, Yugoslavia, Italy, 1963

Director: Harald Reinl

Screenplay: Harald G. Petersson (based on the novel by Karl May)

Cast: Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Marie Versini, Mario Adorf, Walter Barnes, Chris Howland, Ralf Wolter, Milivoje Popovic-Mavid, Dunja Rajter, Niksa Stefanini, Branko Spoljar, Husein Cokic

Duration: 101 min.