The Portrayal of Geronimo in Movies through the Twentieth Century

Abstract

The purpose of my thesis is to examine the different stages of the portrayal of Geronimo by analyzing three movies from the beginning, middle, and end of the twentieth century: Stagecoach (1939), Geronimo (1962), and Geronimo: An American Legend (1993). The image of Geronimo that people can see on screen has been influenced by different historical factors, such as Apache history, the Apache Wars, and the political atmosphere of the given time. With the evolvement of Westerns in the first half of the century, a stereotypic illustration of Geronimo and the Apache became the norm, according to which they were bloodthirsty savages. From the 1960s onwards, change occured in their representation and the focus was more on Geronimo's humane nature. However, his story was still illustrated from white perspective, resulting in distorted images of Geronimo and the Apaches in general.