Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)

Taglines: His name would never be forgotten.

Geronimo: An American Legend movie storyline. The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.

Geronimo: An American Legend is a 1993 film, directed by Walter Hill from a screenplay by John Milius, and stars Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Wes Studi, Matt Damon, Rodney A. Grant, Kevin Tighe, Steve Reevis, Carlos Palomino and Stephen McHattie. It was released on December 10, 1993 by Columbia Pictures.

About the Story

The film loosely follows the events leading up to the surrender of Geronimo in 1886. The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a U.S. government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers, and one in particular, Geronimo (Wes Studi), is restless.

Pushed over the edge by broken promises and unnecessary actions by the government, Geronimo and 30 other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. The plot centers upon Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric), the U.S. cavalry lieutenant charged with capturing the elusive Apache leader with the assistance of a scout leader Al Sieber (Robert Duvall) and a young graduate Britton Davis (Matt Damon).

Gatewood is torn by a grudging respect for Geronimo and his people, and his duty to his country. Brigadier General George Crook (Gene Hackman), charged with overseeing the forced settlement of the Apaches on reservations has nothing but admiration for Geronimo.

Geronimo surrenders to Crook but later escapes, taking half of the reservation with him. Gatewood, Sieber, Davis and a group of soldiers set out to capture Geronimo. Crook later resigns from the army and is replaced by General Nelson Miles. The next day Gatewood, Sieber, Davis and Apache Chato come across some slaughtered Indians. They stop at a bar but there are bounty hunters there and they threaten to kill Chato for money which results in a shootout in which Sieber is shot and mortally wounded.