Ulzana Raid

After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down.

World premiere release of exciting, vivid western score! Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison star, Alan Sharp scripts, Joseph Biroc photographs, Robert Aldrich directs, Universal Pictures presents, Frank DeVol scores. All participants excel! Allegorical nod to the Vietnam War chronicles brutal take on cavalry vs. indians trope with small band of reservation Apaches on the run, looting and killing with mounted troops in pursuit. But just who is pursued and who is in pursuit? Whatever. Considerable carnage results. Frank DeVol, veteran composer of Aldrich films (Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, Hush… Hush Sweet Charlotte, The Flight Of The Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen) melds old-fashioned marching tune for the cavalry with dynamic action material for variety of intense skirmishes. March typically plays on brass, woodwinds and percussion with minimal support from strings. Interestingly, DeVol also scores the action with brass and woodwinds in the lead, percussion in support and strings - mainly cellos and basses - in subordinate role. Violins get their say in select sequences but this is imposing, edgy, often-rousing and decidedly ferocious music. DeVol gets considerable contrast with both muted and open brass.