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The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It's certainly a high-powered cast and director, and some fine performances ensue. Lovely, genteel Audrey gives it her best, but she makes such an implausible Indian that 'willing suspension of disbelief' has a hard time keeping suspended... and the whole story hinges upon her Indian-ness. From her first appearance, folksily shooing cows off the roof in cultured Old-World tones, she's simply nothing whatever like a Kiowa or even any rural Texan-- not that the other Kiowas really look very Native American either. When her passed-off-as-white secret is threatened and one hears the remark that she's "darker than most" it's hard to buy, since in spite of some ruddy foundation (that comes and goes) she's in fact lighter than most of the cast except the very pale Gish-- and how did either of them stay pale out there in the wide open spaces anyway? Joseph Wiseman delivers a riveting portrayal of crazed old coot Abe Kelsey, but he really looks too young for the part, and in fact was only 42 when this was filmed. Lillian Gish is superb as always, despite Huston's irreverent attitude towards this enduring screen legend. During filming the hapless Gish was forced to repeat her "breasts hurting with all that milk" speech again and again, probably just because the director enjoyed embarrassing her. And the day-for-night scenes detract further from the realism. Well, fuss, fuss fuss, it's still a very impressive picture and a well-intended filmization of the source novel (whatever one's opinion of that). The music is a bit overblown here and there, but that's typical of older movie soundtracks. Well, one simply has to watch this film with an uncritical eye and accept it all at face value.

See it - Not to be confused with Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven," this is one of, if not the best, of Burt Lancaster's westerns. Better than "Scalphunters" and "Valdez is Coming," but in my opinion not quite as good as the action-packed "Ulzana's Raid." The plot is very similar to "The Searchers," only it is about an Indian girl raised by whites instead of a white girl raised by Indians. The movie is very well made, the story is heartfelt, and Lancaster and co-stars Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn are fantastic. It is pretty slow, but the ending is worth the wait. The 20-minute shootout at the end is one of the greatest finales I've ever seen in a western. 3 action rating.

Rachel Zachary is the adopted brother of Ben, Cash and Andy; their late father rescued her after the local Kiowa Indians killed her parents; at least that is what they all believe. Things change after a strange old man, armed with a sabre turns up; soon afterwards a small group of Kiowa turn up at the house and demand that the family give Rachel to then; claiming that she was kidnapped from their tribe. They are shocked to hear such a suggestion and deny it but others who live nearby start treating the family differently. In order to find out what the old man's part in it was they ride out and capture him; he claims that what the Kiowa said was true; he'd been part of a raid on an Indian village where the Zachary's father took the baby. Shunned by everybody they return home and the mother admits the truth of the story; Cash can't take the idea of having an Indian sister so leaves. Not long afterwards the Kiowa return and a battle ensues; ultimately Rachel must decide whether to return to the tribe with her real brother or stay with the adoptive brothers she has known all her life.This was an interesting western; I thought it was well acted although I couldn't buy for one minute that Audrey Hepburn could be a Native American... which was a bit of a problem given that she was meant to be a full-blooded Kiowa! Burt Lancaster did a fine job as her older brother and Audie Murphy was good as Cash... although personally I found him more entertaining in various B-Westerns I've seen. The action was well directed and exciting; especially the prolonged confrontation at the end. Taken as a piece of entertainment it was good enough but I must say I found the racial politics highly suspect; I felt we were meant to sympathise with the white family as they fought to keep their adopted sister rather that to side with the tribe she was kidnapped from... even after the family start the conflict by murdering a Kiowa when they came in peace to talk! Overall I'd say it is worth watching if you are a fan of the genre although rather sit down and watch a cheap B-western personally!

I can't believe people can write positive reviews of this movie. Burt Lancaster completely overacts in every scene. And the message on racial tolerance is just laughable. The Indians come for a peaceful parley and they just kill one for the hell of it. Then the Indians are depicted as the most idiotic fighters of all time as they manage to let two men and two women slaughter over 40 of them. To top things off, Audrey Hepburn shoots her Indian brother dead when he is just standing there, completely unarmed. The only message the movie had was the only good Indian is a dead Indian. Just because the movie has a famous director and famous actors doesn't make it automatically great. Let's face it people, the movie stinks and should only be watched to see what people had to put up with as entertainment 50 years ago.