Soldier Blue
Soldier Blue is a 1970 American revisionist Western film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss, and Donald Pleasence. Adapted by John Gay from the novel Arrow in the Sun by T.V. Olsen, it is inspired by events of the 1864 Sand Creek massacre in the Colorado Territory. Nelson and Gay intended to utilize the narrative surrounding the Sand Creek massacre as an allegory for the contemporary Vietnam War.
| Soldier Blue | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ralph Nelson |
| Screenplay by | John Gay |
| Based on | Arrow in the Sun by Theodore V. Olsen |
| Produced by | Gabriel Katzka Harold Loeb |
| Starring | Candice Bergen Peter Strauss Donald Pleasence John Anderson Dana Elcar |
| Cinematography | Robert B. Hauser |
| Edited by | Alex Beaton |
| Music by | Roy Budd |
Production company | Katzka-Loeb |
| Distributed by | Embassy Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.2 million (North American rentals) |
Released in August 1970, the film drew attention for its frank depictions of violence, specifically its graphic final sequence. Some film scholars have cited Soldier Blue as a critique of America's "archetypal art form [the Western]," with other interpretations ranging from it being an anti-war picture to an exploitation film.