The Commies made their own westerns in the 1960s from the perspectives of the indians to condemn American Imperialism.
These have since been released in the West to home video on arty farty DVD labels.
http://firstrunfeatures.com/defawesterns.html
Westerns with a Twist is part of the DEFA Collection.
Like Spaghetti Westerns, the Red Westerns are classic American Westerns created far, far from the American West in this case, by Communist East Germanys legendary DEFA Film Studios. Turning the traditional American cowboy and indian movies on their head, these beautifully shot films made the Native Americans the heroes, and cast the American Army and white settlers as villains with obvious Cold War overtones.
Gojko Mitic, the famous Serbian actor, stuntman, director and author, stars in all three films.
Includes the films:
Apaches
The year is 1822, and the Mimbreno Apache Indians enter into an agreement with a Mexican mining company, relinquishing all mining rights and pledging the safety of the copper town of Santa Rita del Cobre. In return, the company guarantees the livelihood of the Indians, whose hunting grounds are fast disappearing. Unfortunately, American companies are also interested in the precious metal deposits, and the Apaches are ultimately massacred under their orders. On the eve of the Mexican-American war, Ulzana, a young Apache warrior, sets out to avenge the extermination of his tribe.
The Sons of Great Bear
When gold is discovered on lands belonging to a clan of the Dakota Indians, the area’s ruthless white settlers attempt to drive the Indians away, ultimately murdering the clan’s chief in front of his son, Tokei-ihto. Tokei-ihto refuses to move to a reservation in an infertile area with his tribe and is incarcerated. When the Dakota Indians have been defeated and resettled, he is released, and Tokei-ihto immediately sets out to avenge his father’s murder and reclaim his clan’s ancestral lands.
Chingachgook: The Great Snake
Based on James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Deerslayer. When English troops attempt to seize the French colonial settlements in North America in 1740, the local Indian tribes become involved as mercenaries - the Huron on the French side, and the Delawareans on the English side. Wahtawah, the daughter of the Delawarean chief, is promised to the young warrior Chingachgook, but before the nuptials can take place, the Huron raid the Delawarean camp and run off with Wahtawah. Together with his friend Deerslayer, Chingachgook sets out to free Wahtawah from her captors - and to convince the Huron that the war between the whites ought not concern the Indians.
“Westerns with a twist!” - The Hollywood Reporter
Links
Read That Was the Wild East: Film Culture, Unification, and the “New” Germany by Leonie Naughton
Read the rave review in the NY Sun...
This thread is about American Westerns, by Americans and for Americans, celebrating American virtues and gumption.
It is not about Communist westerns.
While watching these old western TV shows, one might notice the PC stuff being worked in gently during the early 1960s, and getting more heavy handed by the late 1960s.