Such a frustrating disappointment

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Born in Brest,Britanny ,and recently deceased,Pierre Brice is a French actor who is virtually unknown in his native country whereas he is considered an icon in Germany;his resemblance with Alain Delon was probably the main reason which led him to work abroad;the only movie of his which is frequently broadcast on French TV is a horror classic ("Il Mulino Delle Donne Di Piétra"="Le Moulin Des Supplices" ).But,although played by a French actor,Winnetou is not part of French popular culture:Pierre Brice,a Breton ,achieved ,however ,a hard task:portraying an Indian without being ludicrous ,as so many of his peers ;he is not only credible,but he retains dignity and greatness. His legendary friendship with Old Shatterhand (Lex Barker) will be a long time coming but they will become blood brothers -and almost brothers-in-law ,a la "broken arrow" ,had the screenwriters saved Marie Versini's squaw .Action scenes are well directed ,with a good sense of space ;the only irksome character is the photographer ,a very bad comic relief.It's all the more pointless since Shatterhand's mates do not take their fate seriously ,even tied to the torture post .Best scene : Shatterhand ,on the canoe compared by Winnetou to an old toothless squaw for he's made a hole in it,trying to row the boat ashore near the sacred totem.

WINNETOU, 1963, in MemoriumBy Alex Dusty-Foot Deleon (Honorary Cheyenne)A classic German Western filmed in Jugoslavia. Viewed on Austrian TV, June 14, 2015. I knew that a German writer by the name of Karl May was an extremely popular writer of American westerns in Germany, and that a number of films based on his iconic "Apache" hero Winnetou had been made, but I had never seen one. When French actor Pierre Brice who incarned Apache chieftain Winnetou in many films, passed away last week (June 6) at age 86 it was big news in the German language press and a series of his films are now on TV here in respectful memorium. Pierre-Louis Baron de Bris (6 February 1929 – 6 June 2015), known as Pierre Brice, was a French actor, best-known as fictional Apache-chief Winnetou in German Karl May films.On Sunday in my hotel room I dutifully watched the most famous one "Winnetou, Part I" also known as "Apache Gold", and was most pleasantly surprised -- former Tarzan Lex Barker, dressed in buckskin and speaking flawless German, great "western" scenery filmed in Jugoslavia (-- shall we call it a Slivović Western) -- great authentic looking costumes and Teepees, good Indians vs evil Paleface intruders, lots of equestrian action and rousing shootouts, lovely Indian damsel in distress, Handsome Lex Barker blood- Brothering with Staunch heroic French Apache warrior Winnetou -- everything you could possibly want from a Western, and a rousing musical score to boot.Extremely refreshing. Can't wait to see WINNETOU 2 and 3.Okay, these Apaches looked more like Plains Indians than Southwest desert Apaches and did not speak Tonto mumbo-jumbo like Jlay Silverheels who played TONTO in The Lone Ranger series but was an authentic Canadian Iroquois -- -- and all the Indians looked pretty much like painted Caucasians, but -- Who cares? -- when so much fun is to be had!Winnetou is a made-up name not in reality associated with the Apache or any other Amerindian language, but the films became so popular that Winnetou is an acceptable official name in Germany. Et alors ... Was denn!Ps: An adviser from Los Angeles suggests calling it a "Sauerkraut Western" to avoid confusion with the better known Spaghetti variety. Why not ...Gettemupp Scalp!.

To my mind, "Winnetou I" is the second from the best movies about Winnetou after "Old Shatterhand" ("Apache's last battle"). These movies are different. "Winnetou I" or "Apache's gold" is very romantic, a nice fairy-tale about noble and human Indian and his blood brother. It's idealized story, far from cruel reality. "Old Shatterhand" has some similar features, but it is more realistic. However, I can see both these movies after 40 or 35 years with pleasure despite of the naiveness of both these films as examples of excellent cinema art reminding me about ideals of childhood and youth. Director Harald Reinl is a great master of romantic cinema. This movie is very beautiful with a great deal of poetic. A beauty of nature (filmed in Croatia) is a background for romantic drama. Two contrasting actors - Pierre Brice (Winnetou) and Lex Barker (Shatterhand) - looks excellent together. To my mind, this is the best Barker's movie: he acts with true passion. Unfortunately, he lost it in last Winnetou's movies.. Pierre Brice is very intelligent actor with a good taste and wit some mystery in his noble face. This mystery makes him very attractive. Marie Versini's Nscho-tschi is the best Indian woman I see in the European westerns. He looks excellent alongside Pierre Brice and his acting is touching. Mario Adorf is very strong as villain Santer, Ralf Wolter's comical characterisation is also very good. And music (Martin Boettcher) is very beautiful. .

Arguably the start of the notable German Western cycle of the 60's, along with Treasure of the Silver Lake (Der Schatz I'm Silbersee of the previous year). In this early adaption of the tremendously successful Karl May novels which formed the backbone of the series, Ex Tarzan Lex Barker, blonde hair slicked back in vague echo of Kirk Douglas, plays Old Shatterhand. French actor Pierre Brice is Winnetou, good Apache, his Indian blood brother. Unlike the cynicism of the Spaghetti Westerns which followed shortly afterwards, the German version is backward looking - nostalgic, perhaps, for the more simplistic and romantic version of the genre, common in Hollywood before the psychological complications wrought by the 50's. Thus Shatterhand and Winnetou are more Lone Ranger and Tonto than Trinità and Bambino. The present film is fully equal of its rivals elsewhere on the continent in recreating the old west in mid europe, wagon trains marauding indians and all. Winnetou 1 also has the distinction of a marvellous score by Martin Bottcher, its sweeping main theme instantly memorable and looks superb in the widescreen transfer. Recent months have seen the release of three or four boxes of the films featuring Winnetou et al, with another one including the 1980's TV series, also worth investigating. However prospective buyers should note that the English dialogue/subtitling is not consistent; box 1 for instance only has 2 out of the 4 films in English while even in those that do minor characters and small scenes often lapse back into German - not a problem when the plot is relatively straightforward but unless bought cheaply the annoyance is enough to dampen a full recommendation of a greatly entertaining series of films hardly known to western fans, at least in the UK.