"Ulzana" is an East German western film from over 40 years ago that was written and directed by Gottfried Kolditz, one of the country's most famous filmmakers. He got help on the script by his lead actor Gojko Mitic here and Mitic was basically known as the GDR version of Winnetou back then. This movie is already over 40 years old and certainly very different compared to what the United States came up with in western films back then, but this does not mean necessarily that it is inferior to most of them. And I personally believe it is better than Winnetou having seen some of the FRG's films from back then. Pierre Brice just wasn't a bad actor and the lack of shades made these occasionally painful to watch. I also think in terms of pure western action, this one has more to offer and it's surprisingly graphic and in your face with the violence and shooting scenes. I believe this is a good thing. And I also believe you should watch "Apaches" first, the prequel to this 90-minute film here, also starring Gojko Mitic as the title character Ulzana. If you like that one, then you will probably enjoy this one too. The villains are interesting, the good guys are fun to watch as well. I would not call any of these two films a really great viewing experience, but they sure had their moments and overall I believe the good outweighs the bad and that's all I could ask for. Thumbs up, definitely one of the better films the GDR has come up with.
Review of Ulzana
