Geronimo’s war paint was worn thin on his Apachereservation, long before moral ambiguity greased the tongue of Victor McLaglen’s “The Informer”(1935)
II
Turning to his archives, the Apache Chief scanned the moment:Zanuck’s “Prisoner of Shark Island”, staring Warner Baxter….Peter Lorre’s “M” in his search for moral ambiguity.
Greta Garbo’s “Mata Hari” demonstrates the crackling war paint on his role, living out his retirement on the Apache reservation. The fury of the mob was inescapable for Henry Fonda’s tossinga wrench in the mob’s lynching.. “The Ox bow Incident”
III
Geronimo reveling in his General Custer heroics, knew nothing of the white man’s moral ambiguity. He sent up smoke signals to his learned kimosabi, Tonto, who for years made a career as an alter ego for the Lone Ranger. Episodic ”to be continued” infilm, radio for what seemed a lifeline of an annuity.
Geronimo lit his bonfire. Using a worn out blanket from Bogey’s “Petrified Forest” and the covered wagon bow and arrow ambush of General Custer’s uniformed reinforcements in their wagon trains.
IV
Tonto in the throes of 20th century affluence, the digital revolution on hold, the planet engaged in the cyber space “cool”&awesome” data, boggling the mind into the Valhalla of director John Ford’s
“The Informer”
Tonto caught up in his mesmerizing role , saw the smoke signals from his So Ho high rise balcony. An address which unlike theGovernor’s Island wigwam turf of that tribe
that bartered Manhattan Island to the Dutch settlers, for a string of pearls, necklaces and slave bracelets.
Translating Geronimo’s smoke signals from their base on thereservation, he scored “Moral ambiguity” into his “outlaw”idiom.
V
The Taliban freed an American, captured in their Afghanistanonslaught. Five “gringo” years on bread and water, the Yankee of Idaho, was released from captivity in a bargain, his life exchanged for five heavy duty prisoners at Guantanamo prison.
VI
Tonto wearing his Apache head dress, interpreted the moralambiguity as a challenge to his entire idiom of identifying with alter ego roe playing.
“The “Informer” with Victor McLaglen, Muni’s “Fugitive from a chain gang”. Peter Lorre in “M”. “The Ox Bow Incident” starring Henry Fonda.
VII
Meanwhile Geronimo in Apache ‘s cyberspace, saw hiskimosabi’s smoke : the link of flicks he used to authenticate “moral ambiguity” on our minor planet. Fabric of flicks andscreen plays maturing, during the golden age of movies.
The argument t being that the prisoner was in no ways an authentic “Informer”: aA naive self pitying youth (“Red badge of Courage”) who gave himself up, surrendering to the enemy. Therefore the once fraternal company of buddies, who survived that stretch , could not authenticate the Sergeant’s capture.
“He voluntarily wished into his capture. He sought out hisTaliban. . Not a legitimate sacrifice. He was unable to come to grips with our authority. He had no “True Grit.”
VII
The prisoner exchange is morally ambiguous? Doesn’t the 9/11 ambush of 3000 innocents beg the question.
How could there be a tradeoff? Where was his street cred in aone for five prisoner exchange?
IX
Geronimo into Tonto’s smoke…..….”Sergeant’s street cred up in the air”
June 6, 2014. D Day 70 years ago, Normandy Beach, WW2.
