Representation of Blacks:Buffalo Soldiers(1997)

This time I was thinking about something else in mind than a Civil war movie to present the representation of blacks.Although,this movie is not
about Civil war it takes place years after that with Buffalo Soldiers (1997) in focus along with Indians. I chose this particular film as the next stop
toward my final conclusion for it contains an even stronger racial fill than we saw in the previous movie called Glory. Racial tension, discrimination and prejudice is all over the place in this remarkable adaptation.

Buffalo soldiers is a fact based story about the all-black US Cavalry Troop H which protected the Western territories in post-Civil War times. The story focuses on the troops attempts to capture an Apache warrior named Vittorio who slaughters the settlers in New Mexico. The film examines the racial tensions that existed between the black soldiers and some of the white soldiers and the truths about the Indian invaders.(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118790/plotsummary)

Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, late 1800's and during the American Indian Wars, Buffalo Soldiers tackles on the issues of genocide, slavery and racism, with an intrinsic and methodical approach.Right at the very beginning, we meet the first striking scene of Texas Rangers hanging innocent Apache Indians for the reason of getting information out of them concerning Victorio's whereabouts.This is when First Sergeant Wyatt Washington appears and saves and then arrests the rangers -whom later would be let free to go.When Wyatt accuses the ranger of being a murderer,his answer was "Murder?" by referring to the fact that killing an Indian does not even belong to the category of murder.After returning to the fort,we overhear a conversation between General Pike and the commander of the 10th cavalry,Benjamin Grierson in which the general announces that the "experiement with colored troops is doomed to be a failure" and the commander,by taking charge of this cavalry unit only digs his own grave and it is nothing more than a waste of time.But the commander is fully committed and truthfully believes and constantly fights for the reputation of his regiment.

My reader might be confused by reading me changing between scenes so frequently but one thing that should be understood is that the essence of the movie is in its different scenes where certain words and sentences are hinted, constantly reminding us that this story is not going to be as romanticizing as the Glory was for it introduces us to the harsh realities of being a black soldier.Not only they were not acknowledged as a regular force but also were seen as slaves carrying out the master plan of the government as Pike's Scout,John Horse-half indian,half black- pointed out to the company of black soldiers by saying:
"They'll endure you until they wiped all tribes from the slate with our blood".I guess this tells a lot but Wyatt is not the kind of man who,as a First Sergeant- who worked so hard to get higher in the military rank- can accept this and he strongly believes in the military code and thoroughout the movie,from the very beginning to the very end, he seems to follow them.In the final scene,however,his human side comes out and spares the life of Victorio's and his Mescaleroes.

What we must necessarily see in this movie is that the whole story is shown from the point of view of not one person or regiment but from multiple perspectives which give us a lot of insight into the matters of the contemporary age.Wyatt Washington,black himself,strictly follows the Army Etiquette and he seems to be really good at it just like any other white officer.His stubborn commitment to the military rules and ranks -while others begin to doubt in his capabilities as an officer when he was about kill a whole tribe just because it was an order - is the evidence of his dedication to prove that his race is as capable of carrying out orders as their white counterparts.

According to various sources,the movie is very near the historical fact.Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.The nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by the Native American tribes they fought; the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866: Although several African-American regiments were raised during the Civil War to fight alongside the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments as we could see in the previous movie,Glory), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army.

In a nutshell,this film was a huge success among a small range of audiences for it was shown only on TV.But it was nominated for many awards for its historical faithfullness as well as for its depiction of African-Americans and their treatment in the military.Although,not specifically a civil war movie,it proved to be telling a lot about race for the whole movie is about the constant racial question ranging from officers to Indians.The sad thing is that both the treatment of blacks and Indians was cruel and negroes were only looked at as a regiment which can be deployed at any time when casualties seem to be high and would cost the lives of many whites.Is this cruel enough?I guess it is.

Sources:

1.https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100214030120AAdbXCc

2.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118790/plotsummary

3.https://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=8306