Some reviews say his character is half-Apache. I understood the story to be saying that he was simply taken captive as a child and raised by the Apaches. Either way, he carries internal conflict. I ve always liked Boone s work, although his character in this film isn t a hero.
Every drama involves some kind of conflict.
Most movies are content with presenting a simple two-sided conflict, but the one in this story is multifaceted. The stagecoach is a microcosm of humanity, with all its best and worst qualities. There s implied nonmarital sex. There are a number of killings with firearms. There s a central conflict between Russell and Dr. Favor over the issue of Favor starving the Apaches on the reservation and embezzling their food money.