In Two Flags West, director Robert Wise transforms a rather average story about Confederate POWs joining the US cavalry in exchange for clemency into a surprisingly effective psychological study of two stubborn, patriotic men. The first is Col. Clay Tucker, the commanding officer of a group of captured members of the Confederate 5th Georgia Cavalry. With his men sick and dying in a Yankee prison, he is faced with a devastating choice: stick to his principles as a Confederate and let his men die or change sides, fight for the Union on the frontier, and give his men a fighting chance at survival and, perhaps, escape. With great reluctance, he convinces his men to accept the Union's offer. The second main character is Major Henry Kenniston, the commander of Fort Thorn, New Mexico, the home of the Union 3rd Cavalry and the destination for the newly galvanized Confederates. Kenniston, while patriotic, is furious being sent to the frontier after he was wounded earlier in the war. He is also plagued with feelings of confused lust and protectionism towards Elena, the widow of his brother. Elena is desperate to leave the Fort and travel West to be with her family, but Kenniston refuses, feeling it is his duty to protect her. Elena is one of the film's most tragic characters, essentially being used as a pawn in the power schemes of both Tucker and Kenniston. But the true meat of the movie is in the relationship between Tucker and Kenniston. They engage in a truly fascinating duel of military intrigue. Kenniston knows that he can't trust Tucker and that he and his men will try to escape as soon as they can. And Tucker knows that Kenniston knows that he can't be trusted. And yet he tries to gain Kenniston's trust, a task which he knows may very well be impossible. His dilemma is exacerbated when he is approached by a Confederate spy and told that they will soon have a chance to escape. I enjoyed Two Flags West. It has plenty of intrigue, action, and a surprising amount of insight concerning Union abuses towards Native Americans and Confederate prisoners.
7/10
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