The Battle at Elderbush Gulch (1913)

Synopsis: A small incident causes a white man to shoot a Native American. That in turn triggers an attack of big proportions by the dead man's tribe.
Appraisal: There is no way to deny the excellence of this picture for the era's standards. It is rare to see action sequences so well directed. There is a certain bias against the Indians, but on a closer look it derives more from the chosen point of view, which is predominantly that of the white men, than from a real ethical judgement. What I mean is: there is nothing in the film that clearly states that the white men are "right" and the Native Americans are "wrong". Of course, it would be unacceptable by today's standards but I do not think it is productive to enforce those standards retroactively.