Apaches (Public Information Film)
Encyclopedia
Apaches is the title of a Public Information Film
(PIF) made in the UK
in 1977. Produced by the Central Office Of Information (COI) for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was shown extensively in the Southern, Anglia
and Westward
areas, before being shown either on film or videocassette in primary schools. The 26 minute-long film deals with the subject of the dangers to children on farm
s, and has been seen in schools all over Britain, as well as Canada, Australia and the United States. The timeframe of the film is somewhat confusing, giving a surreal
feeling to the events portrayed. Written by Neville Smith
and directed by John Mackenzie (the children are not credited and remain unidentified to this day), Apaches is now one of the most notorious public information films of all time.
The film, which dovetails the narrative conventions of the western
with PIFs, follows the misadventures of a group of six young children (Kim, Sharon, Michael, Danny, Robert and Tom) in a rural British
village, who enjoy playing on a nearby farm. Throughout the film the children play at being "Apache
warriors", hence the film title. All but one die in various shocking accidents, largely due to the children's carelessness, suggesting that the children would still be alive if they had known what dangers lay ahead. Other commentators have suggested however that the adults were also responsible, as they appear several times and don't attempt to stop the children.
") introduces the viewer to his friends. We see the children playing while, back at Danny's house, a tea party is being prepared for them. As the farmer opens a gate and drives his tractor
through the field where the children are playing, Kim jumps up onto the trailer part, shouting to her friends. She falls off and is run over by the tractor, and the camera focuses on the horrified expressions of the other children, followed by close-ups of a large pool of blood on the ground and a broken toy gun. We then see the class teacher back at the children's school
, removing the name tag from the storage peg for Kim's coat.
In the next scene, the children are playing in the fields again as their parents prepare to go to the tea party. The boys want to play kick the can
but the game changes to Football instead. While hiding from Danny, Tom walks along the top of the fence surrounding the slurry
pit, but falls in. As he calls out for his friends, he is shown to slowly sink into the slurry and drown. We see that the children at the village school have been given a day off because of his death, and the class teacher is shown removing the books from Tom's desk.
Back at Danny's house, the table is being set for the children's party, and the children are again playing at being "Apaches." When the game finishes, the children wander into an equipment shed, and Danny picks up a bottle of chemicals, suggesting they "celebrate our victories by drinking the white man's fire water." (The design of the bottle suggests that it is weedkiller, possibly Paraquat
.) The contents are poured into a mug but the more cautious Michael points out that they don't know if this would be dangerous to drink. The children discuss whether or not the contents might be poisonous, and pass the mug around to sniff. They agree to mime-drink it just in case. Sharon takes the mug and accidentally swallows some of the liquid; she spits it out and seems to be fine, but as the children go home, she is seen coughing and looks unwell. Later that night, Sharon is heard screaming for her mother; the next shot is of her parents clearing out what had been their daughter's bedroom, with a close up of the now empty bed. Danny comments that he does not understand why grown-ups drink. His parents pour whiskey from a bottle that looks exactly like the one Sharon drank from, showing how easy it would be for a child to mistake them.
Later, the remaining children are again playing in the fields, and one of them narrowly avoids being run over by a tractor like the first victim. They are chasing each other, pretending to be characters from the television series Starsky and Hutch
, when Michael accidentally dislodges a heavy iron gate and Robert is crushed beneath it. The camera focuses on the shocked expressions of the other two children as they watch the lifeless body, blood streaming from the ear, as more people arrive for the party.
There are now only two children left, and Danny decides to go off on his own. He walks through the cemetery
where his friends are buried, and meets some farmworkers at the top of the hill going for their break. He asks if he can sit on the tractor, and the driver says yes - but to be careful. In voiceover, Danny as "Geronimo" states that there will always be hope for the Apaches as long as one of them is left alive. He plays behind the wheel pretending to be driving a racing car but accidentally releases the handbrake, and it careers down the slope as the farmer rushes to help him. The exterior of the tractor is shown as the camera focuses on the body of Danny in the tractor (it is assumed that the boy may have snapped his neck when the tractor crashed). His parents are then shown in his empty bedroom, the mother sits miserably in the room shaken by the events.
There are funeral scenes of Danny's coffin being buried as the vicar commits him to the ground, before the mourners move on to the wake
. Danny, whom we now know to be dead, talks calmly about his family all arriving for the "party" being prepared earlier in the film. Michael, also present, is revealed to be Danny's cousin - the only child not to have been killed by his own reckless behaviour, despite Danny having described Michael as "daft". Danny's voice fades into a ghostly echo as he sadly says he wishes he could have gone to the party.
Closing credits show a long list of real children who had died in actual farm accidents in the year before the film was made.
Public information film
Public Information Films are a series of government commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the UK. The US equivalent is the Public Service Announcement .-Subjects:...
(PIF) made in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1977. Produced by the Central Office Of Information (COI) for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was shown extensively in the Southern, Anglia
Anglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
and Westward
Westward Television
Westward Television was the first ITV franchise holder for the South West of England from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. After a difficult start, Westward provided a popular, distinctive and highly regarded service to its region, until public boardroom squabbles led to its franchise not...
areas, before being shown either on film or videocassette in primary schools. The 26 minute-long film deals with the subject of the dangers to children on farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, and has been seen in schools all over Britain, as well as Canada, Australia and the United States. The timeframe of the film is somewhat confusing, giving a surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
feeling to the events portrayed. Written by Neville Smith
Neville Smith
Neville Smith is a British screenwriter and actor who has contributed to numerous television productions and movies between 1964 and 1990....
and directed by John Mackenzie (the children are not credited and remain unidentified to this day), Apaches is now one of the most notorious public information films of all time.
The film, which dovetails the narrative conventions of the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
with PIFs, follows the misadventures of a group of six young children (Kim, Sharon, Michael, Danny, Robert and Tom) in a rural British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
village, who enjoy playing on a nearby farm. Throughout the film the children play at being "Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
warriors", hence the film title. All but one die in various shocking accidents, largely due to the children's carelessness, suggesting that the children would still be alive if they had known what dangers lay ahead. Other commentators have suggested however that the adults were also responsible, as they appear several times and don't attempt to stop the children.
Plot
At the start of the film the narrator, Danny (who calls himself "GeronimoGeronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
") introduces the viewer to his friends. We see the children playing while, back at Danny's house, a tea party is being prepared for them. As the farmer opens a gate and drives his tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
through the field where the children are playing, Kim jumps up onto the trailer part, shouting to her friends. She falls off and is run over by the tractor, and the camera focuses on the horrified expressions of the other children, followed by close-ups of a large pool of blood on the ground and a broken toy gun. We then see the class teacher back at the children's school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, removing the name tag from the storage peg for Kim's coat.
In the next scene, the children are playing in the fields again as their parents prepare to go to the tea party. The boys want to play kick the can
Kick the can
Tip the can is a children's game related to tag, hide and seek, and capture the flag which can be played outdoors, with as many as three to a few dozen players...
but the game changes to Football instead. While hiding from Danny, Tom walks along the top of the fence surrounding the slurry
Slurry
A slurry is, in general, a thick suspension of solids in a liquid.-Examples of slurries:Examples of slurries include:* Lahars* A mixture of water and cement to form concrete* A mixture of water, gelling agent, and oxidizers used as an explosive...
pit, but falls in. As he calls out for his friends, he is shown to slowly sink into the slurry and drown. We see that the children at the village school have been given a day off because of his death, and the class teacher is shown removing the books from Tom's desk.
Back at Danny's house, the table is being set for the children's party, and the children are again playing at being "Apaches." When the game finishes, the children wander into an equipment shed, and Danny picks up a bottle of chemicals, suggesting they "celebrate our victories by drinking the white man's fire water." (The design of the bottle suggests that it is weedkiller, possibly Paraquat
Paraquat
Paraquat is the trade name for N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride, one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. Paraquat, a viologen, is quick-acting and non-selective, killing green plant tissue on contact. It is also toxic to human beings and animals...
.) The contents are poured into a mug but the more cautious Michael points out that they don't know if this would be dangerous to drink. The children discuss whether or not the contents might be poisonous, and pass the mug around to sniff. They agree to mime-drink it just in case. Sharon takes the mug and accidentally swallows some of the liquid; she spits it out and seems to be fine, but as the children go home, she is seen coughing and looks unwell. Later that night, Sharon is heard screaming for her mother; the next shot is of her parents clearing out what had been their daughter's bedroom, with a close up of the now empty bed. Danny comments that he does not understand why grown-ups drink. His parents pour whiskey from a bottle that looks exactly like the one Sharon drank from, showing how easy it would be for a child to mistake them.
Later, the remaining children are again playing in the fields, and one of them narrowly avoids being run over by a tractor like the first victim. They are chasing each other, pretending to be characters from the television series Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, when Michael accidentally dislodges a heavy iron gate and Robert is crushed beneath it. The camera focuses on the shocked expressions of the other two children as they watch the lifeless body, blood streaming from the ear, as more people arrive for the party.
There are now only two children left, and Danny decides to go off on his own. He walks through the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
where his friends are buried, and meets some farmworkers at the top of the hill going for their break. He asks if he can sit on the tractor, and the driver says yes - but to be careful. In voiceover, Danny as "Geronimo" states that there will always be hope for the Apaches as long as one of them is left alive. He plays behind the wheel pretending to be driving a racing car but accidentally releases the handbrake, and it careers down the slope as the farmer rushes to help him. The exterior of the tractor is shown as the camera focuses on the body of Danny in the tractor (it is assumed that the boy may have snapped his neck when the tractor crashed). His parents are then shown in his empty bedroom, the mother sits miserably in the room shaken by the events.
There are funeral scenes of Danny's coffin being buried as the vicar commits him to the ground, before the mourners move on to the wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
. Danny, whom we now know to be dead, talks calmly about his family all arriving for the "party" being prepared earlier in the film. Michael, also present, is revealed to be Danny's cousin - the only child not to have been killed by his own reckless behaviour, despite Danny having described Michael as "daft". Danny's voice fades into a ghostly echo as he sadly says he wishes he could have gone to the party.
Closing credits show a long list of real children who had died in actual farm accidents in the year before the film was made.