- There are two versions of this film, Robert Aldrich's print (RA) and Burt Lancaster's (BL) print. There are many subtle differences between the two although the overall running times are similar and most of the changes involve alterations of shots or lines of dialog within scenes. In the UK the Lancaster version was released on VHS and the Aldrich version on DVD (same as the US version) The major differences versions are: (a) The Aldrich version has an opening scene (before the credits) showing Ulzana leaving the reservation. This is missing from the Lancaster print. (b) The BL version deletes almost all shots of Burt Lancaster's Indian woman - played by Aimee Eccles (c) The BL version has a scene showing the two troopers pursuing the wounded Indian, The off-screen Indian kills one of them with rifle fire and the survivor rides away. This is missing from the RA print therefore creating more ambiguity as to what actually happened when the survivor returns. (d) The scene in which the rape victim plunges herself in the river is longer in the RA version and she refers to herself trying to "wash it off". In the BL version, the scene is abridged to suggest only suicide.
- The DVD version released in Brazil in 2003 by Universal runs only 99 minutes. Burt Lancaster's Indian wife appears merely in the window watching him when he departs.
- Aldrich's version runs 103 minutes and was the version released in the USA. Burt Lancaster prepared a different version (102 minutes) for European release, deleting some scenes, restoring others from the cutting room floor, rescoring some of the music. This version was released in the UK, though the British censor made some cuts to it. These are largely restored to the video release, apart from some horsefalls (totalling 45 seconds). The version show several times by BBC television is Aldrich's version, with the horsefalls restored, but some censor cuts made by the BBC themselves.
- For the original cinema release cuts were made to edit some violent scenes, including the shots of Willy Rukeyser's mutilated body and the scene where the Indians throw the trooper's severed heart to each other, and these were restored to later releases. The UK DVD (and previous VHS) were cut by the BBFC to remove various horse falls. The cuts are very noticeable and render some scenes nonsensical. They are as follows:
- when the Indians shoot the horse of the trooper rescuing the boy
- two horse falls removed when Burt Lancaster uses a rifle to bring down two Indians, including Ulzana's son
- The subsequent return of fire in which Lancaster's horse is brought down
- At the end, when the Indians attack the wagon party, they direct two horses into a small canyon and bring them down with a rope stretched across the trail. The German R2 DVD (identical to the UK DVD in terms of content including an English language soundtrack) is uncut and includes all the horse falls.
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