This TV movie premiered the same week that Walter Hill's Geronimo opened in cinemas. Drawing on historical records and American Indian traditions, director Roger Young's account somewhat distorts the facts in its effort to avoid the clichéd movie depiction of the great Chiricahua Apache warrior and his methods. The three leads perform admirably in depicting Goyathalay (to give him his real name) during key episodes in 1829-1909: his teenage encounter with the Mexican army; his infamous battles with the US cavalry; and his despairing old age, as he witnesses the life he had fought for slowly disappearing.

The story of the greatest Native American warrior who, together with the rest of his Apache tribesmen, defied American and Mexican Armies in 1867. Finally caught and sent to a reservation camp, he eluded a military force of 5000 for 18 months before finally surrendering to the government.