A Western war movie from the director of The Dirty Dozen is on TV tonight

Quentin Tarantino has hailed it as 'one of the greatest Westerns of the '70s'.

Based loosely on true events, the film is set in the 1880s and follows Lt. DeBuin (Bruce Davison), a young officer in the US Army Cavalry.

DeBuin is given a small company to track down the ruthless Apache leader Ulzana (Joaquin Martinez), after he leaves his reservation with a band of followers.

Accompanying the lieutenant's troop is McIntosh (Burt Lancaster), an experienced scout, and Ke-Ni-Tay (Jorge Luke), an Apache guide.

As DeBuin's mission descends into violence, the young officer is compelled to learn from the older, grizzled McIntosh and to confront his own naivety and hidden prejudices.

Though not a hit at the time of release, the reputation of Ulzana's Raid has grown in the decades since.

In particular, Aldrich's gritty direction and the movie's screenplay by Alan Sharp, showing how violence begets violence, have been singled out for praise.

Regarding the latter, many view the Western as an allegory for America's war with Vietnam.

One noteworthy admirer of Ulzana's Raid is beloved filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who has called it "one of the greatest Westerns of the '70s".

The Western war movie is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend Xtra at 9pm.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Blood Diamond - RTÉ2 - 9pm

Smuggler Danny Archer ends up in prison in war-torn Sierra Leone in 1999, where he meets Solomon, a Mende fisherman separated from his family by guerrillas.

Flightplan - Virgin Media Two - 12.05am

Thriller, starring Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Sean Bean and Greta Scacchi.

Last Night in Soho - Channel 4 - 10pm

An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer.

Bite the Bullet - Legend - 5.25pm

A newspaper organises a gruelling 700-mile horse race across the wilderness, with a substantial cash prize at stake.