This is probably one of the most popular John Wayne "Westerns" ever made and it deserves its place in cinema history . . . in spite of the fact that the Casting Director obviously never read a single contemporary  account describing  Cochise's physical appearance.  How else would this stocky, broad-nosed Mexicano  been given this most important part?  

Having said that, however, Miguel Inclán's portrayal does not fall short in every aspect, and neither did the script.  The story itself  of course is fictional, though it draws broadly on general "truths" with respect to how the Apache's were treated in Arizona, and John Wayne's character in some ways is a Jeffords-like figure.  Cochise's demeanor in the few close-up scenes he has is dignified and radiates great personal power.   His confident, imbittered speech to Henry Fonda's miserably disrespectful Lt. Thursday rang true, consistent with Cochise's fondness for recounting all past wrongs inflicted on his People just about every time he had the chance to bend an American ear.  But this actor's voice is just too course and gravelled for my taste.  Though no one can presume to know what Cochise's voice sounded like, my money would go on it's having been strong and resonant.  

Another nice touch is that John Ford avoided having the Apaches speak English -- opting instead for fluent Spanish, which was interpreted during the pivotal parlays.   The real Cochise, it is known, did have a knowledge of Spanish, though I doubt he was able to rattle off the shotgun variety that this Cochise launches into.

Cochise appears near the end of the movie, in only a couple of scenes, leading to the story's ultimate ending when he reacts poorly to having been insulted to the core by Fort Apache's new commander, Lt. Thursday, played to perfection by Henry Fonda.  Had anyone in real life spoken in such a way to Cochise, there is little doubt that a similar fate would have befallen them.   It is to the credit of the screenwirters that Cochise spared the life of Wayne's character and one other man, who had obviously shared Wayne's respect for the Apache people.  Still, there was no sentimentality to this moving scene.