Saturday 14 January 2012

A Man Called Horse

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Year:1970
Country of origin:USA
Director:Elliot Silverstein
Genre:Thinking man's Western
Starring:Richard Harris, Judith Anderson
Rating:4/5
IMDB link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066049/
Tagline:A man called "Horse" becomes an Indian warrior in the most electrifying ritual ever seen!
Favourite line:"I am not a horse!"

Richard Harris plays an English nobleman, spending time in America during the 19th Century, hunting game. He is captured by a tribe of Indians, and treated as a slave. Gradually, through means of fumbled communication, and by enduring several challenges and tests, he becomes accepted as one of their own, and even helps lead the repulsion of a rival tribe.

Harris is excellent in the lead role, playing both nobleman and hardened warrior well.
The most interersting point of the movie is the general lack of dialogue. The Native Americans speak in their own tongue, which Harris' character does not understand at all to begin with, and no attempt is made by the director to enlighten the viewer as to what is being said.
A brave, and incredibly forward thinking decision.
As a result you, as the viewer, are propelled into Harris' world, where strange language and bizarre rituals have to be observed carefully before they can be understood.
Dated, for sure, but this is still an interesting movie, and the fact that the two hour running time passes in the blink of an eye seems to indicate it is also engrossing.

Well worth the effort.

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