A great modern western
In 1970 the western was released in cinemas A man called horse. It is directed by Elliot Silverstein, who had already made a name for himself in 1965 with his first feature film, the western comedy Ballou cat with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, great critical and commercial success. A Man Called Horsehis third theatrical film, is not a comedy western, but a New Hollywood style western with his in particular hallucinatory sequence, an indicator of the counterculture of the time. Above all, A Man Called Horse stands out for its history and his shared point of view.
While hunting in the northwest of the United States, John Morgan, an English lord, is captured by Sioux Indians. He owes his salvation only to the chief of the tribe, Yellow Hand, who decides to offer him as a slave to his mother. Tired of being considered a common horse, John tries to escape, in vain. He then meets Batise, a mixed-race prisoner, who teaches him the Sioux way of life and gradually falls under the spell of Running Dear, Yellow Hand’s sister…
The first American western with Native American protagonists
The role of John Morgan is played by Richard Harris, a legendary Irish actor known in particular for his performances in Rebels on the Bounty, Major Dundee, Camelot, killer whale, Ruthlessand during the last years of his life in Gladiator and the first two films Harry Potterin which he plays Albus silente.
Richard Harris plays the title roleA Man Called Horsebut he is not exactly the hero of this story, whose main protagonists are the Sioux. The language of the film is therefore both English and the Sioux language, and A man called horse strives to bring together the perspectives of white settlers and Native Americans.
It is the first western, with Little Big Man by Arthur Penn which came out a few months later, to offer a complete and rewarding vision Native Americans and their culture, until then used mainly as a folkloristic element of the western genre. On this point, John Morgan’s story can therefore be compared to that of Jack Crabb in Little Big Man and that of John Dunbar in Dancing with Wolves.
A very violent initiation rite sequence
First treated as a slave after his capture, John Morgan, aided by another prisoner from Quebec, will become familiar with the culture of this Indian tribe and learn their language. He ends up becoming one of them in his own right, after the “Sun Rite“, a particularly painful experience. In fact, during a ceremony, he was suspended by hooks planted in his chest and whirled under the sun.
The climax of the film, this sequence precedes that of a hallucination which definitively completes his initiation into the Sioux culture.
Although the film was a critical and commercial success, its desire to be “authentic” in its depiction of Native American culture did not prevent it from being sloppy in some of its aspects. As such, Native American audiences were not convinced. A Man Named Horsealso disappointed that the main female cast (Judith Anderson and Corinna Tsopei) are played by non-natives.
Two sequels were produced, with Richard Harris reprising his role as John Morgan, The revenge of a man called Horse in 1976 and The triumph of a man called horse in 1983.
Source: Cine Serie
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