The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Jack DeWitt (written by)
Dorothy M. Johnson (characters)

Release Date:

4 August 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Drama

Plot:

The English gentleman known as Horse, returns to the American west to save his adopted Indian tribe from extinction.

Plot Keywords:

Ritual | Sioux | Sequel | Ceremony | Second Part

Cast

Richard Harris	...	John Morgan
Gale Sondergaard	...	Elk Woman
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Zenas
William Lucking	...	Tom Gryce (as Bill Lucking)
Jorge Luke	...	Running Bull
Jorge Russek	...	Blacksmith
Claudio Brook	...	Chemin De Fer (as Claudio Brooke)
Enrique Lucero	...	Raven
Regino Herrera	...	Lame Wolf
Pedro Damián	...	Standing Bear (as Pedro Damian)
Humberto López	...	Thin Dog (as Humberto Lopez)
Alberto Mariscal	...	Red Cloud
Eugenia Dolores	...	Brown Dove
Patricia Reyes Spíndola	...	Gray Thorn
Ana De Sade	...	Moon Star

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating, cut) | UK:AA (theatrical release, cut) | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Custer State Park - 13329 U.S. Highway 16A, Custer, South Dakota, USA

Company:

Sandy Howard Productions

Trivia:

On account of this film, which George Lucas found to be better than its predecessor, he hired Irvin Kershner to direct Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Movie Connections:

Followed by Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1982)

Not quite as interesting and more conventional, but also more fun than the first movie

The first sequel to A Man Called Horse {there was another one a few years later which turned out to be something of a disappointment} is a much more conventional adventure movie. This does not mean it's bad,not at all,in fact it's probably more enjoyable. There's more English language dialogue,The Sioux dialogue is subtitled instead of just being incomprehensible to those who don't know Sioux,and it follows a familiar action movie structure and scenario. It just lacks the originality and edge of the original,where we were exploring an unfamiliar culture and weren't sure all the time if we liked everything about it. Disappontingly,none of the Sioux in the first film appear to return.

Well directed by Irvin Kershner,generally a journeyman director who occasionally excelled himself {i.e.The Empire Strikes Back},it has a fantastic cut early on from violence in the wild west to fox hunting in England,a different kind of savagery. The early scenes do a really good job of showing the film's hero,again well played by Richard Harris,as a man who appears to have everything-a title,a big house,a wife,etc} but inside is empty because he was only truly himself when he was with the Sioux. The first half of the film is leisurely,and has a re-run of the Sun Vow ritual of the first film,but longer and more graphic. But it's essential to the film,especially the vision Harris has of meeting himself as an old man.

The film's second half is mostly conventional if well staged action fare,although Harris looks out of place riding with the Sioux in western clothes-surely he would have dressed like one of them? Laurence Rosenthal's soaring score is wonderful and,in contrast with the more authentic sounding music of the first film,is more evidence that the filmmakers were generally going for a more romanticised approach. On that level,this sometimes rousing follow up works well.