Season of the Flicks - Winterhawk review

Season of the Flicks

WINTERHAWK
By Thurman Bear

Once more Indian people are set upon by Hollywood, only this time instead of John Wayne it's Charles Pierce (who wrote, produced, and directed this mess) and actor Michael Dante who wield the stereotypical tomahawk in reverse. On the face Indians are supposed to be positively portrayed. Strip away the fantastic scenery, a poetic prologue, and the romanticism inherent in Hollywood's great unwashed liberal set, however, and racism abounds.

The main character is a white guy (of course!) named Michael Dante – Dan't or can’t. (Whatever happened to Ray Danlton?) He has a 5:00 o'clock shadow, poor make-up, and a wig straight from Frederick's of Hollywood. He apparently has had training in speech from other experienced "actors," since he speaks English with a John Wayne accent and talks "Indian" even worse. It's as if he lost his script and can’t see his idiot cards.

There are some dramatic slow motion shots of Dante racing his horse across the screen, hair and fringe flowing freely and his blanket flapping in the breeze, exposing his saddle complete with metal stirrups – not bad for someone who is billed as never trading with the white man in the beginning of the movie. Other shots of Dante have him looking off into the distance with the proper head tilt and angle, revealing his training in the Jay Silverheels "Iron Eyes" Cody School of Stoic – a real thousand mile stare.

The plot: Indians get sick, ask for help, Indians get ambushed and ripped off, Indians kidnap woman and boy, Father chases Indians, Boy gets hurt, Father takes Boy home, Woman and Indian ride off. There is a hint of happily ever after, but we have to make our own assumptions as the movie simply ends with them turning in the direction of the sunset.

There are some Indian actors and one actress, Sacheen Littlefeather, does a rape scene and shows off her legs, unfortunate for you Penthouse fans who have seen more of her before. The Indian actors, to their credit, use no saddles, but they allow themselves to be run about nearly naked to fulfill the image of shrieking naked savages so necessary for a Hollywood western.

Technically the movie is poor, editing is sloppy, the actors are wooden and the WINTER-HAWK theme is borrowed from BATMAN. If you can catch the $1.00 cheapo matinee go for the laugh, but if you want to spend $3.00 or $3.50 go see "Cuckoo's Nest" – the Indian there is much more real and believable.