Winterhawk (1975)

Winterhawk: Directed by Charles B. Pierce. With Leif Erickson, Woody Strode, Denver Pyle, L.Q. Jones. In 1845 Montana, a Blackfoot Chief tries to buy a cure for his tribe’s small-pox infection but the white settlers are unsympathetic forcing the Indian Chief to resort to desperate measures.

“I absolutely donu0026#39;t agree with all the sour apple reviews of this movie. Yes, it definitely has its flaws, but on the whole, I love it – the stirring musical score, the Winterhawk song, the gorgeous scenery, the story, and especially the slow motion sequences displaying Michael Danteu0026#39;s dazzling horsemanship – which was why I saw it 7 times in the theater when it first came out. Well known Chicago film critic Roger Ebert gave this movie three stars! I definitely donu0026#39;t agree with all of Rogeru0026#39;s reviews. In fact, Iu0026#39;ve disagreed very strongly more often than not. But his review of Winterhawk was glowing! I suggest you read it!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMovies / Roger Ebert / October 8, 1975 u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Winterhawku0026quot; is a traditional Western, simply and well told, almost old-fashioned in the clarity of its narrative. An hour or so into it, thereu0026#39;s a scene where a group of mountain men are gathered around a campfire, drinking coffee and huddling beneath their blankets for warmth, and something about the look and sound of them reminded me of the classic Westerns of John Ford. This could, indeed, almost be a Western from 20 or 30 years ago, if it werenu0026#39;t for its sympathetic and evenhanded treatment of Indians. The movie takes place very early in the 19th Century, when most of the West was known only to its Indian inhabitants and a few white trappers and traders and mountain men: Neither the farmers nor the cowmen had arrived to start their disagreements. Thereu0026#39;s a good attempt to be halfway authentic in terms of the period (although the movieu0026#39;s women apparently have found a supply of eyeliner out there in the wilderness), and the characters arenu0026#39;t burdened with all the heavy symbolism, of latter-day Westerns. The story involves a Blackfoot chief, Winterhawk, who takes furs to trade with the white man in exchange for medicine to fight a smallpox epidemic thatu0026#39;s decimating his tribe. Heu0026#39;s double-crossed, his furs are stolen and, in revenge, he kidnaps a white woman and her young brother and disappears back into the mountains. Their trek leads them past all sorts of glorious scenery, accompanied by appropriately heroic music. The movieu0026#39;s great to look at. A pursuit party sets off to find Winterhawk and u0026quot;rescueu0026quot; the woman and boy (who increasingly donu0026#39;t seem to need rescuing), and the filmmaker, Charles Pierce populates the party and the stops along with way with a gallery of great Western character actors. You may not know them all by name – but, believe me, youu0026#39;ve seen them in the forts and stagecoaches and saloons and jails of countless Westerns: Denver Pyle, Lief Erickson, Woody Strode, Elisha Cook Jr., L. Q. Jones, Arthur Hunnicutt – the only ones missing are Strother Martin and good old Dub Taylor. Winterhawk is played by Michael Dante, who uses the strong-and-silent routine for all itu0026#39;s worth: It may be a cliché of a performance, but it works, and itu0026#39;s interesting for once to find a movie Indian who speaks in an Indian language that has to be translated for the other characters. He and the girl, Dawn Wells, exchange many meaningful glances and mutual silences before the movieu0026#39;s ending (which is a happy one, the exception in these cases). Thereu0026#39;s a love interest, but itu0026#39;s underplayed and allowed to develop convincingly, so we donu0026#39;t mind too much. The movie works directly and doesnu0026#39;t attempt to sneak allegories and messages past us. That makes it all the more convincing after the lugubrious u0026quot;The Master Gunfighter,u0026quot; which turns up dubious u0026quot;historical facts,u0026quot; works them into a plot lifted from a samurai drama and has the gall to pass itself off as a meaningful statement. Sometimes the best stories are the ones most simply told. ——-u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo there you have it!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRita Raffanti”