Die weiße Feder (1955)

Die weiße Feder: Directed by Robert D. Webb. With Robert Wagner, John Lund, Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter. In 1877 Wyoming, during the peace negotiations between the Cheyenne and the USA, an Indian girl falls in-love with a land surveyor, causing the ire of her Cheyenne fiance.

“This is a precedent setting Western which suffers from an average script, poor casting and botched editing. There are many similarities between this film and u0026quot;Broken Arrowu0026quot;. These similarities begin with the sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans. Debra Paget is also on hand to once more play her role as an Indian woman in love with a White man. The main problem here is that Robert Wagner is not Jimmy Stewart. Delmer Daves had a role in both films, but unfortunately he was limited in u0026quot;White Featheru0026quot; to co-writing the script. Robert Webb directed this film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film seems to be the victim of poor editing. The Ann character played by Virginia Leith is potentially one of the most interesting in the film. There is more than a hint at the beginning that she has a dark secret. u0026quot;Did my father tell you about meu0026quot;, she asks Josh Tanner (Wagner). Her father (played by Emile Meyer) later elaborates that u0026quot;she is unfit merchandiseu0026quot;. Unfortunately, this aspect of the plot is not developed. Jeffrey Hunter steals the show with his sympathetic and sensitive portrayal of Little Dog, a Cheyenne leader. He and Tanner become friends, and their friendship is one of the memorable elements in this film. Little Dog is proud to be a Cheyenne. He is torn between loyalty to his father, Chief Broken Hand (played by Eduard Franz), and his warrior code. In the end it becomes a choice between giving up his heritage to walk the White Manu0026#39;s road and dying well. The choice isnu0026#39;t as obvious as it seems. Little Dogu0026#39;s friend American Horse (played by Hugh Ou0026#39;Brian) has the opportunity to make the same choice and blows it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis filmu0026#39;s portrayal of the Native American tragedy is both sympathetic and different. Tanner tells the Colonel (played by John Lund) at the beginning that he has no feeling about Indians. He is indifferent. Ann makes her sympathies clear at the start. u0026quot;I feel sorry for them,u0026quot; she says and she and Tanner watch the tribes as they prepare to sign a treaty giving up their lands. Ultimately, Tanneru0026#39;s friendship with Little Dog gives him a new perspective. Unlike u0026quot;Devilu0026#39;s Doorwayu0026quot;, another film which works hard to present the Native American view of the winning of the West, this filmu0026#39;s ending is more upbeat. I still havenu0026#39;t been able to force myself to watch all of u0026quot;Devilu0026#39;s Doorwayu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlthough marriages between Whites and Indians were not unusual in the real West, they had a difficult time surviving in the morality of films of the 40u0026#39;s and 50u0026#39;s. This film is one of the first in which a White character marries an Indian girl. Most Westerns of the time did not permit such relationships to become permanent. Pagetu0026#39;s character in u0026quot;Broken Arrowu0026quot; is tragically killed. Similar violent endings terminate relationships in u0026quot;Drum Beatu0026quot;, u0026quot;Rock Island Lineu0026quot; and u0026quot;Across the Wide Missouriu0026quot;. In u0026quot;The Far Horizonsu0026quot; the Native American character ends the relationship by returning to her people so that one of the lead characters can marry a White woman. Dewey Martinu0026#39;s character in u0026quot;The Big Skyu0026quot; marries an Indian woman, but he has to make a choice. Will he return to the settlements where there is no place for her or will he live with the Blackfeet? Ultimately, he chooses Indian life. If the filmu0026#39;s script had included part two of Guthrieu0026#39;s novel, we would see that this relationship was ultimately the victim of tragedy as well. Tanneru0026#39;s decision in this film to marry the Indian woman and live in the White world is truly unusual for films of the time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is the friendship between Tanner and Little Dog which makes the film worth watching. Wagner plays his relationship with Hunteru0026#39;s Little Dog with a lot more feeling and credibility than he does his romantic interest in Pagetu0026#39;s character. Hunteru0026#39;s performance is a gem. Unlike Native American roles in so many other Westerns Hunter doesnu0026#39;t offer us the inane dialogue and dopey hand movements which we see too often in such roles. Although Tanner and Little Dog come from different worlds, their shared humanity is refreshingly realistic. It is ironic that their friendship becomes the catalyst for peace. Little Dog as a warrior is opposed to peace. u0026quot;The treaty pen does not fit my handu0026quot;, he jokes to Tanner.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite its flaws, this film is worth watching for its creative story and its sympathetic and credible portrayal of the Native American experience. The emphasis on story over action is unusual for such a Western and with a little better script it would have worked. Even so, it works well enough for me. I have watched it many times and will continue to do so.”