The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976)

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

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Jack DeWitt, Dorothy M. Johnson (characters)

Stars:

Richard Harris, Gale Sondergaard, Geoffrey Lewis

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

In the 1840s, trappers with government backing push the Yellow Hands Sioux off their sacred land; they retreat into an apocalyptic spirituality, passively waiting for supernatural wrath to descend on their usurpers. Meanwhile, in England, Lord John Morgan feels his spirit weaken, so he returns to America to live again with the Yellow Hand. Finding them dispirited, he invigorates them as well as himself through self-imposed torture and other rituals. Once he convinces the clan to take direct action, Horse must devise a strategy to take the trappers' fort. The clan's women and boys take on special assignments to aid the assault to regain the sacred land.

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Plot Keywords:

horse | 1840s | ritual | opening action scene | cannon | 

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Genres:

Western | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Mann, den sie Pferd nannten - 2. Teil

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sandy Howard Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Irvin Kershner has said that of all his films, this one has the best score (by Laurence Rosenthal), as it plays like a small scale opera.

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Connections

Followed by Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983)

User Reviews

A British aristocrat returns to his native homeland and takes place vengeance against nasty white men

Enjoyable and entertaining sequel to ¨A man called Horse¨ . The English gentleman known as Horse, returns to the American west to save his adopted Indian tribe from extinction . As the Britisher aristocrat abandons his formal ways and returns the Sioux territory , in the Dakotas , and discovers again is own strength . As he passes their torture tests , and he is again embraced by the tribe . And again the ¨Sun Vow¨scene where our ex-aristocrat is suspended by horsehair ropes from bones inserted into holes made in his chest by eagle claws before they will accept him .

This exciting picture packs thrills , chills , marvelous outdoors and more of the torture scenes for which this series is notorious . The picture contains a deep critical on the inevitable contempt that ignorance of different cultures engenders as well as anthropological differences . This is a very gripping and realistic portrayal of American Indian way of life . Interesting screenplay by Jack DeWitt who wrote also the original plot , based on a 1958 segment of the TV series ¨Wagon Train¨ 1957 , bearing the same title , The Man called Horse, it is the same story as this movie, with a few changes, even chief with two sisters, and a slave to Yellow Rope's mother . Furthermore , the story is based on Cabeza de Vaca's real life , a soldier from Spain that in 1528 suffered all that happens in this movie.

Richard Harris is excellent , as always , at one of his mightiest box office hits . He is in terrific form as the Britisher nobleman who returns along with his Indians friends . Gale Sondergaard , replacing Judith Anderson , provides a strong acting . In addition , a fine support cast such as William Lucking , Geoffrey Lewis and Mexican actors as Jorge Luke , Claudio Brook , Enrique Lucero , all of them ordinaries in Indian roles . Rousing musical score by Laurence Rosenthal , in fact , director Irvin Kershner has said that of all his films, this one has the best soundtrack , as it plays like a small scale opera . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Owen Roizman , including impressive landscapes . The motion picture was very good directed by Irvin Kershner . On account of this film, which George Lucas found to be better than its predecessor , he hired Irvin Kershner to direct The empire strikes again .

The original version ¨The man called Horse¨ is the best , starred by Harris , Judith Anderson , Iron Eyes Cody , Dub Taylor , James Gammon and directed by Elliot Silverstein ; it deals with Harris who fall into the clutches of a tribe of Sioux ¨Yellow Hands¨ Indians and they proceed to inflict torture by ritual ; it remains a riveting variation of ¨the man living wild¨ issue . Sequelled by a third part titled ¨The triumphs of a man called Horse¨ (1983) an inferior and inadequate following dealing with Horse's son who have to save his people from prospectors in order to keep his title as Chief ; being realized by John Hough with Michael Beck , Anna De Sade , Simon Andreu , but not much Richard Harris .