A Man Called Horse (1970)

In 1825, an English aristocrat is captured by Native Americans. He lives with them and begins to understand their way of life. Eventually, he is accepted as part of the tribe and aspires to become their leader.

Director:

Elliot Silverstein

Writers:

Jack DeWitt (screenplay) (as Jack De Witt), Dorothy M. Johnson (story)

Stars:

Richard Harris, Judith Anderson, Jean Gascon

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Harris	...	John Morgan
Judith Anderson	...	Buffalo Cow Head (as Dame Judith Anderson)
Jean Gascon	...	Batise
Manu Tupou	...	Yellow Hand
Corinna Tsopei	...	Running Deer
Dub Taylor	...	Joe
James Gammon	...	Ed
William Jordan	...	Bent
Eddie Little Sky	...	Black Eagle
Michael Baseleon	...	Longfoot
Lina Marín	...	Thorn Rose (as Lina Marin)
Tamara Garina	...	Elk Woman
Terry Leonard	...	Striking Bear
Iron Eyes Cody	...	Medicine Man
Tom Tyon	...	Medicine Man

Storyline

During the early 1800s, English Lord John Morgan (Richard Harris) is hunting in the Dakotas, but he is captured by a group of Sioux warriors. Morgan's guides are killed, but he is spared by Sioux Chief Yellow Hand (Manu Tupou), who marvels at Morgan's blond hair. Brought to Yellow Hand's tribal village, Morgan has to endure physical abuse and mockery at the hands of women and children who consider him to be a wild horse. Restrained by a rope around his neck, Morgan is given as a gift to an old squaw, Buffalo Cow Head (Dame Judith Anderson), to be her slave and help her with daily chores. In the village, Morgan meets Running Deer (Corinna Tsopei), the beautiful young sister of Chief Yellow Hand. Morgan witnesses the traditional courtship process when Running Deer is asked in marriage by a tribe member who presents Yellow Hand with gifts in return for his sister's hand in marriage. Morgan starts to fall in love with her. Also in the village is half-breed, Batise (Jean Gascon), whose ...

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Plot Keywords:

warrior | marriage | stealing a horse | horse | male rear nudity | 

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Taglines:

A man called "Horse" becomes an Indian warrior in the most electrifying ritual ever seen!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses.... (1981), Del Boy (David Jason) states that Trigger (real name Colin Ball) (Roger Lloyd Pack) got his nickname because he looks like a horse. "Trigger" is the name of John Morgan's horse.

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Goofs

When the band of Indians first stops after capturing Morgan, he is seen standing at the horses enter the clearing. In the next scene, he is on the ground, as he had been after falling in the previous scene.

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Quotes

John Morgan: It just occurred to me... I've traveled halfway around the world, at great expense, simply to kill a different kind of bird.

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Alternate Versions

Old German VHS version includes many alternate/more violent takes that are not on the US DVD (whereas the version on the DVD is the same as in the US), especially the ending is almost completely recut. On the other hand the US version includes a few lines which are not in the German version.

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Connections

Referenced in Nearest and Dearest: X Marks the Spot (1971)

User Reviews

I'm not a bloody horse!

This is the story of Lord John Morgan, an honest earthy person who is captured by the Sioux in 1825. Abused and treated as an animal he comes to adapt to his life in order to survive. Enduring torture and oppression he must earn their respect in order to be accepted as part of their tribe.

The white man as part of a Sioux tribe story was given a major shot in the arm with Kevin Costner's Oscar bagger, Dances With Wolves in 1990. This picture came out some twenty years before Costner's stylish picture but the two films couldn't be further apart in terms of story telling. Here in Elliot Silverstein's picture, the scenery and scope is certainly lush, but the niceties stop there for this is a harsh, at times painful, story with realism dripping from each frame. Silverstein wanted to get as close as he could to the facts of the Sioux way of life, even bringing in a Sioux historian to oversee the production.

The Sioux are painted on both sides of the canvas, on one side we are shown them to be violent, even sadistic, but Silverstein also portrays them as an intelligent race driven on by intense loyalty to their ways and culture. Richard Harris plays our main protagonist and has a clear license to act with immense verve and vigour, it's a memorable turn that lingers long after the credits roll. Hurting the film is a twee romance between Morgan and the Chiefs daughter (Judith Anderson) and Jean Gascon's fluctuating accents start to grate entering the film's last quarter. But really the plus points far outweigh the little irritants in the piece. The editing from Philip W. Anderson & Michael Kahn is like a whirling paean to hallucinations, and some scenes are from the top draw, most notably the Vow To The Sun ritual that literally is painful to watch. A Man Called Horse may well be of its time, but it's certainly a very interesting and highly intelligent film. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Sioux French

Release Date:

1 May 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Man Called Horse

Filming Locations:

Happy Jack, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,941,247

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Center Films, Sandy Howard Productions, Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1