El triunfo de un hombre llamado Caballo

If any of you out there have heard of the Man Called Horse series but don't know where to start, it's not with the 1983 installment. Start with 1970's A Man Called Horse. Each of the three movies has text information at the start and end that give you context on the true story, but the last of the three is a real letdown; so don't let it be your first impression.

While the second installment had beautiful music, the opening credits of the third roll over a cheesy 1980s song that makes you laugh rather than get swept up in the environment. However, if you really love the series, you'll want to see it through. In the grand tradition of these movies, an elderly Caucasian actress is made up to look and act like an old Sioux crone. There's no more Judith Anderson or Gale Sondergaard, but instead we can see Anne Seymour transform with a white stringy wig and dark makeup.

As we know from the first two movies, an English gentleman in the 1800s was captured by the Sioux Indians and then voluntary returned to join them. Even though we learned through the text explanation that he eventually died, I certainly didn't expect the franchise to kill of Richard Harris in the first half hour of the film. How rude! He was the heart and soul of these movies, and you felt his real-life love of nature coming through the character.

No one cares about Michael Beck's character, Richard's son. His acting, and that of his love interest, Ana De Sade, will make you cringe. The plot falls flat when Michael took the reins to try and save the Sioux from evil white men's attacks. Clearly, the shift was an attempt to create new sex appeal with new scantily clad characters. But there was no reason why they couldn't continue with Richard Harris; in 1983 he still had a great body and lots of appeal. If the end of the franchise was planned, the titular character could have been killed off at the very end, not in the beginning. I'm sure everyone else was as disappointed as I was. I didn't even make it through the rest of the movie.

This film was for Richard Harris what THE COW BOYS was for John Wayne, ten years earlier. Know what I mean? If not, I prefer let you find out by yourself, I don't want to spoil you the film, but there is a BIG surprise in this move and far before the end. For the rest, it's not a bad film, but it can deceive the fans of the franchise and I am glad that Sam Peckinpah was eventually not involved in this project. John Hough was a veteran in the industry and from England, as Richard Harris' character - so why not? And Ridley Scott is also a British film maker - and the directing is not so bad. Only this franchise runs now on empty; there is nothing more to add. Focus instead on the first two films.

I fully expected Olivia Newton John to burst out signing 70ies love songs at any moment, but Carly Simon did the honors instead.

The original movie was about how an educated ("educated". That's important) white man discovered and understood Lakota culture and values, and honored them. But the movies, which, by the way, use white and Mexican actors to portray native Americans, portray the Lakota as children in awe of the white man who likes them.

This last installment is a typical early 80ies formula for simplistic entertainment where the Lakota (Sioux) are reduced to "children". It's just shameful. Also, ridiculous.

I did marvel, though, at how many rounds that rifle could fire without ever reloading.

This is no longer about Richard Harris' Man called Horse. It's about his out-of-nowhere son falling in love with a Crow young woman and together they... well... I'm not sure what exactly the accomplished. Nice, white love song though!

I really don't understand why people submit bad comments about movies. This movie, while not a true sequel of "A Man Called Horse", was an enjoyable movie in it's on right. Take it for what it is, a western and I think you will enjoy.

The few times that Richard Harris appeared in the movie, is a tribute to an aging star who wanted to finish the third, and last movie in "A Man Called Horse". While not able to be as much a part of the movie as he wanted to, he nevertheless was there.

I think that the movie should be judged on it's on merit rather than see it as a finish to a series. I enjoyed the movie and would like to see the whole series released on DVD.

Cowboy