Review by filmbuff-31

Shadow of the Hawk is a film that can be viewed on many levels. It is at once a parable about the use of power and a young man's conflicted response to his vocation. I am speaking of power as it is defined in various North American Indian traditions. Power in such traditions is neither good nor evil in itself. It is the person using it who is good or evil and uses it to those ends. It is in the portrayal of black vs. white magic that the film has serious flaws, introducing non-Native American elements for dramatic effect. Nevertheless, the essential understanding that power has the potential for personal enlightenment or self-destruction manages to come through. There is also the drama of the vision quest operating here. The vision quest, found in the traditions of many North American Indian tribes, is a experience through which one conquers one's fears in a journey which culminates in a crucial aspect of self-knowledge. All of these elements, aided by the entrancing scenery throughout, combine to make this film well worthwhile viewing.