The Big Sky (1952)
Country: US
Technical: bw 122m
Director: Howard Hawks
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Arthur Hunnicutt, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt
Synopsis:
Early nineteenth century adventurers join an expedition up the Missouri river by an enterprising Frenchman to trade for furs with the Black Foot Indians. Their insurance policy is a young squaw of the tribe, rescued at an earlier date, but they must contend with the machinations of the Fur Company, who will stop at nothing to hinder their free enterprise.
Review:
Hawks's moccasin Western is an ambling mix of frontier perils, most of them fluvial, whisky tugging and overcoming of prejudice against the Indian. It's a multilingual affair, with plentiful French alongside chunks of dialogue in Black Foot, and as usual it is the deployment of character, shared danger and growing mutual respect that are the focus of the director's interest. Martin and Douglas make for amiable sparring partners, but it is the beautiful Teal Eye and gawky Poordevil that stick in the memory. Constructed around an epic journey and its key scenes taking place at night by campfires, it resembles nothing so much as a trapper's Red River.
Country: US
Technical: bw 122m
Director: Howard Hawks
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Arthur Hunnicutt, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt
Synopsis:
Early nineteenth century adventurers join an expedition up the Missouri river by an enterprising Frenchman to trade for furs with the Black Foot Indians. Their insurance policy is a young squaw of the tribe, rescued at an earlier date, but they must contend with the machinations of the Fur Company, who will stop at nothing to hinder their free enterprise.
Review:
Hawks's moccasin Western is an ambling mix of frontier perils, most of them fluvial, whisky tugging and overcoming of prejudice against the Indian. It's a multilingual affair, with plentiful French alongside chunks of dialogue in Black Foot, and as usual it is the deployment of character, shared danger and growing mutual respect that are the focus of the director's interest. Martin and Douglas make for amiable sparring partners, but it is the beautiful Teal Eye and gawky Poordevil that stick in the memory. Constructed around an epic journey and its key scenes taking place at night by campfires, it resembles nothing so much as a trapper's Red River.
Country: US
Technical: bw 122m
Director: Howard Hawks
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Arthur Hunnicutt, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt
Synopsis:
Early nineteenth century adventurers join an expedition up the Missouri river by an enterprising Frenchman to trade for furs with the Black Foot Indians. Their insurance policy is a young squaw of the tribe, rescued at an earlier date, but they must contend with the machinations of the Fur Company, who will stop at nothing to hinder their free enterprise.
Review:
Hawks's moccasin Western is an ambling mix of frontier perils, most of them fluvial, whisky tugging and overcoming of prejudice against the Indian. It's a multilingual affair, with plentiful French alongside chunks of dialogue in Black Foot, and as usual it is the deployment of character, shared danger and growing mutual respect that are the focus of the director's interest. Martin and Douglas make for amiable sparring partners, but it is the beautiful Teal Eye and gawky Poordevil that stick in the memory. Constructed around an epic journey and its key scenes taking place at night by campfires, it resembles nothing so much as a trapper's Red River.