The white feather

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Movie
German title The white feather
Original title White Feather
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1955
length 102 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Robert D. Webb
script John Prebble
Delmer Daves
production Hal B. Wallis for Twentieth Century Fox
music Hugo Friedhofer
camera Lucien Ballard
cut George A. Gittens
occupation

The white feather is a feature film by Panoramic Productions from the genre of Westerns . It is set in Wyoming in the second half of the 19th century . It is about some Indians who resist having to move to the reservation.

action

Josh Tanner, a land surveyor, touches Indian territory on his way to Fort Laramie . In the border river he hides a white man who was killed by the Indians and who unjustifiably digged for gold. He is watched by Cheyenne , but they spare him because he does not cross the border river.

When he arrived at the fort, he stayed with the daughter of a general store, with whom he later went on a ride in the area. They meet a group of Cheyennes who try to intimidate him. But he remains steadfast and shows no fear, but responds to their provocations, which impresses them. He learns the names of the two leaders: Little Dog ("little dog") - the chief's son - and his best friend Galloping Horse ("galloping horse").

Later in the fort, Tanner receives a visit from Little Dog, accompanied by his sister Appearing Day ("Beginning Day"), who gives him a precious fur in recognition of his courage and invites Tanner to her camp. Josh follows this invitation a little later and brings Little Dog and Galloping Horse bowie knives as presents, whereupon they become friends. Appearing Day falls in love with Tanner. The two Indians return the gift with a horse stolen by the Crows, which puts Tanner in grave danger as they expose him to the Crows' vengeance.

Meanwhile, the chief of the tribe, Broken Hand ("Broken Hand") appears in the camp and informs his people that he will accept an offer from the whites to leave their camp for the reservation to the south. This provokes resistance from Little Dog and his friend. Little Dog decides to ask the ghosts in the mountains what behavior is right for him. Later, Tanner is ambushed and almost killed by Galloping Horse in the fort because Appearing Day was "promised" to him, which she had concealed from Tanner. Galloping Horse goes to prison from which he is freed by Little Dog. Together they disappear into the mountains.

At the signing ceremony, a negotiator from the rebellious group around Little Dog and Galloping Horse shows up and leaves a knife with a white pen, a sign of resistance and challenge. The chief explains that the two wanted to fight the fort's troops alone. The commandant takes it out of necessity and lets the troops move into the mountains, where they are awaited by the two refractors and initially provoked and intimidated before both die. Galloping Horse is shot dead by Broken Hand after a treachery against Tanner, who appeared ready to negotiate, Little Dog dies in the hail of bullets from the troops, which he approaches in an assault. In the end, Josh Tanner takes Appearing Day with him and marries her.

Reviews

Phil Hardy calls the film an "intelligent, well-meaning western" which is "ruined in the worst" by Webb's "meaningless directing" . Joe Hembus explains that the film is "in the spirit and aesthetic of The Broken Arrow, " as its director Delmer Daves was involved in the script.

symbolism

The white feather is sometimes presented in England as a symbol of cowardice. See: The White Feather

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Phil Hardy: The Encyclopedia of Western Movies. Woodbury Press Minneapolis 1984. ISBN 0-8300-0405-X . P. 244
  2. ^ Joe Hembus: Western Lexicon - 1272 films from 1894-1975. Carl Hanser Verlag Munich Vienna 2nd edition 1977. ISBN 3-446-12189-7 . P. 680f