Eagle's Wing (1979)

Eagle's Wing (1979) (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $14.97

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital Stereo )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
100 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1979 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Anthony Harvey

Written By:
Anthony Harvey
John Briley
Michael Syson

Actors:
Martin Sheen ..... Pike
Sam Waterston ..... White Bull
Harvey Keitel ..... Henry
Stéphane Audran ..... The Widow
Caroline Langrishe ..... Judith
José Carlos Ruiz ..... Lame Wolf
John Castle ..... Priest
Manuel Ojeda ..... Miguel
Pedro Damián ..... Jose
Jorge Luke ..... Red Sky
Jorge Russek ..... Gonzalo
Farnesio de Bernal ..... Monk
Cecilia Camacho ..... Girl
Claudio Brook ..... Sanchez
Julio Lucena ..... Don Luis

Synopsis:

The West, the way it really was before the myths were born. This lyrical Western, set among the savage yet beautiful canyons and plains of New Mexico. Stars Martin Sheen as City-bred Pike, an Army deserter, who travels to the badlands with experienced trapper Henry (Harvey Keitel) to buy pelts from a Comanche Chief. Ambushed and pursued by White Bull (Sam Waterston), a vicious Kiowa brave, and with Henry dead, Pike is left alone to fend for himself in the wilderness in his quest against White Bull for the wild stallion Eagle's Wing. Eagle's Wing is an intelligent, original and realistic movie.

Though made in Britain and Europe, Eagle's Wing qualifies as a Western. Easterner Pike (Martin Sheen) does a lot of growing up in a hurry when he becomes a trapper out-West. By mid-film, Pike is accomplished enough to compete with Comanche chief White Bull (Sam Waterston, there's a masterpiece of nontypecasting!) over possession of a white, wild stallion. The film contains subliminal pro-ecological and pro-tolerance messages, courtesy of its politically-minded stars and the screenplay by future Gandhi scrivener John Briley. Supporting Sheen and Waterston are such never-fail performers as Harvey Keitel and Stephane Audran.

The story has three themes which run concurrently through the film. A stagecoach carrying a rich widow home to her family's hacienda. A war party of Indians, returning to their village; and two fur traders waiting to meet a different group of Indians with whom they trade. The war party attacks the other Indians, and kills their leader, who owns a magnificent white stallion. White Bull (Waterston) attempts to capture the horse, but it is too quick, and makes off carrying the dead chief. Pike (Sheen) and Henry (Keitel) wait in vain for the traders, and are then attacked themselves by the war party. Henry is killed, the Indians take the trader's horses, and Pike is left alone with only a mule.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 25 May, 2012.