The Stalking Moon (1968)
In earlier generations, little boys played Cowboys and Indians, so the western was an enormously popular film genre up through the 1970s. The old stereotype of “cowboy-good, Indian-bad” has thankfully died out, and those types of movies aren’t really made anymore. If you want a lesson in racist Americana, feel free to watch The Stalking Moon or any other “typical” western. If you’re actually looking for a good movie, look elsewhere.
Gregory Peck is about to retire from his job as a good cowboy who fights Indians for the army. His impending retirement is drummed into our heads quite often in the first ten minutes of the movie. During his last assignment, he and his side-kick, “The Breed”, Robert Forester, rescue Eva Marie Saint from her terrible capture. Her young son, another “half-breed” is rescued as well, even though he clearly doesn’t want to leave his people and the only world he’s ever known. Nevertheless, despite his repeated escape attempts to go back home, Eva and Greg keep him close by. Eva, in a practically wordless performance, doesn’t tell her rescuer that her son’s father is a ruthless, evil murderer who will stop at nothing to get his son back. Then give him his son! The entire movie, I was shouting at the television, trying to convince Eva to return her son and save dozens of innocent lives.
There’s absolutely no reason why Greg continually puts himself in danger for this stranger and her son; he nor any other character in the film is given any character development to explain their actions. Greg is just “the good guy” and the vicious Indian is just “the bad guy”. None of the Indians are given any spoken lines, but that’s not very surprising in a film that actively perpetuates a bad relationship between the races. If that’s not enough racism for you, here’s one more tidbit: when Eva starts getting domesticated by Greg, her years-long tan starts to fade and her dusty blonde hair magically lightens. In other words, when she starts getting close with a white man, she starts looking “whiter” so the audience will be more likely to accept her.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More Gregory Peck movies here!
Gregory Peck is about to retire from his job as a good cowboy who fights Indians for the army. His impending retirement is drummed into our heads quite often in the first ten minutes of the movie. During his last assignment, he and his side-kick, “The Breed”, Robert Forester, rescue Eva Marie Saint from her terrible capture. Her young son, another “half-breed” is rescued as well, even though he clearly doesn’t want to leave his people and the only world he’s ever known. Nevertheless, despite his repeated escape attempts to go back home, Eva and Greg keep him close by. Eva, in a practically wordless performance, doesn’t tell her rescuer that her son’s father is a ruthless, evil murderer who will stop at nothing to get his son back. Then give him his son! The entire movie, I was shouting at the television, trying to convince Eva to return her son and save dozens of innocent lives.
There’s absolutely no reason why Greg continually puts himself in danger for this stranger and her son; he nor any other character in the film is given any character development to explain their actions. Greg is just “the good guy” and the vicious Indian is just “the bad guy”. None of the Indians are given any spoken lines, but that’s not very surprising in a film that actively perpetuates a bad relationship between the races. If that’s not enough racism for you, here’s one more tidbit: when Eva starts getting domesticated by Greg, her years-long tan starts to fade and her dusty blonde hair magically lightens. In other words, when she starts getting close with a white man, she starts looking “whiter” so the audience will be more likely to accept her.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More Gregory Peck movies here!