Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 10, 1994 TAG: 9409140028
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Though "Hondo" doesn't have the reputation of Wayne's more famous Westerns - "Stagecoach," "Red River," "The Searchers" - or the following of his most popular - "True Grit," "The Shootist" - it's a fine movie in its own right. Wayne's fans who haven't seen it in some time (if ever) are in for a treat.
This 1953 film has aged well. Though some of the colors are bleached out, it has been carefully restored on videotape. And since it was not made in a widescreen format, none of the action is lost in translation.
Wayne plays Hondo Lane, an Indian scout for the cavalry in 1874 when the Apaches are attacking settlers. As the story begins, he's on foot in the desert, and accompanied by a mean-tempered dog named Sam (Lassie, in perhaps his finest character role). He finds water on a hardscrabble ranch that's being run by Angie Lowell (Geraldine Page) and her young son, Johnny (Lee Aaker). Her husband is nowhere close, but she assures Hondo she has nothing to fear from the Apaches, having made a separate peace with Vittorio (Michael Pate), the local chief.
The first third or so of the script by James Edward Grant, based on a Louis L'Amour story, is tightly focused on the relationship between Hondo and Angie. There's almost no physical action. Instead, it's a love story about two deliberately plain characters. Geraldine Page was nominated for an Oscar (this was her first film). She and Wayne make a fine couple, playing characters with real depth and believability.
When the scene moves away from the ranch to the larger conflicts, the story is still strong. Yes, Vittorio does talk in the pidgin grammar that was the rule for Indian characters of that time. But he's not a stereotype. In some ways, he's the moral center of the film. The Indian point of view - particularly the Apaches' reaction to broken treaties - is also handled honestly.
On the negative side, the film relies more on Western conventions in the second half. And it's more rushed than it has to be when it wraps up the conclusion. Those are comparatively minor flaws, though.
Director Robert Fellows keeps the pace brisk. Ward Bond and James Arness are fine in small supporting roles. The real key to the film is Wayne's performance, and it's one of his most assured. This is the screen character his fans have come to love: rough around the edges but almost courtly in his manners, tough and gentle at the same time.
(By the way, "Hondo" was made to be shown in 3-D, and the eventual laserdisc version may restore the third dimension. The cassette, arriving in stores on Sept. 20, is 2-D.)
Another new video Western tells a similar story, but what's so good about "Hondo" is what's lacking in "Cheyenne Warrior" - the right casting. Glamorgirl Kelly Preston isn't at all persuasive as Rebecca Carver, a pregnant pioneer woman who's doing the best she can to prepare for winter after her husband is killed. Her only ally - and she doesn't trust him much - is Soars Like a Hawk (Pato Hoffman), the title character. The villains include vengeful Pawnee and Kearney (Rick Dean), an evil Irishman who revels in his own wickedness.
The scenery and atmosphere are excellent. Director Mark Griffiths used a limited budget extremely well. At his best, he can evoke the sense of space and loneliness of the West as well as Clint Eastwood did in "Unforgiven." Most of the action seems fairly realistic, too, though Michael Druxman's script only hints at the overt racism of the times.
In the end, "Cheyenne Warrior" is worth a look for Western fans, despite the flaws.
"Rockwell" is an extremely curious piece of work. Judging by the photographs and copy on the box - pictures of basketball star Karl Malone and a long-haired man with a darkened face over the words "He brought black powder justice to a lawless land" - you'd expect that the film to be a black Western along the lines of Mario Van Peebles' "Posse."
It's not. This is a Mormon Western, all about Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, the journey west and all that. It's an ultra-low-budget production with many non-professional actors. Clumsy voice-over narration is used in a transparent attempt to make up for the shortcomings of cast and script. Randy Gleave, who plays the title character, seldom speaks, and when he does, his mouth is almost never visible to the camera.
Now, there is nothing wrong with a Western having a religious element or a religious point of view. But here, the main Mormon characters are presented as innocent, saintly figures who want only to be left in peace, etc. etc. Those who oppose them are treacherous, lying, cowardly predators.
As others have noted in a different context, propaganda that's recognizable as propaganda is third-rate propaganda. "Rockwell" doesn't even rate that high. As entertainment, it may appeal to true believers, but there's nothing to recommend the film to a larger audience.
New releases
The Crow ***
Starring Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis. Directed by Alex Proyas. Buena Vista (Miramax). 101 min. Rated R for graphic violence, drug use, strong language, rape, brief nudity.
Viewed simply as a Gothic action film, this is one of the best, comparable to "Blade Runner" and "Batman." The accidental death of star Brandon Lee while making the film underscores its dark themes of resurrection and revenge. First-time feature director Proyas does superb work, telling a violent story with a hard-core rock sensibility and references to Poe.
Threesome **
Starring Josh Charles, Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Baldwin. Directed by Andrew Fleming. Columbia TriStar. 93 min. Rated R for strong sexual content, language, brief nudity.
This cheesy little flick that would be a lot better if it were a lot cheesier. The story concerns three college students - two male, one female - who share a dormitory suite and discover their sexual selves. At various times, it attempts to be comedy, leering exploitation and serious character study. If writer-director Fleming had decided on one course (preferably the second) and stuck to it, he might have come up with a memorable guilty pleasure. He didn't.
The Essentials
Hondo ***
MPI Home Video. 84 min. Unrated, contains some violence.
Cheyenne Warrior ** 1/2
New Horizons Home Video. 86 min. Rated PG-13 for violence, strong language, subject matter.
Rockwell *
Imperial Entertainment. 92 min. Unrated, contains some violence.
by CNB