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Last of the Dogmen

Directed by: Tab Murphy
Produced by: Joel B. Michaels, Mario Kassar
Starring: Tom Berenger, Barbara Hershey, Kurtwood Smith, Steve Reevis
Music by: David Arnold
Release date: September 8, 1995 (USA)

Plot: A distraught but skillful bounty hunter Lewis Gates, accompanied by his horse and faithful companion Zip, an Australian cattle dog, tracks three armed escaped convicts into Montana's Oxbow Quadrangle, at the persistence of his unforgiving ex-father-in-law, who blames Gates for his daughter's tragic death. Gates sees the convicts but hears shots. Investigating the scene, all Gates finds is a bloody scrap of cloth, "enough blood to paint the sheriff's office," a bloody shotgun shell, and an old-fashioned Indian arrow.

Gates takes the arrow to archaeologist Lillian Sloan, who identifies it as a replica of the arrows used by Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. Gates doesn't think it's a replica and, after some library research, develops a long list of people who have disappeared into the Oxbow. He also finds a story of a "wild child" captured in the woods in the early 20th century. Now, he's convinced that the fugitives were killed by a tribe of Dog Soldiers, a hardy band of Native Americans who somehow escaped the 1864 Sand Creek massacre and survived for 128 years, secluded in the Montana Wilderness, killing anyone who threatened to find and expose them.

Gates convinces Sloan to join him in a search for the band. The two enter the Oxbow and begin to search. They survive many mishaps and bond throughout their journey, eventually venturing deeper into the wilderness than Gates has ever gone before, around 50 miles in.

After a week and nearing the end of their supplies, Sloan suggests heading back. As the two are packing their gear, they are suddenly attacked by Cheyenne Indians. Sloan, speaking the Cheyenne language, deescalates the situation, and the two are taken captive by Yellow Wolf. They are taken to the Cheyenne encampment in a valley accessed through a tunnel behind a waterfall, where the duo meet the village leader Spotted Elk. He tells them of the escape and salvation of the Cheyenne 128 years ago, as well as his own run-in with the "white people" when he was a child.

Review: This little melodrama is formula all the way. Complete with a stereotypical lost male bounty hunter Lewis Gates played by Tom Berenger, Self determined and equally lost female anthropologist Lillian Sloan played by Barbara Hershy and overly dramatic and misguided antagonist Sheriff Deegan (Gate's father-in-law) played by Kurtwood Smith. The narrative takes along a troubled storey line where a group of nomadic pure blood Cheyenne Indian tribe. The usual tension of "getting to know you and not get killed" takes place. With an over the top yet obvious reason to send Gates back to civilization to steal some medicine that is badly needed. Oddly they survived for close to a hundred years up till now without it.

In the intermixture of love, lust and a few well timed jokes about aspirin, we are told the Cheyenne had killed off three very cruel, heartless and evil escaped prisoners. The reaction is perhaps expected; Great news. Who needed such psychopaths anyway. Later as Gates and Sloan are allowed to wonder freely around the Cheyenne encampment; they come across an assortment of items collected from anyone the Dogmen (reference to the special fighters in charge of protecting the tribe) had come across and killed. These items are the only reference to the nameles victims of the tribes intent to stay hidden from the world. The casual comment is made "Wouldn't you kill to keep your secret and your people safe".

The Bible tells us that there will come a time when people will find any excuse to justify what was once deemed wrong. Evil will be dressed up to look not so bad if you just accept it. But that is not how it really is. A crime is still a crime and a sin is still a sin. No matter how you dress it up.

For light yet empty entertainment, much like reading an old fashioned Mills and Boon Novel, this might be what your looking for. Just don't bother looking for intellectual depth.

M J Flack