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