Photographed in color in the Black Hills of South Dakota, George Marshall's "The Savage" is a sympathetic look at the Indian Sioux presenting them as people, recurring on love and loyalty based on mutual respectin this case, the bond between a Chief Indian and his adopted son...
The film opens in 1868 on Sioux country, with a wagon trail attacked by the aggressive Crow Indians... All are massacred except Young Heston, eleven-years old... Sioux warriors arrive on the scene, in their eyes the young boy is a brave warrior, instantly adopted by Yellow Eaglechief of this Miniconju branch of the Sioux with the name of War Bonnet...
Time goes by and the boy grows to manhood... War was about to break out between the Sioux nation and the white men... Heston has to decide soon on whose side will fight... Meanwhile, a pretty young squaw named Luta (Joan Taylor) has fallen in love with Heston who sees her only as his "little" sister... She reacts by calling him: "Man of stone, man who sees no woman, man of no love. Blind one!"
The great moment of the film is the test of truth, before the assembled warriors in the great council meeting, questioning on Heston's divided loyalty... Yellow Eagle's only request: "My son. I ask only one thing. Do not bring disgrace to my name."
Charlton Heston early efforts as an actor are exciting:
- Heston, the best warrior: galloping at full tilt to catch a wild white stallion..
- Heston's wisdom at the Indian meeting: "Is it the pigment of a man's skin which makes him a Miniconju, a member of the mighty Sioux? Is it the color of his eyes? No, neither of these things. It is the beating inside his body."
- Heston's anger: "From this day forth, let no man call me white!"
- Heston's delicate hint if he allows the ambush to go through, innocent men, women, and children will be killed: "My heart no longer quickly grows hot with anger, but all whites are not killers."
- Heston, a peacemaker: "I do not ask for sympathy. I am here to stop you from destroying yourselves."
- Heston's warn: "More soldiers will come... More guns as many as there are stars in heaven. For every soldier you kill, ten will come."
With violent action scenes and great beautiful sceneries (mountains, lakes, woods, grasslands) "The Savage" is a fair Western, solemn, humane, rather tedious...
Strangely enough, one year later, Heston is cast in an excellent Western "Arrowhead," as a chief of scouts for U.S. armed forces fighting Apaches...
