Das Rennen gegen die Sonne

Against A Crooked Sky is strange viewing nowadays in that it was made before the pinheads in Hollywood decided to drastically dumb down movies aimed at children, particularly children ages ten to thirteen, reducing them to worthless comedic mind rot filled with flatulence jokes and loud flashy effects. I don't even think todays preteens would have the patience (or half of them, the Intelligence) for a movie that isn't a comedy or a fantasy!

In this, Sam Sutter watches helplessly while his sister is kidnapped by an Indian warrior. With little or no hope of recovery and all attempts to find her called off, he sets off with a drunken Richard Boone (in a fantastic performance) to find her, his only clue being a gold headband.

Although this isn't among the best westerns ever made, it's a truly entertaining outdoor adventure, the best thing about it being the developing relationship between Boone and the stubborn boy as he pushes the cantankerous old man out of his comfort zone and towards the truth about his sister's disappearance.

Against A Crooked Sky shows a strong influence of other films of the time like Little Big Man and A Man Called Horse. Like them it details strange (at least to the white man) rituals and customs, like Cut Tongue's being forced to live like a squaw and the harrowing climax, the test of the crooked sky.