Shadow of the Hawk

A likable enough film that didn't really grab a hold of me. Chief Dan George, previously seen in Little Big Man, made earlier and Outlaw Josey Wales, made the same year was born in 1899 on a Canadian Indian reservation and here plays an old medicine man seeking to pass on his powers (and responsibilities) to his grandson as he makes his way back to his village for the last time. There are some amazing sequences, notably a hand to hand fight with a black bear and others involving a strange car and a rope and slat bridge high above the rapids. Indeed the Canadian location shooting is ever impressive and if the tale starts to drift towards the end there is enough here to engage those looking for something a little different.

Although somewhat forgotten over time, this is an entertaining film combining drama, suspense, supernatural horror, and American Indian mysticism. Jan-Michael Vincent plays Mike, the Westernized grandson of a veteran Indian medicine man, Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George). The old man makes a very long trek to the city to enlist the grandsons' help in defeating an ancient, vengeful entity terrorizing the old mans' tribe. Marilyn Hassett plays Maureen, a freelance reporter looking for a story and who gave the old man some assistance.

There are some effective moments in this little picture, especially the harrowing one with Vincent, Hassett, and George on a rickety wooden bridge. It's also impressive when the old man erects an "invisible wall" into which a car crashes. It all takes place among some magnificent British Columbia (Canada) scenery, and is accompanied by majestic music composed by Robert McMullin. Mike will have to ultimately face the demonic Dsonoqua (played by the alluring Marianne Jones) on his own, as well as her minions and one persistent black bear. The presence of a mystery figure, who wears a creepy mask, is another solid touch, and this figure will repeatedly appear in Mikes' visions. Although, as I said earlier, Mike is very much a Westernized character, he *will* end up embracing his heritage and his heroic destiny.

Vincent is solid in one of the vehicles from the peak period of his career, when he hadn't fallen victim to his own demons. Hassett doesn't get much to do that's actually interesting, but she is likeable as well. Chief Dan George is excellent as the mystical elder who knows all the right things to do and say, and who knows that being laid up in a hospital being treated with ineffective Western medicine will do him no good.

Overall, this is a decent little picture, spooky when it needs to be and consistently atmospheric. It's worth a look.

Seven out of 10.

This movie like a lot of them made in the 70's contains an interesting plot and some substance. It gives a subtle touch of spirituality and some thrilling scenes of action and even creepiness. The characters seem convincing in their roles and the old man ( played by Chief Dan George) has a lot of personality in which he speaks very little being a very wise powerful medicine man. The other characters seem to pull of f their roles as well with the acting being realistic and not forced or awkward. I found the suspense in this movie to be "real" without all the special effects thrown in to make it look over the top and ridiculous like a lot of action flicks out there today. I guess you can think of this movie as one that leaves you with a good feeling at the end. The score of nine may seem a little high but I feel it really deserves it , due to it's subtle way of telling the story and leaving it up to the person watching the film to exercise their imagination. Also I think being someone who saw this film when it originally was released it brings back some memories and didn't disappoint years later when I watched it again for maybe the third or fourth time. A lot of movies that you had watched growing up appear a little different as you remember them but this one is in good standing. I also think that this movie is my favourite among the Native North American themes.

We get Jan-Michael Vincent encountering some bad juju, nice. It doesn't surprise me to see something this audaciously unusual and spectral coming from the 1970s. In spite of some out-there moments (phantom car & at times an obvious bear costume in a one-on-one), you can still count on "SHADOW OF THE HAWK" to deliver the premise with such a slight, straight-face. And it pays dividends, as this helps achieve such an underlining eeriness to its atmospherics (accompanied by a spookily experimental natural sounding FX) of a young man accepting his Native American ancestral fate.

Old Man Hawk (Chief Dan George) is the native shaman of his tribe, but he finds himself at the mercy of a spirit of an ancient sorceress (Marianne Jones). The only way he can defeat her, is for his grandson Mike (a steadfast Jan-Michael Vincent) who lives and works in the city, to return back to the village to harness his power as the heir of the shaman. Hesitant at first, he has a change of heart and is persuaded by a freelance reporter (a sympathetic Marilyn Hassett) who tags along.

The superstitious framework is your typical black and white power struggle between two forces; good versus evil. It's literally a journey, both physical and spiritual, in what plays out like a mind over matter initiation of one's identity. Sometimes ponderous and Hassett's character felt like nothing more than a pawn, yet the mystical intrigue and stout performances help its momentum. Throughout danger is always felt, as the sorceress watches, animating objects and animals, causing strange, lethal accidents. The dangling rope bridge was a neat touch. Her disciples also get into the act too. I found the most effective scenes revolved around the sorceress' spirit donning a creepy white mask while terrorizing Jan-Michael Vincent's character. This is even before the trek hits the forlorn wilderness. George McCowan's low-key direction is competent without doing anything truly special.

Jan Michael Vincent is very good in this role as "Hawk", the grandson of a Native American medicine man, played by the venerable Chief Dan George. The plot? He must return to his tribe to safeguard them from an evil spirit. Along the journey through absolutely beautiful Northwest woods, Hawk, his grandfather and girlfriend must face attacks from both spirit and flesh and blood foes. An exciting and sometimes rather spooky road-trip. I give it ***1/2 out of *****.