The Talisman

In a rugged and desolate part of the untamed west, a young white woman and a warrior of the Cheyenne people are the sole survivors of a bloody clash during the Colorado War. The warrior prepares to kill the woman, but he sees a spirit bird fly overhead, behoving him to her protection. By and by, a growing trust and mutuality between the two blossoms into love. When the woman is latterly violated by a group of boorish white outlaws, the distraught warrior vows to avenge her...red man style!

Director JOHN CARR, noted chiefly for a few low budget horror films he made during the 80s, debuted with this unconventional black-and-white western with a light sprinkling of the supernatural. It was long thought to be a lost film until it emerged out of nowhere on Youtube, and I, for one, was pleasantly surprised by it. It's admittedly rough around the edges, and looks several years older than it is, but the bitterly poignant story is well told, and a few lurid scenes in the final third provide just enough old school exploitation kick to keep things lively.

Not a classic, maybe, but certainly a worthy rediscovery. 6/10.