Shadow of the Hawk

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.

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.

What the hell are you supposed to do when suddenly one night, during your birthday celebration moreover, your old and physically exhausted grandfather shows up on your doorstep and begs of you to disregard everything and drive 300 miles to bring him back home? You could refuse and put him on a bus, seeing that he also managed to find his way there alone perfectly fine, but – like the cute woman accompanying him already pointed out – he is your grandfather and you just don't do a thing like that. So what other option is there but to politely offer a ride to both gramps and the lady? During the road trip, however, granddaddy reveals he's entangled in a spiritual battle with a ancient witch called Dsonqua and you are involved through your bloodline. A-ha! That immediately explains the eerie hallucinations you're having about wicked witch masks inside the pool and outside your bedroom window! All this is what's happening to Jan-Michael Vincent in "Shadow of the Hawk"; an above average compelling and atmospheric 70's thriller with a good cast and astonishing Canadian filming locations. Especially the first half of the film is more than fascinating to observe, what with all the mysterious Indian mythology and the genuinely creepy images of the witch's frightening mask. Unfortunately the film loses quite a lot of its pace and interest halfway and ends up being a rather dull and unmemorable supernatural hocus-pocus thriller. The most exciting moments of "Shadow of the Hawk" occur during the road trip, like for example the crash into an invisible wall, whereas the long-anticipated climax battle against the witch and her disciples is tedious and disappointing. George McGowan, known from the nature-revolts classic "Frogs", directs with a noticeable disinterest, but luckily the cast is excellent. Chief Dan George and Jan-Michael Vincent (one of my personal heroes of the 70's) are terrific and very believable as the Indian saviors. "Shadow of the Hawk" is quite difficult to track down these days, so make sure you only take the effort in case you're really interested in the film.

Shadow of the Hawk is a film that can be viewed on many levels. It is at once a parable about the use of power and a young man's conflicted response to his vocation. I am speaking of power as it is defined in various North American Indian traditions. Power in such traditions is neither good nor evil in itself. It is the person using it who is good or evil and uses it to those ends. It is in the portrayal of black vs. white magic that the film has serious flaws, introducing non-Native American elements for dramatic effect. Nevertheless, the essential understanding that power has the potential for personal enlightenment or self-destruction manages to come through. There is also the drama of the vision quest operating here. The vision quest, found in the traditions of many North American Indian tribes, is a experience through which one conquers one's fears in a journey which culminates in a crucial aspect of self-knowledge. All of these elements, aided by the entrancing scenery throughout, combine to make this film well worthwhile viewing.

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.