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A pretty intense drama that becomes a bit too formal and theatrical in the final act. It's a shame the film couldn't muster a more appropriate ending, but the drama leading up to it was pretty good. A bit heavy-handed still, and it's certainly not an easy watch, but worth the investment. Helen is a deaf mute, which makes it pretty much impossible for her to communicate with the world and people around her. This frustrates her no end, and as she gets older she starts to act out. Her family doesn't want to put her in an asylum, and so they hire a specialized teacher. Duke is great in her role, so is Bancroft. The two have some very intense scenes together during the first half, though Bancroft goes slightly off the rails in the second part. Not all the drama feels relevant and a tighter focus on the characters might've made this a better film. Still, a lot better than I expected it to be.Read all
Bit of a cheesy Cowboys and Indians flick, but at least it's not quite as wannabe tough and/or cool as some of its more illustrious peers. That makes it much easier to sit through, even though the runtime does its best to get in the way of any enjoyment. Not sure who thought it a good idea to turn this into a 140-minute film. Indians take in a young boy, and he grows up learning about their ways and culture. Later, he returns to live with white folk, where he's taught a different way of living. He feels torn in a world where whites and Indians are at constant war with each other, especially when he has to join the fighting. The film isn't quite as serious as it sounds, which is a good thing, since the sentiment weighs pretty heavy. I didn't really care for Hoffman's characters, nor the drama he is facing during the film, but compared to other Westerns I found this one a relatively easy watch. Far from great, but I'd expected worse.Read all
Lumière and Company
